Hot Water Temp vs. Bacteria

[Matt30]

To my knowledge, you can only get legionaries thru airborne bacteria or inhaling a mist, such as showering in it. I don't think it will absorb thru the skin

 

[frodo]

To my knowledge, you can only get legionaries thru airborne bacteria or inhaling a mist, such as showering in it. I don't think it will absorb thru the skin

that is correct.airbourne only

and for the germ freaks, yes you do drink the water from the tank
if you have a single handle faucet in your house, you most certainly do drink the water.

 

[KULTULZ]

There are many more contaminants in a WH other than legionella in a water heater, viruses, cysts and lead for example, and yes they can be absorbed through the skin.

When you run a tap or flush a commode, you are creating a mist in the air. This is how bacterium is inhaled. Either wear medical oxygen equipment or try to control the sources of the bacterium.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. You usually get it by breathing in mist from water that contains the bacteria. The mist may come from hot tubs, showers, or air-conditioning units for large buildings. The bacteria don't spread from person to person.

Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include high fever, chills, a cough, and sometimes muscle aches and headaches. Other types of pneumonia have similar symptoms. You will probably need a chest x-ray to diagnose the pneumonia. Lab tests can detect the specific bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease.

Most people exposed to the bacteria do not become sick. You are more likely to get sick if you

•Are older than 50

•Smoke

•Have a chronic lung disease

•Have a weak immune system

Legionnaires' disease is serious and can be life-threatening. However, most people recover with antibiotic treatment.

SOURCE- https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/legionnairesdisease.html

Now you can either believe it or not, a WH is a nasty environment and hosts things that like to harm you.

I am still recovering from a pneumonia bout from six months ago. I am 67 years old and now a big believer in germs.

So believe it or not, it is your choice for yourself and your family.

 

[jackdashack]

Thought I was done here. Then considered this update. I went to the health department and got a kit only find out before I used it that they would only test well water. So I took the kit back but found a state department that will test drinking water free. She talked to her "people" ... I think she said the guys that work for the state maintenance and they said they keep the state's WHs at 115 to 125 to be safe and they recommended that I flush it every few months if I could. I considered the statement above that on a gas WH when that thing does heat up from the bottom there is some serious heat going on there. Is there anything to that? That gas flame must get pretty hot keeping it at 125F .... No? Also if the state came and tested my drinking water I doubt they let any hot water stay in the line. (one said above that if you have a one faucet config there is cross contamination. I do) They'd probably run the cold water for 5 minutes before they draw a sample? Anyone have any suggestions how I could flush it. There is no drain in the basement but the washer drain. Spout is about 3feet? plus or minus high and 10 feet away to the washer. Of course WH drain is at the bottom. Do you turn off the gas? Do you let the tank cool down? Do you flush just the bottom or the complete tank? How about if I ran all the hot water into the washer after flushing a bit out of the bottom and completely replaced with fresh water behind it? Thanks! ":-Dx

 

[frodo]

Thought I was done here. Then considered this update.
I went to the health department and got a kit only find out before I used it that they would only test well water.
So I took the kit back but found a state department that will test drinking water free. She talked to her "people" ... I think she said the guys that work for the state maintenance and they said they keep the state's WHs at 115 to 125 to be safe and they recommended that I flush it every few months if I could.
I considered the statement above that on a gas WH when that thing does heat up from the bottom there is some serious heat going on there. Is there anything to that?
That gas flame must get pretty hot keeping it at 125F .... No? Also if the state came and tested my drinking water I doubt they let any hot water stay in the line. (one said above that if you have a one faucet config there is cross contamination. I do)
They'd probably run the cold water for 5 minutes before they draw a sample? Anyone have any suggestions how I could flush it.
There is no drain in the basement but the washer drain. Spout is about 3feet? plus or minus high and 10 feet away to the washer.
Of course WH drain is at the bottom. Do you turn off the gas? Do you let the tank cool down? Do you flush just the bottom or the complete tank? How about if I ran all the hot water into the washer after flushing a bit out of the bottom and completely replaced with fresh water behind it? Thanks! ":-Dx

turn off the gas
hook a hose to the drain, run it to the outdoors/floor drain

turn off the valve on top of the wh, open your washing machine hot water faucet [disconnect the washr hose]

empty the w/h, turn the valve to the w/h on let it run for an hour

close drain valve, fill heater, after w/h is full close washer valve

 

[jackdashack]

turn off the gas
hook a hose to the drain, run it to the outdoors/floor drain

turn off the valve on top of the wh, open your washing machine hot water faucet [disconnect the washr hose]

empty the w/h, turn the valve to the w/h on let it run for an hour

close drain valve, fill heater, after w/h is full close washer valve

Very good! As I mentioned I do not have a floor drain in the basement. I guess I'd have a hard time running the water up to ground level from the basement. So the only drain is the one the washer empties in about 3+- feet off the ground. I also suspect that I have to have a certain type of hose for draining that hot water. I think what you are saying is take this "durable" hose and connect it directly to the washer. Empty it that way into the washer then drain. This runs off the bottom of the WH I suspect. I think I have got that. Thanks! ":-Dx

 

[frodo]

no,,,,what i said was, disconnect the hose on the back of the washer. the hose that supplies the water to the washer

open the hot water valve. this will be a vent. the water heater will not drain if it can not pull air into the top of the heater.

some kind of weird physics thing, something about syphonage..i dunno.

