Water treatment/growth problem

[RonA]

Quite a few years ago when we replaced our boiler with a combi we retained the hot water cylinder. Coupled with a double headed pump we ended up with a very satisfactory shower.
Just lately I have noticed a black mould like growth starting to form in the shower head nozzles.
At work we used to have a guy come in on a periodic basis to treat our hot water systems to prevent Legionella. I wonder if I now have that problem.
Any water treatment experts on the forum who can advise what I should treat the hot water cylinder/pump/ shower with to eliminate the growth. I fear it will only get worse & become a health hazard.
RonA

 

[waddycall]

It’s probably just mould on the shower head. Have you tried cleaning it off?

 

[Kayos]

First thing to check is the cold tank in the loft.
Replace the shower head and hose and clean the filters in the shower pump
Make sure the hot water is heated to 60 degrees at least

 

[minimutly]

First thing to check is the cold tank in the loft.
Replace the shower head and hose and clean the filters in the shower pump
Make sure the hot water is heated to 60 degrees at least

There speaks someone who's found dead vermin in the tank....
I'm interested how your hot tank is connected - does it feed the combi (in an ideal world this would work, but UK suppliers are years behind the PV (and wet solar for that matter) revolution, or do you have a seperate hot shower system?
The +60 degrees cycle is the known fix for legionella - hence PV is ideal since you can just switch the immersion heater on boost in the winter to get it hot.

 

[Kayos]

There speaks someone who's found dead vermin in the tank....
I'm interested how your hot tank is connected - does it feed the combi (in an ideal world this would work, but UK suppliers are years behind the PV (and wet solar for that matter) revolution, or do you have a seperate hot shower system?
The +60 degrees cycle is the known fix for legionella - hence PV is ideal since you can just switch the immersion heater on boost in the winter to get it hot.

It's just my job

Connecting a combi to a cylinder is just like any boiler install, I usually connect the kitchen hot to the combi and the bathroom to the cylinder

 

[RonA]

There speaks someone who's found dead vermin in the tank....
I'm interested how your hot tank is connected - does it feed the combi (in an ideal world this would work, but UK suppliers are years behind the PV (and wet solar for that matter) revolution, or do you have a seperate hot shower system?
The +60 degrees cycle is the known fix for legionella - hence PV is ideal since you can just switch the immersion heater on boost in the winter to get it hot.

The hot water cylinder just feeds the shower. The combi directly feeds hot water to the bathroom taps & rest of the house.
In reply to another comment the shower head/thermostatic shower valve were replaced more recently when we refurbed the bathroom. Also the “mould” does come off the shower rose but has come back. I will try raising the hot water cylinder temp to +60 DegC, I retained the immersion heater as well so that will be easy in enough.
Thanks for all the comments, see how I get on.
RonA

 

[minimutly]

It's just my job

Connecting a combi to a cylinder is just like any boiler install, I usually connect the kitchen hot to the combi and the bathroom to the cylinder

Are we on the same lines here - I want to feed the cylinder hot output into the combi
(Appologies fot thr thread hijack, I'll start a new one)

+1 for raising the temp above 60deg - once a week enough?

 

[Kayos]

Are we on the same lines here - I want to feed the cylinder hot output into the combi
(Appologies fot thr thread hijack, I'll start a new one)

+1 for raising the temp above 60deg - once a week enough?

No, dont ever do that, it wont work and could be dangerous

A cylinder is heated through a coil, any boiler including a combi can be connected to that with the appropriate controls

 

[Morrisman]

When we rented our house out we had several messages from the rental agent waffling on about legionella, and how we were preventing it, and could our system develop it, and did we want to pay £150 for an inspection and certificate to make sure we didn’t have it etc.

Turns out it was a knee jerk reaction by our agent to some new government regulation or advisory.

 

[pedrobedro]

Take the shower head off and soak it in vinegar then poke the holes out. Ours does it and it's just calcium deposits from the water.

 

[mangocrazy]

It's just my job

Connecting a combi to a cylinder is just like any boiler install, I usually connect the kitchen hot to the combi and the bathroom to the cylinder

That's the way we had our new (last September) combi connected. Very happy with the arrangement. Near instantaneous hot water to the kitchen tap (boiler is less than 1 metre away), and the upstairs cylinder feeds the bathroom taps.

 

[Kayos]

When we rented our house out we had several messages from the rental agent waffling on about legionella, and how we were preventing it, and could our system develop it, and did we want to pay £150 for an inspection and certificate to make sure we didn’t have it etc.

Turns out it was a knee jerk reaction by our agent to some new government regulation or advisory.

Quite a few died in a big block of flats in Scotland so the HSE sent notification to all the letting agents

 

[WorkshopChris]

A cylinder is heated through a coil, any boiler including a combi can be connected to that with the appropriate controls

Just thinking about this do you add 2 3 port valves or is there a specific product for this type of installation?

 

[gaz1]

Quite a few died in a big block of flats in Scotland so the HSE sent notification to all the letting agents

reference here

https://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/legionella-landlords-responsibilities.htm

 

[gaz1]

Just thinking about this do you add 2 3 port valves or is there a specific product for this type of installation?

theres regs with it

https://www.logic4training.co.uk/blog/plumbing/notifying-the-installation-of-hot-water-cylinders/