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Trinkwasserhygiene im Seniorenzentrum
The newly built Lindenstrasse retirement home in Lohne offers room for 76 residents.

Optimal potable water hygiene in retirement home

Healthy and safe at home

Impeccable potable water hygiene is a core component of preventive health care. Problems caused by contamination can arise wherever the potable water stagnates in pipes for long periods of time: for example, during school holidays or when rooms and apartments in hotels, student dormitories or nursing homes are not occupied. In order to ensure the correct operation of the potable water system and the health of its residents, La Vida Pflegeepartner GmbH had the retirement home in Lindenstrasse in Lohne, Lower Saxony, equipped with the TECEprofil hygiene flush. As a result the flushing process is now automated, which means that the operator can prove that the system is being used properly, taking the strain off the service personnel.

The newly built retirement home in Lindenstrasse has 76 single rooms with bathrooms. However, many of the residents are bedridden, and so nurses provide the necessary personal hygiene in specially designed sanitary rooms. Many of the baths are not used regularly and consequently there is no water exchange, which is essential for potable water hygiene.

Taking the strain off the nursing staff

If there are no automatic hygiene flushing units in retirement homes such as this, in the “ideal scenario” facility management is responsible for running water through the installation at defined intervals in order to safely counteract stagnation and the associated increase in health-endangering micro-organisms. This practice requires a high level of administration because the staff have to be trained and keep manual records. Personnel planning and appointing annual leave cover make this procedure even more difficult. And if the potable water facilities become infested with micro-organisms, there is a risk of legal consequences if organisational negligence can be proven.

Trinkwasserhygiene
Direct on location: TECE product manager Marius Leusing (right in the picture) during the commissioning
of the hygienic flushing and briefing the customer.

Less work and greater efficiency

A solution such as the TECE hygienic flush makes this complex process superfluous, since it fully automates the flushing of the pipes at the recommended time periods, which is essential for potable water hygiene. Programming is carried out using an easy-to-understand app, with the "Interval" and "Weekday" flush programs available for selection. With the "Interval" program, the flushing interval and quantity can be continuously adjusted to accommodate even shorter interruptions in use. In the “Weekday” flush program, as well as the steplessly adjustable flush volume, certain days and times can be selected for when the flush is to take place. A capacitive sensor for usage detection ensures that flushing is only carried out when the installation is not in use.

Safe thanks to the log function

For people with weakened immune systems and those in need of care, potable water hygiene is particularly important in retirement homes. For these special requirements, VDI/ DVGW 6023 recommends a complete water exchange through the entire pipe network every 72 hours. In addition, every operator of a potable water system has a legal duty to maintain safety and is responsible for ensuring the correct operation and hygiene of the potable water system. In order to provide the operator of the Lindenstrasse retirement home with proof of the correct and regular use of the potable water system in the event of an emergency, the software has an automatic log function that saves all flushing processes. In addition, the current settings of the flush program are documented at all times. The log can be called up via the app and exported in PDF format.

The unique feature of the TECE solution is that the flush unit is integrated directly into the toilet cistern. To ensure that all of the pipe contents up to the riser can be exchanged, the toilet module with hygienic flushing system is installed as the last consumer in a looped potable water installation. A total of 30 hygiene flushing units were sufficient for the 76 care rooms. The concept is convincing in practice: in Hasberg in the Osnabrück district, the company is building another retirement home – along with TECE hygiene flushing.

Hier erhalten Sie weitere Informationen.

Hygienespuelung Spuelkasten Strangschema
The TECEprofil toilet module with hygiene flush is incorporated as the last consumer in a looped series installation. Additional piping and inspection openings are not required thanks to the placement in the cistern.
Gewinner German Design Award TECE

TECE hygiene flush wins German Design Award 2021

Inspection openings are a thorn in the side of every aesthete. The TECEprofil toilet module with integrated hygiene flush eliminates the need for an additional inspection opening, which could disrupt the overall appearance of the bathroom – it practically performs its function in secret. This is why the innovative product has been awarded the German Design Award 2021, voted a “Winner” in the “Excellent Product Design – Bath and Wellness” category.

The German Design Award is one of the most prestigious design prizes in the world and is only awarded annually to products that a top-class jury considers to be pioneering in the German and international design landscape.