We all know the feeling, you turn on the hot water tap to wash your hands and you immediately regret it as you get a splash of scalding and painful hot water. Scalding hot water injuries should not to be overlooked, as they account for severe injuries and sometimes leading to fatal ones.
In autumn 2007 the Health and Safety Executive has introduced new directives for care homes. According to the new directive they have to install thermostatic mixing valves and make them temper proof. This latest development follows a tragic case of a fatal injury from scalding water.
Scottish Building Standards already include a requirement to install thermostatic mixing valves on all new property developments and major retrofit projects. The rest of the UK is not currently requiring this, but the Building Regulations body is reviewing this issue at the moment.
Regulations in the UK require storing hot water (such as inside your hot water cylinder) at between 60c and 65c to reduce the risk of Legionella. It is believed that the virus that causes the disease does not survive at these temperatures. However, water coming out at that temperature may cause scalding and must be mixed before coming in contact with the user.
Public buildings and communal hot water systems are predominantly in need of a TMV. This is due to the requirement of keeping the hot water at extremely high temperature all the way to the point of delivery to reduce the risk of Legionella.
There are primarily two groups of users at risk of burns - young children and old people. Every year UK hospitals admit hundreds of children that suffer from burns from extra hot baths. Children have a very sensitive skin and such burns may leave scars for the rest of their lives. Similarly, old people get scalded from extra hot water when their less sensitive skin and slow reactions may hinder their movements thus exacerbate the injury. Mentally and physically impaired people are also slow to react or easily confused under such circumstances leading to injuries.
Broadly speaking there are two groups of thermostatic mixing valves that are certified and approved for installation:
TMV2 kits are mostly used for domestic installations. However, they are also suitable for most other properties. It is required to undertake a full risk assessment to review if there are disabled or vulnerable people on the premises.
TMV3 kits are required in healthcare premises and properties for disabled or handicapped people. TMV3 systems are designed with tighter tolerance levels, thus ensuring better safety levels and more accurate mixing performance, better protecting the users.
Most manufacturers of thermostatic mixing valves recommend qualified plumbers for the installations of their kits. For a qualified plumber, the kits are easy to install between the hot and the cold pipes to ensure effective mixing action. Most kits are designed for a simple installation under the bath or under the sink and include several important components. At typical kit includes tailpieces with isolation, a strainer and test points. To handle installation in limited spaces, there are kits with a flexible connector and isolating filter valve.
About the Author As the editor of Heating Central, Tal Potishman writes articles on issues surrounding efficient boilers, Luton plumbers, central heating controllers, underfloor heating and solar thermal systems. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating technologies.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, October 08, 2008 View other articles written by Tal Potishman(298)
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