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Upgrading Your Facility with Anti-Microbial
Upgrading your facility with anti-microbial solutions can take anywhere from a few months -- when property managers and engineers are in agreement on which solutions to apply -- to a few years.
Standing Water and Air Quality
Often overlooked areas in the plumbing system where microbes can grow are places where air can enter the plumbing system, and standing or stagnant water. These situations can be addressed.
Faucet Outlets: Aerators vs Laminar-Flow
Air carries microbes, and the use of faucet aerators pulls these microbes into the water you drink and wash your hands with. An aerator draws air into the water stream to make the water feel softer. Lucky for you, aerators are not the only way to make your water soft and attractive. Consider a laminar flow, which doesn’t allow any air into the stream but provides the same, soft water effect.
Water Filtration
When it comes to filters, it’s all about how the filter is rated. “A 5 micron filter is a 5 micron filter,” says Chris, “so it’s not a brand choice.” Instead of considering which brand to use in your facility, decide first what you want to filter out, and what you want to let through. This is going to be specific to the application point of use in the facility.
Health and Safety in Plumbing
What type of Vandalism should you prepare for?
“how awful will this bathroom be?” It’s an important question to ask yourself as a customer. If this restroom is clean and functional, chances are you’ll make a point to stop here in the future. And maybe while you’re here you’ll buy a pack of gum and a gallon or 2 of gas, almost as a thank you to the station for taking such good care of the facility. This is called customer loyalty.
Upgrading Your Facility with Anti-Microbial
Upgrading your facility with anti-microbial solutions can take anywhere from a few months -- when property managers and engineers are in agreement on which solutions to apply -- to a few years.
Standing Water and Air Quality
Often overlooked areas in the plumbing system where microbes can grow are places where air can enter the plumbing system, and standing or stagnant water. These situations can be addressed.
Faucet Outlets: Aerators vs Laminar-Flow
Air carries microbes, and the use of faucet aerators pulls these microbes into the water you drink and wash your hands with. An aerator draws air into the water stream to make the water feel softer. Lucky for you, aerators are not the only way to make your water soft and attractive. Consider a laminar flow, which doesn’t allow any air into the stream but provides the same, soft water effect.
Water Filtration
When it comes to filters, it’s all about how the filter is rated. “A 5 micron filter is a 5 micron filter,” says Chris, “so it’s not a brand choice.” Instead of considering which brand to use in your facility, decide first what you want to filter out, and what you want to let through. This is going to be specific to the application point of use in the facility.
Water Temperature and Antimicrobials
Hot water at 140 degrees or higher kills bacteria, but code requires that water coming out of a source cannot be hotter than 110 degrees, for safety reasons. Still, water temperature in hospitals is often higher than other non-medical facilities. In many hospitals, boilers are set to 140 degrees, then the temperature is reduced at the faucet or point of use through a thermostatic mixing valve.
Establishing a Performance & Maintenance Plan
Once you’ve identified the solutions you’ll use for your facility, establish a performance and maintenance plan, or a “P&M Plan.” This ensures that your facility is maintained to the agreed upon standard beyond any near-term COVID-19 concerns.
Identifying Touch Points in Your Facility
To reduce the spread of pathogens including bacteria and viruses, keeping surfaces clean and washing hands are essential. However, those physical surfaces people touch in your facility can be made to either play host to pathogens, or help fight it.
Antimicrobial Plumbing Solutions
With the spread of COVID-19, many individuals and organizations are evaluating options for limiting the spread of pathogens and bacteria in their places of work, play, and residence. Because our team supplies and advises facilities across a range of industries, including healthcare facilities, we’re able to apply leading edge solutions from one industry to another. In this series, we’ll explore some of the standards and protocols implemented in the medical facilities we work with which may be applied in schools, office facilities, or residential buildings to reduce the spread of pathogens.