Hot water fudge help

[lorna]

hi opinions please

We've had an issue with our hot water for 9 months. We have hot water in all taps upstairs but none coming out of the 3 hot water taps downstairs. Cold water and combi boiler all ok.
The hot water pipe comes out the boiler and goes straight upstairs and we can push water through the 3 taps down stairs from cold water tap. Therefore the issue is a blockage / broken valve between upstairs and downstairs. But as the house is old we've no idea where the pipes are and really don't want to ripe through walls etc to find them.

We had a plumber today put a new pipe from the boiler to feed the taps downstairs. He creating a t pipe so the pipe still goes upstairs but also has another pipe that goes downstairs too which has fixed the water problem as we now have hot water downstairs. But...

My concern is that he mentioned bacteria and legionnaires from any water / sludge stuck in the pipe. He said that it wouldn't happen but now I'm concerned.

Can anyone tell me what repercussions could happen from my new plumbing system please? And From water not flowing anywhere / potential of sludge / debris stopping it

Thank you
Lorna

 

[zzzjim]

Legionnaires has become a bit of a Buzz word .(Money-in-it)
Only a real risk is if your immune system is already struggling .
You have to breathe the water in , so no filling a mister bottle with WARM , and watering plants with it .
There are plenty food poisoning bacteria worst than legionella to worry about , and those damn flies .
Get the Hot , plenty hot once in a while should keep the nasties at bay.
(Don't squirt old folk with water pistols filled from canal/pond ...
the things we got up to as kids-No one worried then )
-For happier thoughts about debris/blockage -look up "lime-scale"-

 

[lorna]

Thank you for your reply. Appreciated. Am I worrying about nothing then? Im now wondering if we should just get the blockage fixed so there's no doubt about dead ends for water the linger (if that happens?) we've 2 young children. So wouldnt want to put them at risk

 

[zzzjim]

Any risk is probably no worst than playing splash games
in a paddling pool outside . The plumber just mentioned
it to cover himself if a mysterious black blob poped out of the pipe one day , but in your case the pipes are old and full of air and fur (a 99% certainty) ... Mystery blob 1%
To go for that 100% , will cost . (and may disturb leadpaint / artex .. etc) Caught my todler sucking stones on a french beach, she is 27 now . Concerns understood !
( Science tells us more than we need to know at times !)

 

[Chuck]

Thank you for your reply. Appreciated. Am I worrying about nothing then? Im now wondering if we should just get the blockage fixed so there's no doubt about dead ends for water the linger (if that happens?) we've 2 young children. So wouldnt want to put them at risk

More information about legionaires here:

Legionnaires' disease - NHS Choices

IMO, deliberately modifying a hot water system in a way that is going to create significant dead ends is not something a professional plumber should agree to do.

My advice is to get the job done right, enjoy safe showers and sleep easy while you live in the house and then sell it with a clear conscience to its next owners.