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| Legionnaires disease | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 21st, 2010 02:50 pm |
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1st Post |
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ddh Member
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I just read a comment in the Forum that says Legionnaires disease is a potential hazard if you set your hot water heater below 130 degrees and don't use much hot water. That is exactly what I have been doing for many years. I searched the web and couldn't find any warnings against setting your thermostat really low. I like being able to wash a few dishes under comfortably hot water without having to use the cold tap and the same goes for the shower - plus it saves a lot of energy and my tank has lasted a long time. It would seem that a low-flow shower head would increase the risk because it creates more aerosol droplets. Any other information on this? Any way to reduce risk other than turning up the thermostat and using lots more hot water? ddh
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22nd, 2010 03:00 am |
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2nd Post |
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Ej Member 
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I find the 130 degrees hard to fathom since most public places require 120 degrees water at their sinks. Including hospitals which I am in the progress of raising ones temp from 111 degrees to 120 to meet health requirements.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22nd, 2010 09:10 am |
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3rd Post |
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eleent Member 
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Hello: Perhaps we are being overly protective, but ASHRAE suggests 140 degrees and then adding mixing valves to reduce temperature at the taps. Hospitals are supposed to flush their systems with 170 degree water periodically. There is a large body of info on Legionnaires now. It is everywhere but doesn't usually affect healthy people unless they take in a large dose of it. It is often mis-diagnosed. There is nobody to sue if you get it, but getting scalded is a different story. This story might be interesting. I've met and listened to the author and he makes a good case. http://www.pmengineer.com/Articles/Cover_Story/2010/03/01/The-Latest-on-Legionella Yours, Larry ps. There are showerheads that produce large water droplets. The main reason they exist is large droplets carry heat to the bather better than small droplets can. It gets rid of the hot head - cold feet syndrome that some low flow heads produce.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22nd, 2010 01:05 pm |
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4th Post |
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Jeeter Member
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I liked the Legionella article and especially identified with the opening paragraph: "Most of us have made the mistake of ignoring a problem, hoping it will just go away, instead of doing what we can to improve the circumstances. And then, once we devise a plan and get to work, we find the problem is more manageable than we realized." Nice to know too of a cause and solution to the hot head/cold feet shower. What I don't grasp is the connection between aerosol shower droplets and Legionella. More surface area to pick up bacteria? But by then the water is headed for the drain. Maybe it's that we're more liable to inhale contaminated water. John
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22nd, 2010 04:59 pm |
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5th Post |
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elenano Member
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I think the deal is that the closer the water is to mist, the easier it is to inhale it, and thus catch Legionnaire's. Randy Schuyler
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