Defeating Bacteria In Hot Water Systems With A Heat Exchanger

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, known as NIST, have developed a low-cost heat exchanger to help eliminate harmful bacteria in hot water systems. As Hackaday reports, the device allows water to be stored at seventy degrees Celsius to kill Legionella pneumophila—the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease—while cooling the water to a safer temperature before it reaches the tap. The prototype was built using only one hundred dollars in components and also pre-warms incoming cold water to save energy. This solution could be particularly beneficial for high-risk environments like hotels and nursing homes.

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