Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:35:06 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]Bacteria jump the airgap, migrate against the current of the next lot of water filling the rinse cycles. Then jump across a non-return valve, then into drinking water? All the time avoiding all the chlorine they pack into the water?[/quote]

Bacteria migrate up a wet surface, especially when there is a biofilm (and there generally is)which may exist continuously through valves and might even by a roundabout route bridge an air gap. Certainly they may migrate against the current. And chlorination of course does not kill everything – obviously, for if it did you would need no further precautions.

[quote user="Bob Russell"]Not saying there should not be precautions but they should be in line with the risks![/quote]

Quite so.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Bob Russell — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:12:50 GMT

Bacteria jump the airgap, migrate against the current of the next lot of water filling the rinse cycles. Then jump across a non-return valve, then into drinking water? All the time avoiding all the chlorine they pack into the water?

It is generally the water authorities that screw up leading to Cryptosporidium in the drinking water.

Not saying there should not be precautions but they should be in line with the risks!

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 13:38:22 GMT

I understood a non return valve was possible to fail and non-compliant. I understand an air gap air gap on the incoming supply (therefore a header tank) was required.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:32:46 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Bacteria migrate against the flow much more easily than you might think.[/quote]Maybe but that doesn't justify being ripped off for an unnecessarily expensive washing machine when a simple non-return valve or connecting to a head tank will do very well.

For most veterinary practices a good quality domestic machine is more than adequate.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:58:37 GMT

We all like a grumble but isolating dirty water from the mains supply is a Good Thing. Bacteria migrate against the flow much more easily than you might think.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Bob Russell — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 13:09:01 GMT

We stick with LG washing machines. Generally try to get one with a dent or two!

Only have three months warranty for commercial use but never had one last less than 10 years. Ours has a medical cycle whatever that is!

Is this EU legislation and will it go with Brexit?

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Rob Loxley — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:01:23 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]This one always astounds me![/quote]

I'm never surprised that companies selling products jump on a bit of regulation to sell their product.
As discussed, there are other ways of ensuring you are compliant. I would however still look at a commercial washing machine in terms of the amount of hammering it gets in a vet practice.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Bob Russell — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 11:14:44 GMT

Most outdoor taps incorporate a non-return valve. A tenner from B&Q plus a pound for a bit of PTFE tape.

As long as there is decent water pressure there should be little or no risk to anyone.

The health scares have been when the water companies have screwed up not from anyones washing machine.

Clearly in the human health field risks may be a bit higher but even here soiled water is not likely to jump across the airgap in the dispenser.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:49:53 GMT

Our washing machine water supply comes from the head tank in the loft so no special plumbing/machine required. There has to be a potential air gap which of course this comfortably exceeds. Ditto the plumbed in supply for the dental scaler. Just have a large domestic John Lewis washing machine now.

What is even more stupid is the man from Thames Water insisted on having a none return valve on the tap in the car park which we very rarely use for a hose pipe. Quite what he thought might be sucked back up that I'm not sure.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:53:22 GMT

If water authorities are that bothered by the risk of the water supply being contaminated, why don't they ban the washing of knickers/pants in domestic machines?

Wynne

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Bob Russell — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:42:33 GMT

This one always astounds me!

The risk to the water supply is minimal or nil. In effect all washing machines have a back flow preventer built into the powder dispenser. It sprays water onto the powder via an air gap. Pretty much prevents any risk of contaminating the water supply as it cannot syphon back.

Fit a double check valve to the supply, buy whatever machine you like and be prepared to swap the machine if the water board inspects!

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 00:02:37 GMT

You can solve most of these problems if you feed the washing machine by a header tank with a ball valve.

Vet Direct now do one:

http://vet-direct.com/default.php?sid=VD-5854-9016-4080&sessiontag=prodfullview&data=13202

It depends whether you can manage with it dumping water on the floor or it needs to go into a standpipe and through the wall.

A place I worked had no end of problems with an (owned) Miele - you have to pay their engineers exorbitant rates as they won't supply the parts to others. I've fixed my own washer at home myself with parts from the internet.

Our take is buy a cheap end, branded washing machine and consider it disposable. We got a 8kg Zanussi for about £200 and its going strong after 4 years. It owes me nothing. Can go to the tip when it died and throw in a new one. The previous one did 5 years and that was given to us free when someone died....

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 23:24:56 GMT

There are several different models in the Miele professional range and renting rather than purchase makes good sense to me: it breaks down, they fix it! If you go down this road, get one with a "dump valve" (i.e. it empties straight down by gravity ) rather than a pump like a domestic one; animal hair and filth blocking the pump is a common source of trouble. We also found that fibres coming off the Vetbeds blocked outlets and damaged seals.

I was very impressed by the way the local Miele rep told us about the whole range and then gave us his firm recommendation, not the most expensive, and explained the reasons; and also offered some suggestions to deal with the eccentricities of drainage in this building. I would imagine that he would deal quite efficiently with any water board awkwardness.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Joyce Whitehead — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 22:54:07 GMT

Yes we have an attachment on our water supply to prevent backflow, so use a large domestic one (Bosch). They last a good few years and are much cheaper than £1500.

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

Rob Loxley — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 22:45:10 GMT

Washing machines in vet practices are generally considered WRAS fluid category 5 risk, given backflow risk from potential pathogens in soiled bedding etc.

Your options are either to buy a machine that is inherently compliant or where the machine does not incorporate adequate backflow protection, it must be provided as part of the installation

We have a Miele which has done great service for the last 12 years, despite the hammering it gets in a vet practice. If you need more capacity they do 8kg ones (http://www.miele-professional.co.uk/washing-machines/pw6080-146/). Electrolux also do a professional range of washing machines (e.g. http://professional.electrolux.co.uk/Products/Laundry-Solutions/Front-Load-Washers/Soft-Mount---High-Spin-(300G-530G)/W555H/ )

RE: Suitable washing machines for veterinary practice

John Wessels — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 22:30:02 GMT

That's the only one that complies and is a decent seize(not too big)

You r lucky: I paid £1500 15 years ago!