Rule relating to water temperature at sites

Stewartwebr
Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
edited April 2016 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Has anyone noticed that the "hot" water at site facilities is now nothing more than luke warm?

I have asked a number of Wardens the reason behind it, as I initially suspected a fault. However, I have been informed by a number of the staff that the new rule is hot water taps whould be regulated and if memory serves me correctly, I THINK he said 47
Degrees C. It is just not hot enough to clean dirty dishes, and I like HOT water to shave. I have started using the vans facilities more and more purely around the water temperature issue.

The showers remain excellent as usual, just the tap water temperature. Surely this cannot be an HSE issue??

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Comments

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited April 2016 #2

    It is an HSE issue in for example the Health and Care sector but not to my knowledge a legal one in club sites. The club might quite reasonably be taking the view they need to recognise their "duty of care" and protect members from scalding risks. The figure for care establishments where the clients have access is 44C for things like showers and wash basins. It does though I agree not fit well with dish washing sinks on our sites. Probably they take the view a child for example could get scalded there and so it is an unacceptable risk? To control against legonella the storage and distribution though needs to be above 60 C, this present serious scalding risk; I see here with public access the CC  face difficult decisions. I am not confident a sign that the water is very hot would be deemed adequate if a child or an impared ability adult got scalded.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #3

    The answer is to use your own facility's ,then you can have the water as hot as you want Cool

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited April 2016 #4

    I find that the sinks often have scalding hot water, but the showers are fine, because they are mxer taps.

    Don't know about the washing up sinks because I've never used one.

  • Unknown
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    edited April 2016 #5
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  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #6

    I find that the sinks often have scalding hot water, but the showers are fine, because they are mxer taps.

    Don't know about the washing up sinks because I've never used one.

    The OP does state 'new' rule! We therefore, thankfully for the young and impaired adults amongst us, may only now be experiencing taps that do not deliver 'scaling' hot water!

  • David2115
    David2115 Club Member Posts: 548
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    edited April 2016 #7

    I've noticed recently that they don't appear as hot as they used to be but they are still 'hot' enough 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #8

    We have just returned from the Malvern Hills site and found the water for washing up more than hot enough. For hand washing in the toilet blocks I usually find the water far too hot for comfort, in fact even for safety, and would prefer to see mixer taps
    rather than saparate hot and cold taps. Tend to use our own facilities for showers.

    David

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #9

    Yes agree the sinks are very hot (they do have a caution sticker) but the showers are hot enough, my gripe is the sometimes low pressure on some sites

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #10

    I believe the ruling covers 'whole immersion' where lower temperatures have to be observed, such as showers. Sinks where partial immersion exists must be risk assessed and in most cases can have a higher temperature with signage.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #11

    Yes agree the sinks are very hot (they do have a caution sticker) but the showers are hot enough, my gripe is the sometimes low pressure on some sites

    Why not shower in the sink thenSurprised. Use left and right arrows to navigate.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #12

    I won't fit

  • Stewartwebr
    Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
    edited April 2016 #13

    CoolThe answer is to use your own facility's ,then you can have the water as hot as you want Cool

    However, a trip to the platewash is more than a place to do dishes for me. If it was merely about getting the dishes cleaned I would just throw them in the motorhomes dishwasher and I can assure it gets really hot! I like the social aspect and have had some
    really good interesting conversations whilst we all wash our dishes and picked up a lot of information from people about things they have seen and down whilst on a specific site.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #14

    CoolThe answer is to use your own facility's ,then you can have the water as hot as you want Cool

    However, a trip to the platewash is more than a place to do dishes for me. If it was merely about getting the dishes cleaned I would just throw them in the motorhomes dishwasher and I can assure it gets really hot! I like the social aspect and have had some
    really good interesting conversations whilst we all wash our dishes and picked up a lot of information from people about things they have seen and down whilst on a specific site.

    do motorhomes have dishwasher?s ie an electrical item or are you talking about the unpaid helper?

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited April 2016 #15
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  • Stewartwebr
    Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
    edited April 2016 #16

    CoolThe answer is to use your own facility's ,then you can have the water as hot as you want Cool

    However, a trip to the platewash is more than a place to do dishes for me. If it was merely about getting the dishes cleaned I would just throw them in the motorhomes dishwasher and I can assure it gets really hot! I like the social aspect and have had some really good interesting conversations whilst we all wash our dishes and picked up a lot of information from people about things they have seen and down whilst on a specific site.

    do motorhomes have dishwasher?s ie an electrical item or are you talking about the unpaid helper?

    Yes, we have a 4 place dishwasher, which is electric and can also be run off the inverter system through the batteries if not on hook up, but never tried it, it would be a drain on the batteries, it is plummed in such a way that it takes the water from the hot water system in an attempt to reduce power in the heating process. If installed at home I believe they take a cold water supply and heat it via electric elements. It works very well, but I prefer when on sites to go to the platewash and have a good natter.

