sincstoreShowcase Your Products
UK flag UK
UK flag UK AU flag AU US flag US AE flag AE DK flag DK SE flag SE BR flag BR IN flag IN VN flag VN CA flag CA NZ flag NZ DE flag DE FR flag FR CN flag CN ES flag ES IT flag IT CH flag CH NL flag NL PL flag PL LU flag LU SG flag SG HR flag HR RU flag RU JP flag JP
Bimstore
  • Browse
  • Manufacturers
    • All manufacturers

      Browse all our manufacturers

    • I'm a manufacturer

      Learn more about hosting on Bimstore

    • Featured
      • Image
        Grohe

        Luxury plumbing fixtures

      • Image
        JCB

        Leading manufacturer of construction equipment

  • Collections
  • Insights
    • All
    • News
    • Case Studies
    • Videos
    • Magazine
    • Webinars
  • LoginSign up

Albion Valves: Do you know the risks of returning to an unused building?

The closure of public buildings has been a method used worldwide to reduce the spread of COVID-19, however, the prolonged closure of buildings may have unexpected implications for some.

While buildings have remained empty, the water and HVAC systems within offices and other public buildings have been largely unused which poses additional risks for public health, through diseases such as Legionnaires.


Legionnaires disease is a lung infection caused by the bacterium named Legionella Pneumophila, which is commonly found in water. The recent lockdown created an optimum environment for the bacteria to proliferate within water systems, due to the stagnant water and warm temperatures. The bacteria can exist in any water system but will specifically cause issues in man-made water systems such as large plumbing systems, showerheads, sinks and hot water tanks. Upon opening of buildings, and without proper precautions, the bacteria-infected water in an aerosolised form, can then be released into the surrounding space when the water systems are used, this can then be inhaled by those in the vicinity.

The smaller premises and businesses amongst us may be facing an unprecedented challenge.

To prevent a localised outbreak of Legionnaires Disease, it is important that the water systems are adequately checked, inspected, and cleaned in line with the building’s guidelines, prior to the reopening of the building, especially those systems that have not been used as these will have been holding stagnant water for some time. Those buildings that already had Thermostatic Balancing Valves (TBV) installed within the building prior to the lockdown may have an easier task on their hands when compared to those that did not.

Thermostatic Balancing Valves are designed for use in Domestic Hot Water Systems (DHWS) to accelerate hot water delivery to the tap, reduce water wastage and conserve energy, though they are now being specified in public building installations to help protect against the growth of the Legionella Pneumophila bacteria.

In its optimum environment, the Legionella Pneumophila bacteria will multiply rapidly, this usually occurs when subjected to temperatures between 32°C and 42°C. Therefore, HSE requires the temperature of stored hot water to be at least 60°C. This is where Thermostatic Balancing Valves are required; by design, they provide thermostatically controlled regulation of flow and thermal disinfection, assisting with protection against legionella. Many high-quality TBV’s would come with an Automatic Legionella Disinfectant feature and a temperature verification port and gauge as standard, allowing the engineers to easily follow any temperature logging procedures and alerting them to any potential issues at an early stage.

Many large premises will have engineers who oversee the day-to-day maintenance and they will be aware of the problems that stagnant water creates. The smaller premises and businesses amongst us may be facing an unprecedented challenge, however, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESGLI) has issued guidance for managing Legionella in building water systems during the COVID-19 pandemic and gives instructions on how to safely reopen these systems. For more information see here.

Albion Valves (UK) Ltd offer a comprehensive range of public health valves including, thermostatic balancing valves to decrease the risk of Legionella, amongst others that omit risks such as scalding and back-siphonage. To view the full range, click here.

For more information please visit our website at www.albionvalvesuk.com or contact us by phone on 01226 729900 or by email at sales@albionvalvesuk.com.

Published

11.06.2021

Views

3.2k

Category

News

Share

Logo: Albion Valves

Albion Valves

  • Store
    • Categories
    • Collections
    • Manufacturers
    • Virtual Showroom
    • Bimstore Connect
    • VR / AR Experiences
    • Bimstore Node
  • Support
    • Pricing
    • Services
    • Bimstore Bible
    • BIM Content Creation
    • Marketing Services
    • Digital Content Services
    • BIM Integrations
    • Autodesk Revit Plug-In
  • Insights
    • All
    • News
    • Case Studies
    • Videos
    • Magazine
    • Webinars
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Us
  • Follow Us
    • Newsletter
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
UK flag UK
UK flag UK AU flag AU US flag US AE flag AE DK flag DK SE flag SE BR flag BR IN flag IN VN flag VN CA flag CA NZ flag NZ DE flag DE FR flag FR CN flag CN ES flag ES IT flag IT CH flag CH NL flag NL PL flag PL LU flag LU SG flag SG HR flag HR RU flag RU JP flag JP

Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyFAQs

© Bimstore 2025 a spacegroup company

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here.

Accept