the hose can be just a regular green garden hose, nothing special,

if you are in a basement, with out a drain on the floor also called a floor drain. your F***ED

you will have to rent or buy a pump to pump the water out of the heater

 

[frodo]

you will need to go online, fined a inline garden hose pump

 

[jackdashack]

you will need to go online, fined a inline garden hose pump

Yes, I totally get that now. You know, sometimes we know what we mean but communicating it the very first time the person at the other end has to visualize. I do see what you mean. I actually was wondering about that "siphoning" issue a post or two back at your original post. I'll have to work on getting that water out of the basement or at least into the washer. I can then let the washer pump the water out on a spin cycle. hmmm ... but how to get it from the tank into the washer .... Some would probably move by gravity but that would only be good for about 1/3 the tank. I guess I could have a solo bucket brigade. It's not that large of a tank. Standard I guess. About 4' tall. Do I still need to tell you what state I'm in? lol A state of "I don't know ... " haha!

 

[frodo]

Yes, I totally get that now. You know, sometimes we know what we mean but communicating it the very first time the person at the other end has to visualize. I do see what you mean. I actually was wondering about that "siphoning" issue a post or two back at your original post. I'll have to work on getting that water out of the basement or at least into the washer. I can then let the washer pump the water out on a spin cycle. hmmm ... but how to get it from the tank into the washer .... Some would probably move by gravity but that would only be good for about 1/3 the tank. I guess I could have a solo bucket brigade. It's not that large of a tank. Standard I guess. About 4' tall. Do I still need to tell you what state I'm in? lol A state of "I don't know ... " haha!

WHAT?

DO NOT pump the water into the washer !!!

pump the water, into the DRAIN that the washer drain hose is in

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/eco-flo-pup61dc-portable-utility-pump?cm_vc=IOPDP1

 

[jackdashack]

Okay, going off to Tractor Supply right now to get this. I suspect I need to do this a couple times a year. It's not been done since the install which might have been the late 90's.

 

[voletl]

Just my 2 cents here if you haven't flushed your water heater since the late nineties I wouldn't bother doing it now.

 

[jackdashack]

Just my 2 cents here if you haven't flushed your water heater since the late nineties I wouldn't bother doing it now.

Oh? A suggestion with on explanation? I guess I have to ask. Why?

 

[voletl]

Now just in my personal experience I would call that a Pandora's box / a can of worms sometimes you just don't want to open it. Maybe it's just me but I have more problems touching an old water heater then just letting it be.

 

[jackdashack]

Okay got that. This has no element. It's a gas one, nothing inside the tank to break. It's old in years I guess but looks new. Been in a controlled environment. Seems like if I used gravity to fill a 5gal bucket and then pumped it from there they'rd be little stress on it. I've bought the pump, I suspect the tank so I guess I have to go forward. Thanks!

 

[jackdashack]

Thanks stellabuffay. That link didn't work. Fortunately I am the lone resident of the house so I can be aware when I use the hot water heater. Those that inhabit the place after me can do what they need to. But I only keep it now between 120-125F. Hot but not quite enough to scald before you can realize it's time to pull away.

 

[jackdashack]

LOL! I'm done. I don't see where after 20 years anything that significant showed. The water was like the weakest tea at first and then cleared up pretty much. Some calcium showed at the end. I'm never used the pump and I'm going right back and return it for my $90. I just put the water in the washer and let it pump up. The water was cleaner than I've seen some dirty wash loads!! So I guess after 20 years that's a good point for the town water. Have to tell my cuzin. He's been the town manager for the last 15 or more years. So uneventful and whether I did any good or not I do not know. ":-\\

 

[sburtchin]

The water was like the weakest tea at first and then cleared up pretty much. Some calcium showed at the end. . . . . The water was cleaner than I've seen some dirty wash loads!! So I guess after 20 years that's a good point for the town water.

Lots of talk here about flushing WH's. I have never heard anyone but a plumber ever talk about doing that, so I suspect most people never do. My gas WH is going on 30 years without a flush.

NOW - I have seen the inside of electric WH's. I believe you got to flush those things. But on a gas WH you have convection cells that form every time that burner fires up. These cells change in shape, size and locations as the temperature of the water and the temperature of the vessel changes. Just watch a pan of water on the stove. This should stir up any solids not big and heavy enough into a suspension that flows out your tap. The observation made by jackdashack is exactly what I would expect. I don't believe this observation by itself merits any praise for the town water. Soften that water and I suspect that slurry of calcium flakes would disappear as well.

Where have I gone wrong in my analysis?

 

[jackdashack]

Lots of talk here about flushing WH's. I have never heard anyone but a plumber ever talk about doing that, so I suspect most people never do. My gas WH is going on 30 years without a flush.


Where have I gone wrong in my analysis?

Sounds good to me!

 

[frodo]

LOL! I'm done. I don't see where after 20 years anything that significant showed. The water was like the weakest tea at first and then cleared up pretty much. Some calcium showed at the end. I'm never used the pump and I'm going right back and return it for my $90. I just put the water in the washer and let it pump up. The water was cleaner than I've seen some dirty wash loads!! So I guess after 20 years that's a good point for the town water. Have to tell my cuzin. He's been the town manager for the last 15 or more years. So uneventful and whether I did any good or not I do not know. ":-\\

how did the water get from the water tank to the washer?

you did not do it correctly , you never flushed any damn thing



you only moved water .