A legionella control regime fails in the diary, not in the manual: the checks in ACOP L8 and HSG274 only protect people when they happen on time and get written down. This calendar turns the features of your water system into the year of routine checks they point to, starting from September 2026. It is an indicative starting point — your own risk assessment sets the actual frequencies — and it records and prompts a routine. It never certifies that your system is safe or compliant.
Key points
- The calendar starts from the current month, so it is always your next twelve months, not a generic January–December.
- Frequencies follow the same schedule data as our Risk Assessment Builder; healthcare premises tick the HTM 04-01 box for the stricter 55°C hot-water target and six-monthly TMV servicing.
- Every task links to the guide that shows how to do it and what to record.
- Print it and keep it with your log book — a check only counts when it is done and written down.
Step 1 · Your system
What does your water system have?
Tick everything that applies. The calendar below rebuilds itself around your answers. If you are not sure, tick it — an extra inspection costs little, a missed one can cost a lot.
Step 2 · Your next twelve months
≈52 weekly flushes36 monthly checks4 quarterly jobs2 six-monthly jobs3 annual jobs
September2026
Start here
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
October2026
Month 02
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
November2026
Month 03
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
- Quarterly Clean, descale and disinfect shower heads and hoses Showers aerosolise water, which is the main route legionella reaches the lungs. Scale and biofilm give it somewhere to grow. How to do it →
December2026
Month 04
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
January2027
Month 05
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
February2027
Month 06
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
- Quarterly Clean, descale and disinfect shower heads and hoses Showers aerosolise water, which is the main route legionella reaches the lungs. Scale and biofilm give it somewhere to grow. How to do it →
- Six-monthly Service TMVs Inspect, clean, descale and disinfect each valve, and check the fail-safe. TMVs deliberately hold water in the growth range to prevent scalding. How to do it →
March2027
Month 07
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
April2027
Month 08
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
May2027
Month 09
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
- Quarterly Clean, descale and disinfect shower heads and hoses Showers aerosolise water, which is the main route legionella reaches the lungs. Scale and biofilm give it somewhere to grow. How to do it →
June2027
Month 10
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
July2027
Month 11
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
August2027
Month 12
- Every week Flush little-used outlets Run each one until the temperature stabilises. Record the date, the outlet and your initials — a gap in the log is as telling as a bad reading. How to do it →
- Monthly Sentinel outlet temperatures Hot at least 55°C within one minute; cold below 20°C within two minutes, at the nearest and furthest outlets on each loop. How to do it →
- Monthly Calorifier flow and return temperatures Stored hot water held at 60°C or above, so the base of the calorifier cannot sit in the growth range. How to do it →
- Monthly Log book review Every check, reading and action written down the same day. Explain any gaps honestly rather than back-filling them. How to do it →
- Quarterly Clean, descale and disinfect shower heads and hoses Showers aerosolise water, which is the main route legionella reaches the lungs. Scale and biofilm give it somewhere to grow. How to do it →
- Annual Cold water storage tank inspection Check the lid, insect screen, insulation, water temperature, and any sediment or debris. A warm, dirty tank feeds the whole system. How to do it →
- Six-monthly Service TMVs Inspect, clean, descale and disinfect each valve, and check the fail-safe. TMVs deliberately hold water in the growth range to prevent scalding. How to do it →
- Annual Calorifier inspection Open the drain valve at the base and take a sample; look for sludge, scale and debris that monthly temperatures cannot reveal. How to do it →
- Annual Risk assessment review check There is no fixed statutory interval — review is trigger-based. Check the review date your assessment records, and whether anything has changed since it was written. How to do it →
Email me these checks when they’re due
Tick the reminders you want and we’ll email you as each round comes around — matched to the calendar above, not to a legal clock. Your own risk assessment sets the actual frequencies; these nudges help you run your schedule and keep it evidenced. They are not legal deadlines, and they never certify your system as safe or compliant.
One thing no calendar can schedule is the risk assessment review itself: there is no fixed statutory interval — review is trigger-based. The two opt-ins at the bottom cover it honestly.
How your calendar was built
Each feature you ticked adds the routine checks that HSG274-style control regimes attach to it. The mapping is the same one the Risk Assessment Builder uses:
| Feature | What it adds to your year | Frequency | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every system | Sentinel outlet temperatures: hot at least 55°C within one minute, cold below 20°C within two minutes | Monthly | Temperature control |
| Every system | Log book review: every check, reading and action written down, gaps explained | Monthly | Log book |
| Little-used outlets | Flush each one until the temperature stabilises, and record it | Every week | Flushing outlets |
| Stored hot water | Calorifier flow and return temperatures (stored water at 60°C or above) | Monthly | Calorifier inspection |
| Stored hot water | Calorifier inspection and drain-valve sample from the base | Annual | Calorifier inspection |
| Cold water tank | Tank inspection: lid, screen, insulation, temperature, sediment | Annual | Tank inspection |
| Showers / spray taps | Clean, descale and disinfect heads and hoses | Quarterly | Shower cleaning |
| TMVs | Service each valve: inspect, clean, descale, disinfect, fail-safe check | Six-monthly (healthcare) | TMV servicing |
| Every system | Risk assessment review: no fixed statutory interval — check the recorded review date and whether any review trigger has occurred | Trigger-based | Review triggers |
Two systems sit outside this calendar because their regimes are a different scale: a cooling tower or evaporative condenser (notifiable to your local authority under the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992, with its own HSG274 Part 1 regime) and a spa pool or hot tub (managed under HSG282). If either applies to you, your written scheme needs more than a shared calendar.
What a calendar can and cannot do
These frequencies are typical starting points for a standard hot and cold water system, not a verdict on yours. Your own legionella risk assessment sets the actual schedule, and a competent assessor may tighten or loosen any line of it. A completed calendar is evidence that a routine was followed — it never proves the water was safe. Records are kept for at least five years under ACOP L8, so keep this calendar with the log book it feeds.
Important
This page is general guidance only. Legionella risk varies with the specific water system, its use, and the people exposed to it. You should consult a competent legionella risk assessor for advice on your premises. LegionellaCheck is an independent information service and is not affiliated with HSE, UKAS, the Legionella Control Association, or any water hygiene company. This site does not provide medical advice. If you suspect Legionnaires' disease, contact NHS 111 or your GP.