Legionnaires Disease and how you can prevent it

You may have heard of Legionnaires disease, but do you know what causes it? Well, danger could be closer than you think.  Although relatively uncommon, cases of Legionnaires Disease can be extremely dangerous if left untreated. It is a lung infection that is caused by inhaling tiny water droplets from devices such as air conditioning systems and hot tubs. The legionella bacteria which causes the disease (a form of pneumonia), Legionella, grows in warmer stagnant water and is them dispersed when it is used. It is not harmful when ingested, only when inhaled as the lung is a perfect breeding ground for the lung disease. The bacteria can then spread quickly, creating an infection and resulting in Legionnaires Disease. This disease can be a serious public health concern. Generally, you are more at risk of legionella infections in communal areas where large quantities of water can lay stagnant and then distributed, such as large buildings, offices or swimming pools. However, it is known to have been spread and caught in the home through poorly maintained water storage and plumbing systems. The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council have recently released guidelines for installers and plumbers to follow. They want to bring attention to the risks of poorly maintained systems in regard to the disease and try to prevent more people from catching it, especially the elderly who are more at risk. Simple things such as poor insulation of the tank, open lids, exposure to air and even the way your tank is stored could all have impact on the risk of the bacteria growing. A risk assessment should be carried out on a regular basis of your water systems to ensure that outbreaks of legionnaires is avoided. Based on these guidelines, Global Water Supplies have developed a new FlowThru expansion vessel to ensure the decrease of stagnant water in home installations. The FlowThru will need to be installed before the tank, rather than after to insure a steady flow of water at all times. The vessel flushes the water through at high pressure to prevent it sitting still allowing time for the bacteria to grow. This steady but powerful movement keeps the water within the system fresh and nearly eradicates the risk of legionella pneumophila  growing.