In a matter of only a few hours, a bathroom with areas of stagnant water can pose a risk to anyone using that facility and anyone who comes in contact with that person. A sanitary flush control system can help eliminate these risks.
Standing water not only causes dangerous mold build-up and structural damage. It also attracts rodents, vermin, and insects. Other health risks associated with standing water include:
- Dengue Fever
- Entamoeba
- Fungus
- Malaria
- Rotavirus
- Zika fever
Whether you're working on a commercial renovation project or looking to improve the water conditions in your home, consider what you can do to help keep people safe from waterborne pathogens.
Key Takeaways:
- The growth of Legionella and other harmful waterborne pathogens threatens public health.
- Safeguarding the public from these risks is only one benefit of installing a sanitary flush control system. Installation is easy, and maintenance is simple.
- Fully programmable controls allow you to change interval settings, flush the toilet remotely, and check to see when the facilities get used.
- Cost-effective retrofits make installing a sanitary flush control system affordable for any facility, large or small.
How Stagnant Water Impacts Public Health
Standing water at or above room temperature creates the ideal conditions for the growth of Legionella and other waterborne bacteria. These harmful pathogens multiply unnoticed in places like toilets, pipes, and water systems.
According to the CDC, roughly 5,000 people get diagnosed with Legionnaire's Disease, a severe respiratory illness similar to pneumonia. E. coli, shigella, salmonella, and campylobacter are a few other harmful waterborne pathogens posing a risk to the public.
These pathogens love to hide in the "dead legs" of plumbing systems because these are common locations for stagnant or semi-stagnant water.
Healthcare and hospitality settings are common breeding grounds. Although, standing water in spaces in your home you don't commonly use poses a risk to your family and guests. Places like guest bathrooms, pool houses, and utility sheds, to name a few.
So are high-rise buildings that contain multiple plumbing chillers, long plumbing runs, and ice machines. Weekend homes and low-use buildings are susceptible to stagnant water systems or dried-out traps. Concealed systems can exasperate these issues.
Ways to avoid the risks of Legionella and other harmful bacteria from growing in your water system include:
- Avoiding "dead legs" in piping designs
- Maintain water temperature controls
- Keep pumps running continuously
- Perform routine maintenance
- Install sanitary flush controls
5 Benefits of a Sanitary Flush Control System
Eradicate hazardous stagnant water and smelly, dried-out fixture traps. Get a sanitary flush control to improve hygiene in your facility's restrooms with interval flushing. Here are some benefits of installing one of these systems:
1. Safeguards Public Health and Wellbeing
Installing a sanitary flush control is as advantageous to those using your building as it is for your establishment. Here is a list of the most vulnerable buildings when it comes to stagnant water:
- Healthcare settings
- Hospitality guest rooms
- Weekend or vacation homes
- Multi-family buildings
- Skyscrapers and High-rises
- Seasonal venues
- Other infrequently used buildings
2. Easy installation and Maintenance
Installation of a sanitary flush control is easier than you think. These systems install in minutes with a 3V battery kit or 12V mains kit (transformer required).
You can pair your sanitary flush control with any new or existing Geberit manual actuator Sigma01 to Sigma60. This video below shows you how concealed cistern systems work and how simple they are to install and maintain.
3. Fully Programmable to Meet Facility Needs
These sanitary flush controls are fully programmable, allowing you to set them to run automatically every 1 to 168 hours with a flush length between one and 200 seconds. The factory setting for this system is flush every 72 hours for five seconds.
The automatic interval flushing system keeps cold water moving through pipes to clear stagnant water from the system. The system remains sustainable by using only a small amount of water per flush. It also reduces energy use by using cold water.
4. Smart Device Enables Remote Operations
Get the power of the flush in the palm of your hand. New, wireless remote programming, operation, and monitoring are now available via the Geberit Connect smartphone app. It's Bluetooth-enabled for either iOS or Android smartphones or with the Geberit Service Handy IR interface.
There is no upcharge for the Free BLE Communication enabled with the Geberit Connect + Control App. Download the app to your smart device and get the power of:
- Easy configuration & maintenance features with a tap
- Time-saving features with saved pre-settings, profiles, etc.
- Extend product life with remote firmware updates to add future functions and features
- One free smartphone application for all Geberit products
5. Cost-Effective Retrofits Makes Installation Affordable
You won't need to install a completely new plumbing system for your concealed cisterns (or non-concealed systems). The parts your need to install the interval flushing unit will retrofit with your existing plumbing.
Its battery-powered lifter pairs perfectly with Geberit's Sigma01 through Sigma60 series and work with the concealed tank Sigma12 units. (It installs like standard lifters for Sigma10/80.)
The Future of the Flush Is Here at Geberit!
Studies show that regular, automatic line expulsions assist in keeping counts of waterborne pathogens down. That is exactly what you get with the Geberit Sanitary Flush Unit!
At Geberit, the future of the flush is here today. Public health and safety is as much a part of our mission as providing sustainable and environmentally responsible plumbing and sanitary systems.
That's why we developed a cold-water, interval flushing system that reduces the presence of waterborne pathogens and eliminates smelly, dry traps. To reduce the risk of bacterial growth and harmful pathogens in water, you need a sanitary flush control unit from Geberit.
For more information about our latest innovations, check out what's new this year at Geberit. Or contact us to speak to one of our friendly associates. We look forward to hearing from you!