Costs of energy  is now on the front page of all news agencies. And what we have noticed is that various authorities issued recommendations that should lead to reduced cost of energy.

One of those recommendations is to reduce the temperature of heating systems and boilers. It is this advice that started alarm bells ringing.

Legionella bacteria can multiply in boilers when the temperature is lowered below defined temperatures. This bacteria growth has to be prevented at all times. **  Infection prevention specialists prefer to maintain a minimum temperature of 65°C [149°F] in all warm water systems, although sometimes also a minimum temperature of 55°C [131°F] is called.

** Notes:

• Legionella build-up in boilers will not happen in those laundries that dose 2 ppm of hypochlorite into the process water, because we know the concentration hypochlorite drops quite quickly, make sure that you check the 2 ppm concentration on a regular base.
• Person-to-person transmission has not been demonstrated for Legionella.
• Legionella likes to grow on biofilms. Hence: periodic cleaning of water-reclaim tanks – such as press-water tanks –  is of paramount importance.