Salmon Plumbing Guarantee to ARRIVE ON TIME to your scheduled appointment.
In the rare instance that your plumber has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we promise to give you a MINIMUM 30-minutes notice of ANY change in arrival time and will offer to reschedule, if that’s more convenient for you
If we don’t give you at least 30 minutes notice in advance, we will happily give you a FREE Hour of Service on your plumbing job.
This offer is not to be used with any other offer.
Does not apply to quoted jobs.
Discounts will not be applied to overdue amounts.
Deposits
Deposits are not refundable however partial or total refunds of deposits may be made at the sole discretion of Salmon Plumbing.
Cancellations
Salmon Plumbing reserve the right to charge for lost time as a result of cancellations and or postponement made less than 2 business days from the scheduled appointment time.
Warranties
Salmon Plumbing offers a 6 and half year warranty as per the Queensland Building & Construction Commission (QBCC).
If we asked 100 people what Legionella was, we bet we
would get a high number of blank looks in return, which is a fair reaction. The
Latin scientific name of a bacteria isn’t common knowledge for those of us
without a passion for biology.
But Legionella can be the cause of Legionnaires’ disease,
Legionellosis, and Pontiac fever, and in a lot of cases this can be traced back
to hot water and plumbing equipment. So what is this sinister sounding bacteria
and where does it lurk in your house?
Legionella Explained
Legionella is a reasonably common bacteria that exists in the home and in commercial settings throughout Australia. In fact, a recent study by Flinders University in Adelaide showed that 75% of homes were incubating Legionella. While the sample size of that study was small, the results were significant and highly concerning.
That’s because, in its more serious form, Legionella can
cause Legionnaires’
disease. Legionnaires’ disease is a serious infection of the lungs that has a
lot of the same symptoms and problems as a severe bout of pneumonia. It can
result in the onset of headaches, muscular pain and chills, as well as
confusion, stomach pain and even death in some instances.
The less serious form of Legionella infection, Pontiac
fever, produces similar symptoms but is far less serious because it does not
cause an infection in the lungs.
Where Legionella Lives
Legionella is found outdoors and in nature in soil and
water, but rarely causes any illness because it is simply not present in enough
numbers to invade a human body with any effect. However, in the home, it’s a different
story. In water systems of almost any kind, Legionella can find a cosy home and
multiply rapidly. Some common areas for the bacteria to be present are hot
water tubs, spas and outdoor mist/fan combinations.
How Legionella Takes Hold
For all its potentially damaging effects, Legionella
is actually quite a delicate bacteria. It is dormant below 20 degrees Celsius,
meaning that most cold water systems and cold water taps are at low risk of
hosting Legionella. It is also less able to multiply and grow at temperatures
above 60 degrees Celsius. It’s for that reason that home hot water systems are
required by regulation to be able to heat hot water to 60 degrees before it is
released into the pipework.
Legionella typically takes root and multiplies in
warm, humid environments and a storage Hot Water Unit that is set to only heat the
water to modest or ‘luke warm’ temperature is a major risk.
This environment creates the ideal place and
temperature for Legionella to multiply
Protecting Your Family
To protect yourself and your family against this
potentially dangerous bacteria, you can take a few simple steps. First of all,
if people in your household are getting flu-like symptoms regularly, but not
passing them to each other, it may be worth mentioning that to your doctor.
Legionnaires’ disease,
unlike the flu, does not spread easily from person to person.
If some showers and taps aren’t used
regularly, run them at least once a week with hot water so that any bacteria living
inside the pipes is regularly flushed out and cannot multiply to dangerous
levels.
And finally, you should call a plumber regularly for general maintenance and testing of your home hot water system to ensure that it is heating your water to the right temperature each time. As homes and systems age, their likelihood of being less effective rises. Just like a car, a hot water system gets a lot of use, and it needs regular servicing and maintenance to ensure its effective operation.
Our friendly, experienced team of professionals at Salmon Plumbing are on hand to inspect your hot water unit and water pipe work to advise on the best course of action to help ensure they are bacteria free and in top shape.