You’ve probably heard of Legionnaires’ Disease. It’s a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which lives in warm water storage systems, such as domestic and commercial hot water and air-conditioning.
A normally operating hot water cylinder is safe because the thermostat automatically heats the water to over 60 degrees, a temperature that kills off most of the bacteria.
However, problems can arise when some home owners bypass the automatic controls in an effort to save on power costs. We have heard of timers being fitted to cylinders to restrict the operating hours and even clients turning off their cylinder for part of the day in order to cut the power usage.
Solar hot water systems are probably most at risk because the electrical back up element may be turned off completely for long periods, giving the unwanted bacteria plenty of time to multiply.
Sure, the water may still remain hot enough to use, but it may also fall below the hot temperature that kills the bacteria and into the warm zone where the bacteria thrives.
Infection can occur when you inhale fine droplets of water that contains the bacteria, so your shower is the ideal place to contract the disease.
Infections are reasonably uncommon, but the results can be deadly, so this is one area where we recommend a safety first approach, rather than trying to save the most money.
If you have any queries, please feel free to give us a call. Mance Electrical (03) 6331 4711 Launceston Tas
