The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a radical change in people’s movements. Much of the population are now working from home and many offices and other premises are standing empty. This means that stagnant water in the pipe system risks becoming a breeding ground for Legionella bacteria. The solution is to regularly flush water though the pipes. The FM Mattsson 9000E Tronic mixer can do this automatically without anyone being present.
Legionella bacteria can cause severe pneumonia (Legionnaires’ disease) or Pontiac fever. Around 500 people are infected in Sweden every year, and it is estimated that approximately one in ten people infected with Legionella die of the resulting disease.
Legionella bacteria multiply readily in stagnant warm water. The bacteria spread via water vapour and can contaminate water pipes, showers and mixer taps. When water remains stagnant for too long in pipelines, its temperature stabilises. This increases the risk of Legionella growth, since the bacteria thrive at temperatures between 20 and 45 °C. The larger and more complex the water system, the greater the risk of Legionella infection.
– Legionella is a problem to be taken seriously. It causes severe illness, and we suspect that many cases go unreported in Sweden. Once Legionella spreads in a water supply system, extensive decontamination measures are often required. For this reason it’s advisable to take precautions to control the bacteria, says Frank Rälg, Product Manager – Smart Products, FM Mattsson.
Regular flushing prevents bacterial growth
To prevent the bacteria contaminating pipelines, it is important to keep the cold and hot water at the right temperature and regularly flush water through the pipelines.
More premises than usual have been standing empty during the pandemic, thus increasing the risk of Legionella growth. The same problem can occur in schools and preschools during the summer and other long holidays when premises are left empty. This often requires the staff to come in and flush water through the taps and showers.
Automatic hygiene flushing
However, some mixer taps have an automatic hygiene flushing function. All FM Mattsson’s touch-free Tronic products are equipped with this function
– The 9000E Tronic’s hygiene flushing function allows the user to set the frequency and duration of flushing. The flushing then takes place automatically without anybody being physically present. This eliminates risk of bacterial growth, so there’s no need to worry about Legionella infection. The fact that Tronic mixers are also touch-free makes them extra safe from a hygiene perspective, says Rälg.
