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[BlueSmurf]

I have three 21 year old aircon units in my rented house. How do I clean the filters?With water or just shake them ss I have always done? Thanks in advance Dave..No good asking the landlord for help or new units...lol

[shiatsuman]

stagnent water in the pipes is one of the chief sources of the bacteria, when checking into a little used hotel it is a good idea to run the water in the bathroom for some time,. Also undo the shower head and wash out well in hot water before taking a shower. These simple precautions should destroy the bacteria.
Contamination of storage tanks and large air con cooling systems is another question.

[bubba]

Legionella is a water-borne bacterium. It doesn't live in aircon filtres, so if you or your hotel room has the standard wall or ceiling mounted aircon unit, you have nothing to worry about from Legionella. Legionaires Disease is spread by aerosols and central cooling systems that use water chillers. It is also spread by Legionella contaminated water in showers or even in spas and jacuzzis. I think the latter routes are not given as much attention as the spread through HVAC systems.

By the way, if you are really concerned, there is apparently a laboratory in Bangkok that can do the testing. We've used them in the past in testing water for contaminants (not Legionella) and they do go work.

http://ncalabs.co.th/

[MrHydro]

<P>Been living here fulltime 8 years always in rented houses..To make a long story short(er)i just tell you ONE of many storys:
</P><P>Rented a new house from a Thai english teacher here in Udon,price right everything looked ok.Me and my wife and a 13 year old stepdauther decided to move in.After a while maybe a couple of months i had replace ALL the lights in the livingroom atleast 2 times..Contacted my landlord and said that something is not right whith the wiring in the house..she said it was..OK..months pass same happens..i said please check the wiring..nope everything is new and perfectly in order,nothing wrong here..Untill one day the whole eletricbox went up in flames..luckily i was home..I phoned here at here school and in recordtime she came to see what could have ended in a disaster...I call chang come fix..okey good i answered...Electric guy came and said that those who built the house had cut some corners to try and save a few bucks..Electricbox was just a really el sheapo tinge..not good for anything..replace it for a new one 2000Bath.</P><P>Suddenly no moore lights to be change,everything worked...But what did my lanlord do...SHE WENT TO HER FRIEND AND TOLD THAT SHE HAD TO PAY 2000BATH..BITCHING AND MOANING HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS...NOTHING ABOUT WHAT REALLY COULD HAVE HAPPEND...THAT THE WHOLE HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNT DOWN...</P><P><BR></P><P>.....maintenance/cleaning..THAT'S ANOTHER THINGE they don't care about at all...Btw,how many of you have seen a Thai housewife cleaning the windows of their house?..or repainting the house..not to many i would guess..</P><P>//Mr.Hydro</P>

[CrossBones]

Legonella bacteria is found everywhere, in any puddle or pond.
Its only dangerous when it becomes very concentrated when allowed to breed  and then becomes airbourne like in airconditioner. It is found in concentration in air conditioner towers.

They need to clean it and add chemicals to stop bacteria... no problem for hotel if farang die.. more farang come next year

[dumball]

It would appear that several posters on this thread , are "Not as think as they knowledgable are ".

[burgdawg]

......to clean most aircon media .... get some latex gloves and a face mask. And ladder.
All units are a basic heat pump with a fan that blows the now-cooled air through a filter media.
Turn unit OFF before commencing any work.

You might need a screwdriver to assist in removing cover(s).
You'll find a gauzey-like pad about 1" thick and pretty much the same SIZE as the unit itself.

Remove this and place within handy plastic bag( big). Have your measuring tape handy and measure it.
Write down the measurements.
Wash unit's air intakes and exhaust area with a paint brush, using a mix of hot soapy water and bleach (Clorox).
Dry and clean best you can.

Read the instructions over a few times.
Just head over to Home Pro. They'll help get you the same-sized filter media. Ditch the old one at the store.
Buy several. Change media about every 1-2 months. The air in Prathet Thai is extremely funky and sooty.
Don't believe me? Look at your pat lom (fan) after a month of operation. Filled with funk.

Head home and install fresh aircon media.
If this is too much work, just run your fan. I hate aircon, the shock from humid-hot to cold-dry (airconditioning works on a principles of dehumidifying
the air and cooling it.). If this it beyond you, Google it for further reading.

You can enter your make and model and there is most likely a how-to-section on maintenance.
If a Thai girl comes over and hits the aircon, I cut things short and boot her out.

