PR 37840

PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS COMBAT LEGIONELLA RISK

Stokvis Econoplate plate heat exchangers are available in a wide range of outputs

The recent prosecution of Reading Council for the death of an elderly resident who contracted Legionnaire's Disease while staying in a care home highlights both the danger posed by this strain of viral pneumonia, and the responsibility that property owners carry for its control.

While such actions as the regular disinfecting of shower heads are a necessary precaution, it is far more important that the building services are designed to deny the Legionella virus a breeding ground. This is why Stokvis Energy Systems recommends the use of plate heat exchangers as the best means of supplying ample hot water in buildings other than single dwellings.

Legionnaire's disease was first identified in the USA in 1976 when it affected members of the American Legion attending a convention, but there have been deadly outbreaks here such as the one caused by faulty air-conditioning plant near Oxford Street, London, which claimed several lives. However, it is believed that - as with carbon monoxide poisoning - many low level cases go undiagnosed with the virus being widely present where water is stored at medium temperatures, or allowed to stand in long pipe runs.

Stokvis Energy Systems' Paul Sands explains: "Not only is storing hot water a risk, but Legionella can breed anywhere there is an HWS‘dead leg' or if you get a very large temperature drop between the flow and return on your hot water circuit . The benefit of a plate heat exchanger is that water comes in at approx 10 degrees centigrade and goes out instantaneously at 60 degrees - meaning that Legionella bacteria does not have any time to breed.

"In some cases, it may be preferred to install a buffer vessel because the kilowatt capacity is not available from the plate heat exchanger to meet peak demand, but in these cases - unlike with calorifiers - the storage is limited and the heat up period is likely to be just five to 10 minutes.

"We would often recommend avoiding any storage so, instead of a buffer vessel, put in two plate heat exchangers to serve as duty and standby. In terms of sizing the boiler system, clients should understand that it is normally fine for the plate heat exchanger to take priority over the heating system during peak periods as there is normally enough thermal inertia in the fabric of a building to bridge these periods. This then results in keeping the boiler size to a minimum, ie not necessarily adding on the full HWS load to the heating load to arrive at the boiler size"

Stokvis Econoplate plate heat exchangers are available in a wide range of outputs and can be found providing very efficient, reliable and Legionella free performance in properties across sectors including hotel, leisure, healthcare, education and industry where they are frequently specified to provide very high volumes of hot water service.

For further information on Stokvis Energy Systems, call 020 8783 3050 or visitwww.stokvisboilers.com.

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Issued on behalf of:-                                

Stokvis Energy Systems                                 
96R Walton Road                                                 
East Molesey                                                 
Surrey KT8 ODL

Tel: 020 8783 3050                                                         

e-mail:info@stokvisboilers.com           

www.stokvisboilers.com

With compliments:

Taylor Alden Limited
Unit 2, Temple Place
247 The Broadway
London
SW19 1SE

email: margaret@tayloralden.co.uk
www.tayloralden.co.uk