Legionnaire's found in heating system

DanHolohan

<a href="http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140310-dartmouth-police-headquarters-closed-after-bacteria-that-causes-legionnaires-disease-found-in-heating-system.ece">http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140310-dartmouth-police-headquarters-closed-after-bacteria-that-causes-legionnaires-disease-found-in-heating-system.ece</a>



I think this may be domestic hot water.

SWEI

DHW

I read that the same way.



If it were in a closed heating system the question of "how did he manage to inhale it" would come first, followed shortly by "run the system at 160ºF for an hour" to fix it.

icesailor

Hydronic Legionaire's:

Most likely they have a Hydro-Air with forced hot water in a air handler coil for winter heating and AC for the summer. They probably have some form of humidity control. The perfect culture medium for the growth of the organism.

Most Main Stream Media types wouldn't know hot water from steam or forced hot air. They should though. Most are full of a lot of hot, stale air. Along with the people that work in the building.

Tim McElwain

We have a police

station in Mass that had to close due to Legionaire's: in the domestic water system in the station.

Ironman

Like

.

Mark Eatherton

It has to be the DHW system...

If it is a true closed loop hydronic heating system, there wouldn't be any oxygen to support the bacterial growth.



It needs food, oxygen, water and warmth to survive and thrive.



As I was standing at my kitchen sink in the mountains this weekend, I realized whilst washing and rinsing dishes using my spray hose (Moen single lever) that I COULD be exposing myself, and others around me to micro droplets of water that can be inhaled… I guess what I am saying is that there is more than one path to the lungs than just a shower.



I keep my water heater at 140 and mix down to 120, so I am really not worried about exposure, but wonder how many people contract this disease from other means of transportation. I do know it has been contracted from hot tubs, and cooling tower, and other micro mist producing equipment. This is why many hospitals remove the aerators from their faucets.



Travel safely out there…



ME

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

The Daily Mail

Reports that 20% of Legionnaires cases are caused by using water in your windsheild washer bottle, instead of windsheild washer solution, which inhibits bacterial growth.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

Tinman

Thanks Bob

I was looking for the "Like" button.

Gordy

Cold water side

We always worry about the critters on the DHW side. But they do exist in lower numbers on the cold supply side. Maybe in lower counts depending on usage, idle temps (summer time elevated temps). So for the people with vacation homes that could be an issue. So how does one purge the critters on the cold side of domestic water supply?



I also wonder about protection all the way to the shower valve. If you mix down at the water heater that leaves a trail of pipe with lower temps to breed in.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Gordy

I saw a TV show that said copper pipes will kill legionnaires, and they said if you have plastic pipes to make sure you have a copper shower arm and shower head. Wikipedia says that cold water would have to be above 78 degrees to contain Legionnaires, is your cold water that warm?

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

Gordy

Vacation homes

Just thinking it cold supply stagnant in pipes for a period of time could see those temps in the summer Bob.

Mark Eatherton

Thorough flushing...

is recommended for occasional use homes in the Summer where idle water temperatures get above 80 degrees F.



And it (flushing) doesn't work for a radiant floor, open systems.



And, if the DHW tank is kept at a low idle temperature, allow it to get to a minimum of 130 to 140 degrees F for one hour before using.





ME