Legionella Protection: How Qvantum Handles Hot Water Safety
How the heat pump prevents legionella bacteria growth in the hot water tank
Legionella protection in your Qvantum heat pump
Legionella bacteria can grow in water systems where the water temperature stays between 20°C and 45°C for extended periods. Qvantum heat pumps include an automatic legionella protection function to prevent this.
How it works
The legionella protection function periodically raises the hot water tank temperature to at least 60°C, which kills any legionella bacteria present. This typically runs once per week, usually overnight.
During this cycle, the electric backup element is used alongside the compressor to reach the required temperature quickly.
What you'll notice
- Slightly higher electricity consumption on the day the cycle runs
- The app may show a "Legionella protection" or "Thermal disinfection" status during the cycle
This is normal and expected behaviour — do not try to disable it.
Can I adjust the legionella cycle schedule?
In most configurations, the default weekly cycle is sufficient. If you have specific requirements (e.g. for a commercial installation or due to local health regulations), contact support to discuss configuration options.
Hot water always cold after the legionella cycle?
If the tank temperature drops significantly after the legionella cycle runs, it may indicate that normal hot water production is not recovering fast enough. See the article Running Out of Hot Water: Causes and Solutions for guidance.