A water cooler is a common attribute of a modern office. It is installed with the health of employees in mind, because clean drinking water is the key to good health and performance.
However, many are mistaken in believing that everything ends with the purchase of a cooler.
In fact, it is fraught with danger that we are not even aware of.
In the favorable environment created inside the cooler - heat, humidity, access to oxygen - colonies of microorganisms rapidly multiply.
Invisible to the eye, but perceptible in the form of a slippery film that changes color from transparent to gray, red or green, they pose a serious threat to health.
Remember, when was the last time your office cooler was cleaned and not just wiped with a rag, but rather disinfected and descaled? Don't remember?
With every glass of water you risk getting a portion of a “merry company” of bacteria, including:
- escherichia coli, which causes poisoning.
- pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, otitis and chronic pulmonary infections.
- legionella, leading to legionellosis, or “Legionnaires' disease” (a type of pneumonia).
But this is not a complete list! By drinking water from a contaminated cooler, you can “pick up” a whole range of coliform bacteria, pathogenic microflora and even mold fungi.
And not all of these bacteria die at 80°C, to which the water is heated in most coolers.
And on the taps of the dispenser, like on the handrail on the bus, many microorganisms accumulate that can easily get into your mug or glass.
In addition to microbiological danger, the cooler is fraught with another - scale. Over six months of operation, it accumulates in such quantities that it becomes “crowded” in the tank, and it floats up, falling through the tap into the mug.
How often should the cooler be cleaned?
The frequency of sanitization depends on the type of room where the cooler is located:
- in places with increased pollution (hospitals, workshops), cleaning is recommended once every 3 months.
- in offices, schools and other places with high traffic, but less pollution - once every six months.
- at home, the cooler can be cleaned once every six months to a year.
The frequency of treatment depends on how often water is taken from the cooler. An interesting fact, but the more often a cooler is used, the less it pollutes the water. It does not stagnate and does not have time to deteriorate.
Which cooler elements require cleaning:
- bottle receiver
- water supply taps
- tanks for cold and hot water
- cooling radiator
- drip tray
- a heating element
Resource: sibdepo.ru, krist-vlg.ru
