The need to recycle and reuse whenever feasible is well-known, and as a country, we are doing much better in this area than ever before. Your water hygiene equipment, including your cold water storage tanks, may not have been subjected to the same scrutiny, however, and it’s easy to just throw them out when you no longer need them or when they need replacing without even thinking about it.
All sorts of health and safety issues can arise from an old, rusted or deteriorated cold water storage tank. We're concentrating on legionella bacteria since we deal with water hygiene in London and the home countries, but there are many more that you might want to look into if you’re responsible for health and safety in general. Back to legionella, however, and legionella bacteria can easily grow when a tank is in poor condition. They can then infiltrate the building's water system, where they can provide a health concern to people who are at risk, both inside the building and in the surrounding community.
A regular tank inspection or legionella risk assessment (both of which Assured Water Hygiene can carry out for you) may reveal that your cold water storage tank is in bad condition. It is vital that you take action to rectify the situation as soon as possible. You can't just increase the temperature of your calorifiers and clean your showerheads. That won’t fix the issue with your tank.
However, the cost of replacing a cold water storage tank is not a trivial one. Some tanks were constructed in the area in which they are located because they’re so big or the entrances are particularly small, making their removal and replacement extremely difficult. Even if this isn’t the case, it’s still not an easy job.
A common reason why those responsible do not upgrade their cold water storage tanks is because of the high cost of doing so. The problem is, this lack of action increases the danger of legionella spreading inside a building, and if someone were to get sick or even die because of this, the courts would not accept the argument that it was too costly or too difficult to deal with the issues. The health and safety aspect has to come above everything.
While it is feasible to reduce the danger to the greatest extent possible by repairing the tank without replacing it, it is not always practicable. If you start from a 'reuse and recycle' perspective, it may be feasible to save money and guarantee people's safety at the same time.
Alternatively, the tank liner can be replaced. If you're looking to save money, this is a fantastic choice. The tank should be as good as new after you have finished working. Tanks that are rusted may be repaired with a new tank liner, giving them a fresh lease of life.
In other words, although you may initially think that you’ll have to replace your tank, there are other options which are much more cost-effective (although be aware that at some point, the tank will get to a stage where there is no choice but to replace it).
A tank inspection or legionella risk assessment will be in order if you are unsure about the state of your tank. Get a free quotation from Assured Water Hygiene for water hygiene services in London and the surrounding regions.
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