In most multi-unit residential buildings and public-access facilities such as hotels, retirement homes, and similar establishments, landlords and private companies opt for centralized heating and/or domestic hot water systems. Like any plumbing system, these domestic hot water networks also require maintenance and monitoring. This must be done regularly to ensure the system operates properly and to safeguard the well-being of the occupants. Therefore, certain factors must be considered to ensure the proper monitoring of domestic hot water systems.
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To ensure the effectiveness of the protective systems for a building’s plumbing and water treatment systems, each one must be inspected and maintained. This helps ensure the proper functioning of the plumbing system and the hot water supply system. Furthermore, it helps maintain theenergy efficiency ofthe entire system.
However, to carry out this monitoring and maintenance, one must have a good understanding of the system. The work can be somewhat challenging if the person performing the tasks is unfamiliar with the system. Generally speaking, plumbing is a specialized field, and working in it requires a high level of expertise. This is the only way to ensure the system functions properly. The same applies to domestic hot water systems, which must be monitored by expert maintenance companies.
Increase the temperature of domestic hot water loops
Monitoring water temperature is one of the key aspects of maintaining domestic hot water systems. To ensure the comfort and well-being of occupants, it is important to maintain theproperwatertemperature.
The temperature must not be too high or too low. If it is too high, it leads to energy loss, not to mention the potential risk of burns. On the other hand, if it is too low, there is a risk of Legionella bacteria proliferating in the distribution system, which can endanger users. In this case, it must be50°C or higher. One way to verify this temperature is to monitor it regularly. This monitoring can be done remotely, at configured intervals, using Enless Wireless radio temperature transmitters with PT100 or PT1000 contact probes. The IoT thus appears well-suited to this type of application, supported by radio technologies such as Sigfox, LoRaWAN, and LoRa, for example. In addition to this operation, water samples are also taken. This allows for the determination of water quality.
Check the backflow preventers or anti-pollution valves
The backflow preventer plays a vital role in protecting the drinking water distribution system from contamination. It does this by preventing wastewater from flowing back into the distribution system. This ensures that every user has access tosafe drinking water. To function properly, it must be installed between the drinking water distribution system and the secondary system, through which water at risk of contamination flows.
When inspecting domestic hot water systems, it is important to check the backflow preventer. In some cases, this device is replaced by abackflow prevention valve. This is often found in Category 2 water distribution systems. Both devices create a separation and safety barrier. It is therefore important to inspect them regularly.
