Lowering water boiler temperature - health hazards?

Sea_Shell

Our "cold" water tank in the loft is probably anything but at the moment.

I haven't tested the temperature, but it's probably pretty warm with all the hot weather of late.

Is this a problem?

It feeds the hot water and does the cold for bath and shower (sinks are mains)

I'm not sure how much of it we turn over daily, so it's not sitting stagnating, as I have a bath a week, so that would use a fair amount.

masonic

Sea_Shell said:

Our "cold" water tank in the loft is probably anything but at the moment.

I haven't tested the temperature, but it's probably pretty warm with all the hot weather of late.

Is this a problem?

It feeds the hot water and does the cold for bath and shower (sinks are mains)

I'm not sure how much of it we turn over daily, so it's not sitting stagnating, as I have a bath a week, so that would use a fair amount.

I was thinking along the same lines. Just tested my cold water tap fed from tank and it's 27C and probably has been around that temperature for most of this week. I probably only use a few litres per day at most.

Alnat1

This must be affecting 1000s of properties in the same way and strangely, no massive outbreak of legionnaires that I've heard of.

jrawle

Ally_E. said:

I often scald my hands washing dishes when temperature is 50C+, our kitchen tap doesn't mix hot and cold very well. That's another reason I like to keep the temperature at around 45C and do a boost once a week to higher temperature. Need to replace that tap really, as that's a poor excuse. 

Do you find you get caught out and scald your hands on the one day a week when the water has been heated to 60°C rather than 45? I've been thinking about what it would be like to live with a heat pump, and inconsistent hot water temperature on the day it has its weekly boost is one of the downsides.

Alnat1

Never wash my hands in hot water, I use cold.

EcoScruples

Alnat1 said:

This must be affecting 1000s of properties in the same way and strangely, no massive outbreak of legionnaires that I've heard of.

A very valid point, the risk is very low if you make use of the water on a reasonably regular basis, so a bath once a week would be enough to keep the water from stagnating.
I recently cleaned out my water tank in the roof, lagged and covered it. 
It was an open tank a bit like a bath.
Hadn't been cleaned for probably 40 years and the sludge in there was hideous.
This is after I cleaned it, didn't get a before pic but I got half a bucket of sludge and crap out after scraping and cleaning. 

Swipe

wild666 said:

I'm running my hot water at 50 degrees all the time. I use the kettle to boil water for drinks and washing up and put about 4 titres of cold water into 1.7 litres of boiling water it hasn't had any effect on me since I lowered the temperatures in September 2021.

I did the same for 12 years at my old house without a single boost over 65C. As long as water is regularly run off the tank legionella is not an issue. I really don't understand the obsession with it on this forum. 

Mstty

@Swipe

Probably because any google search on this appears to recommend 60oC+ daily.

So not surprised lots come on and question a reduction in this temperature.

brewerdave

Alnat1 said:

This must be affecting 1000s of properties in the same way and strangely, no massive outbreak of legionnaires that I've heard of.

Probably put it down as Covid omichron B.89 !!!

jrawle

Alnat1 said:

Never wash my hands in hot water, I use cold.

Neither do I, nor should anyone really as by the time it's running hot, you'll have finished.

However, @Ally_E. mentioned scalding hands when washing the dishes. If you are used to the water temperature being just right for the washing up (probably without adding any cold, as that would make it too lukewarm) it could come as a nasty shock if you've forgotten it's the weekly boost when the water is scalding hot.