The Dangers of Hot Water

Every year, thousands of people in the U.S.A. suffer serious thermal shock or scalding injuries in their bathtubs, sinks and showers. Additional untold numbers become ill due to water-borne bacteria, such as Legionella.

Problem: Thermal Shock

Often, injuries in the shower are caused by slips and falls in reaction to a sudden increase or decrease in water temperature. Ideally, if the supply of cold or hot water is lost, the water flow should be shut down immediately. Termination of flow would eliminate the instinctive but dangerous reaction to move quickly away from a too hot or too cold water stream.

Solution:

Watts Thermostatic Mixing Valves maintain and limit mixed hot water to a desired, selectable temperature, helping to minimize thermal shock.

Problem: Scalding

More than 90% of scalding incidents occur in the home. The tender skin of very young children and the slow reaction time of the elderly and the handicapped make them most vulnerable to serious hot water burns. Scalding injuries are tremendously painful, and the effects can last for years. Scalding occurs for a variety of reasons. In some cases, water heater thermostats are faulty, or set too high. In others, temperature regulating valves at the domestic hot water source are either malfunctioning or missing altogether. Water heaters are normally set to temperatures above 131 °F (55°C) to prevent development of harmful bacteria, such as Legionella, in the water supply. Water at temperatures above 106°F (41 °C) are painful. At a temperature of 131 °F (55°C), a child can be scalded in less than 4 seconds.

Solution:

Watts Thermostatic Mixing Valves maintain and limit the mixed hot water to a desirable selectable temperature, helping to prevent scalding injury.

Problem: Legionella Bacteria

Legionella is the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire's Disease, an acute bacterial infection of the lower respiratory tract. This bacterium was first identified in 1977 by the Centers for Disease Control as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia that caused 34 deaths at a 1976 American Legion Convention in Philadelphia. Pontiac Fever is a less severe, non-pneumonia, flu-like disease that is associated with and likely caused by Legionella bacteria.

Legionella is a fairly common water bacteria and has been found to exist widely in many surface water sources such as; lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. It can also be found in ground water sources and some soils. At the levels found in these naturally occurring sources it typically does not pose a threat to public health. When the bacterium enters a domestic water system it can find an ideal host environment of warm water temperatures (105-115°F), stagnant water areas (storage tanks and dead-end piping legs) and ample food sources (sediment, scale, deposits and biofilm). Under these conditions Legionella can rapidly colonize, forming higher concentrations that can pose the public health threat of Legionnaire ^'s Disease.

There are many methods of controlling colonization of Legionella bacteria. However, a widely accepted and preferred method is to maintain the hot water system storage temperature continually at or above 140°F Unfortunately, the elevated temperature necessary to minimize the growth of and kill Legionella bacteria has the potential to cause serious thermal shock and scalding injuries.

Solution:

Watts Thermostatic Mixing Valves maintain and limit the mixed hot water to a desirable, selectable temperature allowing for the storage of domestic hot water at the higher temperatures necessary to reduce the risk of Legionella growth in the system.