Realistically, the Thaii girls in Pattaya want YOUR loom with YOU NOT IN IT!
Understand this and you will have not problems in Prathet Thai.

[DonGato]

Quote; though the figures cannot be revealed as it would hurt tourism, Injai said

Yeah well... it could be anything between a hundred and a million... you decide and then, come or not...
...Amazing Thailand..

Edited by DonGato, 2010-07-22 17:47:39.

[ableguy]

Catalyst, on 2010-07-22 10:14:11, said:

jonclark, on 2010-07-22 09:28:27, said:

Just a couple of points

1) Why haven't the the hotels with contamination been shut down.
2) Have recent guest and hotel staff been told of the contamination so they have the option of getting a check up?
3) If the elderly and smokers need to wear masks entering a contaminated site.  How do they know the site is contaminated?? Did the hotel put up a sign in reception advising of Legionnaires??

Why shut the hotels down? its a simple matter of maintenance on the air and water systems in these hotels; this would obviate the need for 2) and 3).  No need to use a hammer to kill a mosquito...

why
?I like to squash them

[rbrick49]

Greenside, on 2010-07-22 10:24:31, said:

dumball, on 2010-07-22 09:58:57, said:

I made it a rule to myself , to clean the aircon filter when I stayed at hotels and guest houses , it is a simple task to remove it and wash it thoroughly ander running water . Why did I do that you may ask ? The first guest house I stayed at , I sprayed air cleanser into the back of the unit , nothing came out at the front vent , I asked the manager to have the filter cleaned he said "They are all cleaned on a regular schedule " . I went back up to my room and removed the filter , it was plugged almost solid so I took it in a plastic bag to show him , I explained to him that this made the aircon very inificiant and cost him a lot of money when clients used the aircon , he brought in people to clean all of the aircon units , I doubt very much they had been cleaned in years .

You should all be aware of the Thai policy with almost all things 'Do not fix it 'til it is broken '  .

I believe Legionnaire's Disease is to do with the cooling systems rather than the in room aircon where the air is usually cooled and re-cycled.  Wiki entry:

Legionellosis infection normally occurs after inhaling an aerosol (suspension of fine particles in air) containing Legionella  bacteria. Such particles could originate from any infected water  source. When mechanical action breaks the surface of the water, small  water droplets are formed, which evaporate very quickly. If these  droplets contain bacteria, the bacteria cells remain suspended in the  air, invisible to the naked eye but small enough to be inhaled into the  lungs.^[7]  This often occurs in poorly ventilated areas such as prisons where a  condensating air conditioner can spread it throughout the entire room,  infecting anyone not immune to the strand of bacteria. Potential sources  of such contaminated water include cooling towers used in industrial cooling water systems as well as in large central air conditioning systems, evaporative coolers, hot water systems, showers, whirlpool spas, architectural fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice making machines, misting equipment, and similar disseminators that draw upon a public water supply. The disease may also be spread in a hot tub if the filtering system is defective.^[8] Freshwater ponds, creeks, and ornamental fountains are potential sources of Legionella.^[9]  The disease is particularly associated with hotels, cruise ships and  hospitals with old, poorly maintained pipework and cooling systems. A  study published by the European Journal of Epidemiology points to  automotive windshield washing systems as a source, recommending the  addition of an antibacterial agent to the system's reservoir.

Cleaning a filter in a split system is unlikely to help but might make you feel better by taking other pollutants out of the air.

and also car wash places

[EODghost]

jonclark, on 2010-07-22 09:28:27, said:

Just a couple of points

1) Why haven't the the hotels with contamination been shut down.
2) Have recent guest and hotel staff been told of the contamination so they have the option of getting a check up?
3) If the elderly and smokers need to wear masks entering a contaminated site.  How do they know the site is contaminated?? Did the hotel put up a sign in reception advising of Legionnaires??

Easy answer to easy questions:
1)  Contaminated hotel stay open because they could care less about you.  You spent your money, now your problem, not their problem.
2)  NO, see answer number 1
3).  Thais take car of their own and give f-all about you.  Again, see answer number 1

As far as wingers talking about "you live in a 3rd world country and you want everything perfect"  WTF mate?  I simply want a reasonable degree of common sense.  If something is blatantly hazardous, It should be fixed.
But in Thailand that is like expecting Monkeys to fly.  Time to move to Singapore.

[Cnxforever]

Another scaremonger article by  " The Nation" there is no need to panic and Legionnaires disease has nothing to do with tourism in can be found anywhere also in your houses water supply. Most people don't know about it and never bother to sanitize there water system.

