Preventing Legionella: Keep water flowing from the tap

If you have been away, away from home or office, it is important to let the water from the tap run for a while before using water. Because nothing is more annoying than a legionella infection. But what is legionella and how do you prevent infection??

How does legionella arise?

Legionella bacteria can develop in still water warmer than 25 degrees Celsius. Is the water hotter than 55 degrees? Then the bacteria die again. So the legionella temperature is between 25 and 45 degrees.

Water in pipes can get hot as it crosses with a hot pipe from, say, the heater. People can inhale legionella bacteria via mist from a shower or other faucet. Most don’t get sick from this, but it can cause Legionnaires’ disease or Legionnaires’ disease. However, that chance is small, most people who inhale the bacteria do not get sick from it.

Either way, it is important to ensure that the bacteria cannot develop in the pipes.

How to prevent legionella?

To prevent legionella contamination, there are several things you can do. Here’s how to make sure water pipes don’t cross with central heating pipes or heating pipes. Another way to prevent water pipes from getting too hot is to be careful with electrical appliances or, for example, a gas stove.

If you have pipe sections with no consumption at all? Then take these away. It is important to keep the meter cupboard well ventilated. Install grilles at the top and bottom of the meter cupboard and avoid cluttering the meter cupboard with stuff.

This can cause the meter cupboard to get too hot, so the water pipes also get hot.

Get water from the tap

Use all hot and cold water taps at least once a week. Have you not used them for longer than a week, because you were on vacation, for example? Then rinse them well for five minutes.

Adjust the temperature of the water heater or central heating boiler to at least 55 degrees and finally flush the garden hose or other spray equipment thoroughly before use. It is handy to empty the hose after use. If stagnant water is left in the hose, the sun can warm it up and the legionella bacteria can develop in it.

And of course you want to prevent that!