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Waterheater at 130 means no need for filters, showered changes etc?!
I had an email exchange with Dr Falkinham (the scientist who does all the work on exposure to NTM, especially in water sources) asking whether raising the temperature of the home water heater meant you do not have to use special filters or shower heads. As much as I have read this (and the NTM) forums, I did not understand the answer to this. It seems like so many people on here are only doing tub baths (me) or buying special and replacing special filters or shower heads. His reply is below and would indicate that we don't need to make any of those other changes if we raise our water heater temperature to 130 or above. This seems like such as easy fix compared to all of the other undertakings.
Dear Tamara:
Thank you for your reply and request for further information.
In a study of Philadelphia suburb patients, we discovered that raising the water heater temperature setting to 130 F or higher led to the disappearance of Mycobacterium avium from samples of household water, including showerheads.
That might surprise some as a showerhead will be delivering both heater (hot) and unheated water (cold). Yes, the source of water from the water heater is cold water, but in most municipalities the water delivered to homes has low numbers of NTM. My colleagues and I believe that the water heater is where NTM grow and are mixed with the cold.
We haven't tested "tank-less" or "instant" water-heaters, but logic suggests there should be no growth of NTM, as those water heaters don't have a large tank.
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If you want to rank by "safest" the "answers" get esoteric quickly.
It depends on your disease state and risk tolerance.
The "safest" drinking water is boiled water for 10 mins (more for altitude).
The "safest" shower is a bath.
The "safest" way to rinse veggies is using previously boiled water or Life Straw filtered water.
To help you figure out what is the "safest" for you consider reading through the posts about this on this site and others (Lung Matter Protocol on Facebook and MTNinfo.org). It takes time and effort to figure it all out. Once you are armed with knowledge you can make the "safest" decision for you.
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3 ReactionsHi friends. These are such good questions and things I think about all the time. I boil all my drinking water for 10 minutes. If I’m out and don’t have my boiled water I purchase spring water and then use my steripen to sterilize it. I take shallow baths and use a handheld shower for quick rinsing and I make sure the bathroom fan is on and the door is open. I don’t buy any coffee out or anything that could have water in it. I brush my teeth with spring water. I do all this and wonder if it’s overkill sometimes. I understand the danger of inhaling water steam/vapor, but what about water that goes into our stomachs? Can it only hurt us if we have GERD? I’ve not been taking any chances and boil everything, but it is a major inconvenience and if I was assured that drinking unsterilized water couldn’t hurt me it would open up a little margin in my life. I do not think I have acude reflux but then again I heard there is a silent variety so I’m unsure and don’t take any chances!
Thanks for the support I receive from all of you on this forum!
Jill
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1 ReactionThanks for the reply @jill6063
I wonder what others may do as well. I don’t use spring water to brush my teeth at home. Although we might not be diagnosed with GERD sometimes people can have episodes of GERD- like symptoms or as you mentioned, silent GERD that you notice in your throat or nose.
Just hoping someone might share if they have heard or were told that it be better to brush our teeth with hot water, if the tank water is over 130 degrees. Thank you!
Hi Jill-
I believe you will be going to NJH in Denver? I would imagine you will be asking some of the same questions that you have brought up on the threads here and are concerned with, as we all are, while seeing doctors at NJH.
Hope we will be able to hear from you after your visit there, if time allows for you, with any information you gathered while there...such as food/water intake that has not been boiled or cooked. Yes, much of all we must do and think about is time consuming and life limiting. One person wrote somewhere that Bronchiectasis MAC is not a death sentence it is a life sentence. Just the ability to venture outside the home to restaurants requires decisions of all sorts.
Do you have a date scheduled in for your visit to NJH yet?
Barbara
Hi Barbara -
I had my intake visit with NJH over the phone on Monday. It was pretty extensive - gathering of family history, clinical experiences, symptoms, treatment, etc. The said the case profile now goes on to another department that analyzes the data and makes a determination as to whether I will be accepted into the program. They said that sometimes, in cases where they feel a person is receiving adequate care, they will deny acceptance. I've got my fingers crossed as I really think I have so much more to learn and want to make improvements to my management of this "life sentence." I will definitely keep you posted!
Kindly,
Jill
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1 ReactionWow, I just had the same nurse intake call with NJH and she did not mention that there was an “acceptance” process and I could be denied care at NJH. Like Jill, I also hope that doesn’t happen as my local doctors are not NTM specialists. 🙁
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1 ReactionHow long does it take with the water heater on 135 for the heat to kill ntm? We're headed to our FL home for the winter and am thinking about how to "open" the house as the water heater has been off for 6 weeks. Drain it and then refill (set at 1350?
oops -- set at 135?
I seem to remember that the numbers are killed rapidly upwards of 135. Maybe a day or two? You might want to soak various plumbing fixtures in vinegar and then chlorox to help demineralize them.
We leave our water heater off at our vacation house since we are gone six months. Based on Dr Falkinhams previous posts, when we return, we drain it and flush it with a Clorox solution then start it up at 135. I think if we had left it in at 135 the entire time we were away, I would probably feel comfortable just running the water for a while before I used any of it or showered.