There have been a lot of recent headlines regarding the legionella out breaks. This very serious problem is not well understood and in many cases it is missed all together as a root cause of illness and in some case even death.
The Problem….
Storage water heaters have been in use in the same basic format since the turn of the century, well over 100 years. since this time the technology has changed little. The technology limitation make it a challenge to store hot water at lower temperatures without creating conditions where bacteria thrives and can grow, store hot water too high and it will create conditions where scalding is a danger. The reliance of external mixing valves becomes a necessity with stored hot water..
Health Concerns…
Legionella pneumophia bacteria is commonly found in potable water supplies and can multiply in warm water. The transmission occurs by breathing in the mist or steam from hot water. 2.4 million cases of pneumonia are diagnosed each year in the United States, 180,000 are confirmed Leginella, and over 600,000 cases are misdiagnosed.
Solutions…
Learn how electric tankless water heaters can significantly reduce the occurrence of legionella. Electric tanlkless water heaters do not store hot water that creates conditions where legionella can grow and a precise temperature control feature reduce conditions where scalding dangers are a concern.
Eemax offers a class on Legionella at Eemax University
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