Tepidarium

Within the boundaries of the Roman Empire - whether in Europe, from England to Sicily, from France to Romania and Bulgaria, in the Near East or in North Africa, we encounter in the ancient cities ruins of often gigantic proportions, the baths, the Roman luxury baths from the imperial era. One can therefore speak of an actual bath architecture. They also fulfilled important social and communicative functions: as facilities for education, sports, and for performances of all kinds.

The tepidarium has a strengthening effect on humans: It is a body-warm room, whose surrounding surfaces are warmer than the air temperature. Humans are best adapted to radiant heat. When people settled in colder areas, heating living spaces became a necessity for survival.

Studies have identified a significant north-south gradient in coronary diseases, which is causally linked to the positive effects of unsaturated fatty acids and radiant heat.

The convective cooling in a radiant climate has been identified as a factor that counteracts hypertension and atherogenesis. The radiant climate is characterized by a higher, preferably high radiation temperature, cooling and moving air, and moderate humidity. In the combination of factors "radiant cooling - saturated fatty acids," coronary diseases are common, but they are rare when the body cools convectively. [Quote from: Applied Bioclimatology with Modern Nature-Based Heating Methods - The Way Out of Chronic Disease" by W. Ledwina]

The modern human should spend at least 20 minutes daily, unclothed, in the climate of a tepidarium.

In the radiation-climate-controlled room, the body can ideally relax. As a treatment, with slowly increasing temperatures, an intensive detoxification of unwanted substances is possible. The heat radiation causes deep warmth, which activates the body's water molecules: The cells are invigorated, blood flow is increased, metabolism is stimulated, and oxygen supply is improved. The muscles are also warmed, leading to a deeper-induced higher sweat volume and a more comprehensive effect.

The short sauna session used in sports medicine with large temperature differences (heat with rapid cooling) challenges the heart and circulatory system, resulting in a comparatively more superficial blood circulation of the skin. Moreover, heat shocks the enzymes, which are supposed to accelerate the breakdown of transmitter substances (i.e., detoxification is not properly initiated).

Tepidarium originally means the "mild warming." In the Tepidarium, the temperature is usually just above body temperature. Through the mild and thus deeply effective warmth of the Tepidarium, the whole body can relax and detoxify optimally. This mobilizes the body's own defense substances and strengthens the immune system in a comfortable way.

The slow increase in temperature was used by people in the past in their baths (Italy/Turkey/Mesopotamia/...). After the changing rooms, they went into increasingly warmer rooms. Depending on the culture, up to steam or with bathing facilities. In a room that was approximately body temperature (ideal condition for the body), they stayed longer: The Tepidarium. Typical for such facilities was an entrance area/changing room (Apodyterium), a larger body-warm room (Tepidarium), and a hot room (Caldarium), sometimes a cold room for cooling down (Frigidarium), sometimes an even hotter room (Laconium, Sudatorium).

A distinction is made according to temperature between

• dry Tepidarium with 30-40°C (regeneration bath)
• Caldarium with steam and fragrance tunnels at 45°C (detoxification)
• Laconium between 50°C and 60°C (sweat bath)

In the first pre-Christian century, he air-conditioned rooms within the baths for the recovery of sick and weak people. This tepidarium had a floor-wall heating, adjustable glass windows, and an adjustable bronze plate on the ceiling to lower the air temperature. This room was also a lounge and dining room. Every Roman bath complex had a tepidarium and a steam bath. Places of regeneration and relaxation. Because the gentle warmth of the tepidarium and steam bath creates an optimal balance to stress and nervousness.

Variotherm Heating Systems has extensive experience in planning bathing landscapes or tepidariums. The walls emit mild warmth through the installation of the EasyFlex Wall Heating without heating the air. For the underfloor heating, the VarioNop Underfloor Heating is used.

The high-performance wall heating with a slim design and close pipe spacing (only 77 mm!):

The EasyFlex Wall Heating

The VarioModular-Pipe 11.6x1.5 mm can be easily adapted to any shape by hand. Even the smallest areas can be heated, and substructures can be freely chosen. The FlexPutz is suitable for high heating water temperatures, very elastic, and quick to process. Any desired shape can be implemented. Whether the finished FlexPutz surface or a ceramic covering - you have the free choice! Tiled stove, cuddle bench, tepidarium, or your personal warm area ...