The bacteria can be found everywhere mostly in stagnant water (older buildings are more likely to have it). So if you have a water tank you should sanitize it regularly with at least 200 PPM chlorine solution (if the bacteria is confirmed in your water supply you can even go higher like 1000 PPM) -and flush all water facets with this hyper-chlorinated water.

The bacteria is also frequently found in shower heads which can also be either sanitized or killed with heat (good hotels should change the shower heads frequently they have two sets -while sanitizing on set they use the other) - a water temperature of over 65 C will kill the bacteria so if you have real hot water and flush the shower heads with over 65 C the bacteria should be killed. Very dangerous are so called "dead ends"  - if you have any dead end (cut off) water pipes the bacteria ones there -will thrive there and even if you sanitize your water tank it will re-occur as the dead ends are not flushed trough.

The disease is not spread by drinking the contaminated water - but by inhaling it  that's the way it finds its way into our lungs and causes the disease. Very dangerous are those fans which spray very fine waterparticles at you for cooling purpose - if these water particles contain the bacteria and are inhaled  you are very likely to catch the disease - the same goes for fountains with an integrated water supply. Same goes for the shower the water which is sprayed through the shower-head can contain the bacteria if  the spray is fine enough to be inhaled you can catch the disease. The symptoms are very similar to pneumonia - and especially the youngest and oldest are at risk of not surviving the disease if diagnosed incorrect by a physician as the disease is often wrongly diagnosed as a bad flu or pneumonia.    There have recently been outbreaks on cruise ships - (which where of course denied by the cruise line in question)  cruise-ships especially older ones have a very high risk of legionnaires disease as it is a closed environment and air conditioning shafts and water supply pipes can be kilometers long and are very difficult to clean.

[moe666]

Lizard2010, on 2010-07-22 12:28:58, said:

Well that answers my question, as to why i got a chest infection on my holidays.

I now take antibiotics just in case.

Plus i leaned from my Thai friends, to sniff the Thai tiger balm.

It has helped over the last 2 trips and i now use it at home.

What antibiotics do you take, if you are allergic to pennicillian you have a chance only the new ones work aganist leginaires.

[moe666]

garyk, on 2010-07-22 12:40:00, said:

Same here I rented a condo in Chiang mai and every time I was there i got sick. Some times for weeks. When i left i got better very fast. <BR>It was an upscale condo that had CARPET that was never cleaned properly i think.<BR>Since i changed condos I have not had another problem.<BR>

Probaly mole.

[moe666]

oldgit, on 2010-07-22 12:46:51, said:

According to www.legionella.com, air conditioners are not a source of Legionaires disease.They were suspected to be the source of the original American Legion outbreak in a Philadelphia hotel, but new data suggests that the water supply was the culprit, as was the well publicised outbreak in the BBC building.The most popular theory is inhaling droplets of water containing Legionella, but new evidence suggests that it is aspiration or choking.

Sorry wrong, it was the A/C system. The cooling tower( part of A/C system) on the roof exhausted the water droplets off the roof down the front of the building at the entrance. The legioners and the wives were entering and leaving on a daily basis being exposed, breathing in the droplets of water carring the bacteria also they were partying, drinking so reduced immune system.

The water droplets that carry the bacteria have to be a certain size, if to small the bacteria cannot ride if to big you cannot breathe the droplet into your lungs so no infection. That is why you very seldom here of some one getting this diease from a shower droplets to big but not that it could happen.

The bacteria is usually found in water obtained from the surface rivers, creeks and lakes if your water supply comes from a well not to worry so much. The source for outbreaks have been found up to 4 miles away so these little buggers can carry a good distance.

Donot worry about being infected by this nasty bacteria which poses as a virus that is why it took them a while to figure it out, if you have a good immune system you will generally have a bad cold.

[moe666]

joskydive, on 2010-07-22 13:09:36, said:

julemanden, on 2010-07-22 12:40:44, said:

joskydive, on 2010-07-22 10:55:14, said:

Well, I've just had 3 brand new Aircons fitted in my home and ever since then I've had a cold and a permanent cough.  Does this mean I have Legionaire's disease now?

No it means that your temp is to far down mate

27c ????

A/c units dry out the air, if you spend to much time under one you will dry out your mucus membranes and even your lungs this is why you are getting sick add a humidifier (A/C unit will have to work harder) but should help your body. Also high doses of vit.c will help thats my solution in Thailand.

