Five years after opening their first hot yoga studio in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Steamtown Yoga owners Lara and John Alexiou had grown beyond their original location and were preparing to open a new facility in July 2013.
“Our old location used a gas forced air system,” said John. “We operated in that space for over 5 years and experienced many costly equipment issues every year. After we picked out our new home, we began researching the different heating options available to us.”
An efficient heating system is one of the most important considerations for a hot yoga studio. The heat needs to be consistent all year and true through the entire space to achieve the proper complementary reactions during practice.
Steamtown Yoga’s original location had space for 50 people with a hot air system, humidity control and an air temperature of 105°F. There were many complaints including contact lens wearers complaining of dry eyes, heavy air pressure, breathing difficulty and air and humidity were very hard to control. Some clients wore cardiac and caloric monitors and their average calories burned were 600 per 90 minute session.
“We always seemed to manage the headaches of the old system in the 11th hour,” Lara added. “It was a complex system, with multiple equipment components, many controllers, many moving parts, constant maintenance, and it was difficult to troubleshoot or explain to anyone when it was acting up.”
After doing months of research, Lara and John decided to further explore infrared technology. Having never practiced in a studio that uses that type of system, they visited YTTP and Moksha in NYC to practice and consult with the owners of those studios.
The owners of those studios highly recommended Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating systems as a great solution and A++ support.
“When we contacted ThermaRay,” said Lara, “we spoke with Janet Kilbride in customer service. She had a wealth of knowledge and was able to answer all of our questions. We went back and forth with lots of questions for Janet before making our final decision to go with this type of system.”
Building and outfitting their new studio to meet all of their needs from an empty shell, Lara and John engineered the hot yoga room for efficiency. It is designed as a thermos and heavily insolated on all 6 sides, using an ERV for the air exchange to further save on energy costs.
The 1260 square foot room has 11’8’’ ceilings with temperatures ranging from about 85°F in the mornings to 103°F in about 90 minutes. Once the room reaches 103°F, the system then powers down and the controller does not call for heat again during practice. Because of the efficiency of the room design and the way the heating systems works, the room only loses just over 1°F per hour.
The new location had space for 70 people, a room temperature of 102°F and air temperature of approximately 10°F less. Air handling, humidity control and heating are finely tuned.
Contact wearers are loving the space as their eyes are no longer dry. Everyone reporting having a much easier time breathing and feel like they are getting a better workout. Clients wearing cardiac and caloric monitors reported average calories burned had increased to 800 per 60 minute session and they have also noted an increase in their pulse during class.
ThermaRay’s heating system greatly compliments yoga and helps to create the tranquil environment where yogis can thrive in their practice. Although Steamtown Yoga’s main focus has always been the health and wellness of their clients, the added benefits of Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system include:
Invisible: hidden in the ceiling, Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system utilizes no floor area by eliminating the need for a mechanical room, providing maximum floor space for practice
Silent: Unlike convection heating systems with loud furnaces, Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system makes no noise, complementing the tranquilty of the space
Energy Efficient: By heating objects rather than heating the air, Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system is extremely energy efficient
Maintenance Free: with no moving parts to break or wear out, Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system lasts for decades with no maintenance, savings countless thousands of dollars for the owners
Easy to use: The SmartRoom Hot Yoga Controller (SR-LV-Yoga and SR-240/120 Yoga) is designed for Hot Yoga studios and is easy to program, very accurate, and only one is needed to control the room
Warmth and Comfort: Therma-Ray’s electric radiant heating system delivers even, consistent heat throughout the Hot Yoga Studio
Their studio is also up for a Green award by using as much green technology as they could from heating to air handling, to low VOC paint, recycled tires for a rubberized floor outside of the yoga room, recycled timber that were planed into wood flooring.
John adds, “We very happily recommend ThermaRay, its friendly helpful staff, and their exceptional products to any studio that wants a fantastic heating system to compliment their practice. Janet Kilbride is our contact there and she is very knowledgeable in Hot Room Design. She can be reached at 866-457-4600. Thank you, ThermaRay.”
Steamtown Hot Yoga is located at 121 North Washington Avenue in Scranton, PA 18503, USA. If you can’t make it for a personal tour, enjoy their virtual tour.
Let’s Bring the Heat to Your Hot Yoga Studio
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