Water System Hygiene
You may have heard of Legionella which is a type of bacterium that can form in stagnant water eg in tanks or pipes not in use. Where this forms it can be a health risk, as it can cause a pneumomonia type illness which can kill. However the number instances of this happening in domestic premises is very low.
You can reduce the risk of Legionella by folowing a few simple tips
- if you are not using your bath, basin or sink regularly,run the taps once a week to flush the system
- clean and descale your shower head on a regular baisis- every 3 months and particularly if the shower head shows signs of clogging
- if you are not using your shower every day, run water through it once a week to give it a flush
- as the person/s living in the property you have a duty to inform the Paragon HA if the hot water is not reaching 50 degrees or above
- If you leave the property for 2 weeks vacant you must run the cold taps for 5 minutes and the hot taps for 2 minutes to flush all stagnant water out of the pipework
- You have a duty to inform the landlord if the property is going to be vacant for 4 weeks or longer
You can download the fact sheet prepared by our specialist consultant below
