Defeating Bacteria In Hot Water Systems With A Heat Exchanger

The average hot water is a relatively simple appliance to understand. It uses gas or electricity to dump energy into water in the form of heat, keeping it at a …. Defeating Bacteria In Hot Water Systems With A Heat Exchanger.

Basic mechanisms are in place to ensure the water stays at a relatively constant temperature, neither too hot where it could cause burns, nor too cold such that it wouldn’t be fit for purpose. One of the problems, though, is that sometimes storing water at the desired temperature can create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A neat little trick developed by NIST could solve that problem rather elegantly.

You’re Hot And You’re Cold Legionella pneumophila is a bacteria that loves to grow in warm water. It can enter the body via aerosol and cause of Legionella’s disease. NIST has noted for some time that while the pipes in our walls haven’t changed size, things like our shower heads have changed their flow rate to save water.