The New Forest is the part of Hampshire closest to us. We’re based in Poole, just across the border, so a legionella risk assessment New Forest owners book with us is a short drive away. Better still, our assessors are plumbers and heating engineers too, so they can fix the problems they find.
Seasonal business? If your lets, pitches or rooms sit empty for months, book your assessment before you reopen. That way, any flushing or tank work is done before the first guests arrive.
Why seasonal properties are a particular risk
Legionella grows best between 20°C and 45°C, and it loves water that doesn’t move. For example, think of a holiday cottage closed from November to Easter. During those months, water stands in the pipes, the cylinder cools and sludge settles in tanks. Then the first guest of the year turns on the shower and breathes in the spray.
That’s why recommissioning matters so much here. Even a well-kept property needs a proper restart after a long quiet spell, rather than simply turning the water back on.
Getting ready for the season
When we recommission a property before opening, the work usually follows these steps:
- First, check the cold water tank, its lid and any insect screen, and clean it if needed.
- Next, make sure the cylinder reaches 60°C, so stored hot water is hot enough.
- Then flush every tap and shower in turn, including rarely used ones.
- Descale or replace shower heads that have furred up.
- Finally, record temperatures, so hot taps hit 50°C inside a minute and cold runs under 20°C inside two.
After that, we can leave you with a written scheme of control for the rest of the year. Our remedial works page lists everything else we can do.
Properties we assess across the Forest
Much of our legionella risk assessment New Forest work is for small holiday businesses, although we cover homes too.
- Holiday lets and self-catering cottages
- Caravan and camping parks with shower blocks
- Pubs with rooms, B&Bs and small hotels
- Riding stables, where yard taps and hoses can sit unused
- Village halls that open only a few times a week
- Marinas and boatyards around Lymington
Parks, pubs and other larger sites get a fixed price from us before we visit. We can also draw schematic drawings for an HMO or commercial building on request.
Period cottages and rural rentals
Many Forest homes are old too, with plumbing added to over the decades. As a result, you’ll often find long pipe runs out to an extension, plus a loft tank that nobody has looked at in years. Similarly, a bathroom moved during a refit can leave a dead leg behind. We trace these on the visit, and we can usually remove them for you as well.
Letting a cottage or farmhouse long term? Our landlords page covers what you need to keep on file. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and COSHH say you must assess and control the risk, and you should keep a record.
Prices
Cottage, flat or house
£59.99 + VAT
One home, whether it’s a holiday let or a long-term rental.
Parks, pubs and B&Bs
Fixed quote
Agreed before the visit, with no call-out fee.
Holiday let portfolios
Fixed quote
One price if you manage several properties.
Legionella risk assessment New Forest: what you get
Your report arrives within three working days. It includes an outlet register, hot and cold temperatures for each outlet, a risk rating and a prioritised action plan. We work to the HSE Approved Code of Practice L8 and HSG274 throughout. In addition, if you want lab results, our testing service sends samples to a UKAS-accredited laboratory, with results usually in 7 to 10 days.
Towns and villages we cover
- Lymington
- Lyndhurst
- Brockenhurst
- Ringwood
- Fordingbridge
- New Milton
- Milford on Sea
- Totton
- Ashurst
- Beaulieu
- Burley
- Sway
- Hythe
- Fawley
On the other side of the Forest, see our pages for Southampton and Romsey, or go back to the home page.
New Forest FAQs
How long before we open should we book?
Ideally, book your legionella risk assessment New Forest visit a few weeks before your first guests arrive. That gives time for the visit, the report within three working days, and any tank cleaning or other work the plan calls for. If you leave it until opening week, there may be no slack if something needs fixing. We can also recommission the system for you on the same booking.
Our village hall only opens a few times a week. Is that a problem?
It can be, because low use means water sits in the pipes between sessions. Toilets, kitchen taps and any showers can all hold stale water. An assessment shows which outlets need regular flushing, and how often. Once you have a simple routine and a record of it, the risk is usually easy to keep under control.
Do you cover caravan parks with several shower blocks?
Yes. We survey each block, record temperatures at every outlet and give you one report for the site. Because the blocks are often closed over winter, we look closely at stagnant pipework and scaled shower heads. Then we price any remedial work separately, so you can decide what to do first.
Can you clean our water tank while you’re there?
Often, yes. Our assessors are plumbers as well, so tank cleaning, disinfection and fitting a proper lid are all jobs we do ourselves. If the tank needs work, we’ll tell you on the day and confirm a price. Then you can choose whether we go ahead straight away or book it in.