[elkangorito]

Firstly, dirty filters are more effective than clean filters. Air flow is reduced with dirty filters & if in a situation whereby little fresh air can enter the room, bacteria in the filter media may cause a problem. The bacteria problem is particularly apparent in areas of high humidity when the a/c is not operating (switched off for many hours).

Secondly, Legionella infections are not easy to acquire. This has been discussed before on Thaivisa. Take your pic from the below selection:
http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1440395

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1398865

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1213053

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1111261

http://www.thaivisa....__1#entry780860

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry3183557

Edited by elkangorito, 2010-07-22 22:10:09.

[Viper]

Ive know about this for years - Ive worked in the Air Con business and know all about it. When my friend and i feel ill
last year we put it down to poor air con unit maintenance. You will experience this just about everywhere in Thailand
as there is ZERO maintenance and air condition unit in hotels. We put this down to cost saving, negligence, or lack
of knowledge. When i stay in a hotel i usually clean the units myself now to avoid breathing contaminated spoors.
There needs to be a standard recognised maintenance program on everyone who uses air condition units! This is very
important or eventually you will find a very sick Thailand - BTW i have been living in UK since Feb and ive never felt
more healthy. The air quality is perfect here )

[marc11864]

"There has been a significant increase in the number of patients in the North, though the figures cannot be revealed as it would hurt tourism, Injai said."

NICE!

At least now when I tell my partner why I have no interest in visiting the area, he'll get it. Besides the elderly and smokers, why are they not mentioning those of us with immune system disorders? Huge fail on the part of the government once again for not taking this issue seriously.  

[moe666]

marc11864, on 2010-07-22 23:24:45, said:

"There has been a significant increase in the number of patients in the North, though the figures cannot be revealed as it would hurt tourism, Injai said."

NICE!

At least now when I tell my partner why I have no interest in visiting the area, he'll get it. Besides the elderly and smokers, why are they not mentioning those of us with immune system disorders? Huge fail on the part of the government once again for not taking this issue seriously.  

How do they know significant number when I was working in industrial water treatment the test was very expensive and complcated so many illiness not diagnoised. Most people only show a cold and so they donot test.

[sirchai]

Thaihog, on 2010-07-22 10:18:57, said:

As if a Thai hotel will go to the expense of cleaning umpteen air conditioners in their hotel. Why do people bother writing this shit, nothing will ever be done about it....

Maybe it's necessary to write about this 'shit', that some people wake up and a kind of technical inspection team will be sent to your place to check your filter?

[sirchai]

EODghost, on 2010-07-22 19:09:53, said:

jonclark, on 2010-07-22 09:28:27, said:

Just a couple of points

1) Why haven't the the hotels with contamination been shut down.
2) Have recent guest and hotel staff been told of the contamination so they have the option of getting a check up?
3) If the elderly and smokers need to wear masks entering a contaminated site.  How do they know the site is contaminated?? Did the hotel put up a sign in reception advising of Legionnaires??

Easy answer to easy questions:
1)  Contaminated hotel stay open because they could care less about you.  You spent your money, now your problem, not their problem.
2)  NO, see answer number 1
3).  Thais take car of their own and give f-all about you.  Again, see answer number 1

As far as wingers talking about "you live in a 3rd world country and you want everything perfect"  WTF mate?  I simply want a reasonable degree of common sense.  If something is blatantly hazardous, It should be fixed.
But in Thailand that is like expecting Monkeys to fly.  Time to move to Singapore.

Guess it's better for you to move on, Singapore is waiting..Your post shows your outstanding character, indeed.

[Ulysses G.]

EODghost, on 2010-07-22 19:09:53, said:

But in Thailand that is like expecting Monkeys to fly.  Time to move to Singapore.

Wait till you get there and see the price of apartments. I have a feeling that SingaporeVisa.com should be expecting an angry new member.

[maninthailand]

Legionaire's disease is treated with patiem fermagnate anfd forulin  how do i know ??? it was my job

[Kwasaki]

joskydive, on 2010-07-22 10:55:14, said:

Well, I've just had 3 brand new Aircons fitted in my home and ever since then I've had a cold and a permanent cough.  Does this mean I have Legionaire's disease now?

No not Legionaire's I hope !  The cough, colds and runny nose is what I found when the temperature was being set too cold,  I set it now only to be comfortable.
If some of them are not used a lot, clean them every 6 months and the ones you do use,  every year.   PS.  Tiffy's tablets are very good.