With so many websites out there telling people to lower the temperature on their hot water tanks to prevent scalding and to save energy, I felt it was vital to let people know about the serious health risks involved in lowering hot water tank temperatures.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia that is contracted by breathing in vapors from contaminated warm water supplies. Your hot water tank may be a breeding ground for this very dangerous disease if your water is not stored at a hot enough temperature to kill the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.
To help keep your family safe we recommend the following 3 steps:
Increase the temperature of your hot water tank to a minimum of 140° Fahrenheit
Have a licensed plumber install a CSA approved mixing valve to prevent your family from being scalding as this higher temperature setting can cause severe burns. (As dictated by the Ontario Plumbing Code)
Have your hot water tank anode replaced every three years by a licensed plumber to minimize tank scale build up (and to prolong the life of your hot water tank).
We all want to save energy & money, but there are times when the cost of doing so can seriously jeopardize the health of your family. We all can and should make efforts to save – we just need to be aware that not all money saving tips are the best choices (some are actually bad advice!).
If you are interested in saving money and energy on your water heating system there are healthier alternatives available. Keep in mind that then initial costs of these more efficient systems does cost more than a poor energy hot water tank – but you save more in the long run as these systems are designed to not only last longer but use less energy (saving you money) and produce less damaging greenhouse toxins into the atmosphere. The great news is these more expensive high efficiency systems are now accessible to the general public through more options such as leasing, financing and deferred payment plans.
Everyone should have access to better solutions especially when those answers conserve natural resources and lower emissions associated with global warming.
As new information becomes available I will be sharing it with you. Be sure to look for the community notices for additional safety warnings & public water concerns for Ottawa Ontario including Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester, Stittsville, Carp, Glebe, Manotick, Bells Corners, and the other areas of the Ottawa Region.
If you have any questions about plumbing, hiring a plumber, water safety, hot water tanks, radiant floor heating, boilers, water purification, drinking water, tankless hot water systems or any other water related or environmental related question please feel free to email me at Kay@FrancisPlumbing.com . I look forward to hearing from you.
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