  • pauline058
    pauline058 Forum Participant Posts: 85
    edited April 2016 #17

    Always wash the dishes in the caravan, cant be doing with dragging dishes about, as long as you remove any greasy disgustingness with a paper towel first, no problems

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited April 2016 #18

    Always wash the dishes in the caravan, cant be doing with dragging dishes about, as long as you remove any greasy disgustingness with a paper towel first, no problems

    Same here, Smile

  • JillwithaJay
    JillwithaJay Club Member Posts: 2,485 ✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #19

    Ditto - unless I feel the need to have a good splash around in the big sinks with greasy pans. Happy

    photo 78301b06-7bdd-45fe-8ae2-d4d2cae14135_zpssi5htrez.jpg

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #20

    CoolThe answer is to use your own facility's ,then you can have the water as hot as you want Cool

    However, a trip to the platewash is more than a place to do dishes for me. If it was merely about getting the dishes cleaned I would just throw them in the motorhomes dishwasher and I can assure it gets really hot! I like the social aspect and have had some
    really good interesting conversations whilst we all wash our dishes and picked up a lot of information from people about things they have seen and down whilst on a specific site.

    do motorhomes have dishwasher?s ie an electrical item or are you talking about the unpaid helper?

    Yes, we have a 4 place dishwasher, which is electric and can also be run off the inverter system through the batteries if not on hook up, but never tried it, it would be a drain on the batteries, it is plummed in such a way that it takes the water from the
    hot water system in an attempt to reduce power in the heating process. If installed at home I believe they take a cold water supply and heat it via electric elements. It works very well, but I prefer when on sites to go to the platewash and have a good natter.

    wow, thanks for the reply, I never knew they existed.Smile

  • Unknown
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    edited April 2016 #21
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  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #22

    I always take our dishwasher with us, he grumbles a bit but is fairly reliable.Happy

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #23

    Money saving, turn down the thermostat, people won't hang around in the showers so win/win all aroundSurprised

  • KeefySher
    KeefySher Forum Participant Posts: 1,128
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    edited April 2016 #24

    We use ceramic pans, no need to wash, just wipe with paper towel. Tin foil baking trays, cook, serve, fold, bin Sad

  • Stewartwebr
    Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
    edited April 2016 #25

    Are we now going to see the beware of hot water signs replaced by beware of Legionella?  Mind you if they get it in the system it is nearly impossible to get rid of and anyone getting infected would have a strong legal case.  

    There will be no risk as I dont think the Club have reduced the temperature of the heated water. The showers are still the same temperature. The sinks are regulated by a mixer under each sink which controls the temperature of the hot tap mixing cold to provide
    the desired supply temperature.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited April 2016 #26

    The Hot water should be "Very Hot" it's no use otherwise. 

    Only a numptie would ignore the "Beware Hot Water" sign. If they scald themselves, it's their own fault. 

  • Dickdastardly1
    Dickdastardly1 Forum Participant Posts: 153
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    edited April 2016 #27

    I can assure you every month all mixer, cold and hot water temperatures are tested and recorded by the wardens. There are temperature readings for all outlets to be met.  Annually an external company inspects the water systems for legionella and after a
    through testing process then signs the site off......

  • Unknown
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    edited April 2016 #28
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  • Dickdastardly1
    Dickdastardly1 Forum Participant Posts: 153
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    edited April 2016 #29

    I can assure you every month all mixer, cold and hot water temperatures are tested and recorded by the wardens. There are temperature readings for all outlets to be met.  Annually an external company inspects the water systems for legionella and after a through testing process then signs the site off......

    You seem very well informed Mark.  Can you say to what temperature the showers are regulated and if that has been reduced in the last few years?  I have certainly noticed a reduction in water pressure, which I hate with a passion.

    The water system in general is fed directly from the meter upto to storage tanks in the attic space these then gravity feed into the boilers/heaters. Most sites water pumps to feed the hot water outlets. As the pumps are sealed there is no access or authority to adjust them. Generally, the cold has to be below 20'c, hot 60'c. All boilers have temp gauges on the side which are monitored daily.. Hope that helps. Some showers have a filter inserted in the showerhead, members sometimes push this up which stops the water flow all it needs is to be pushed up to release it and the pressure does return. One more point when the sites are full and being used (ie the morning) then is a 1/2" mains feed to the site and sometimes it cannot keep up with the usage. This is a very rare occurance but it can happen on some sites.

  • Unknown
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    edited April 2016 #30
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  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #31

    The Hot water should be "Very Hot" it's no use otherwise. 

    Only a numptie would ignore the "Beware Hot Water" sign. If they scald themselves, it's their own fault. 

    Not a very pleasant term to use for our impaired ability, visually impaired, limited mobility or very young members amongst us who could be scalded. Rather than suggesting it would be their fault the responsibility should be to protect them! Afterall, that's what it's all about!