The effectiveness of microbial products in biological pipe maintenance is based on much more than just the number of microbes.

Biological pipeline maintenance has become more common in recent years as an alternative to traditional chemical cleaning methods. At the same time, more and more different microbial products have entered the market, the effectiveness of which is often compared based on the amount of microbes they contain.

Biological pipeline maintenance has become more common in recent years as an alternative to traditional chemical cleaning methods. At the same time, more and more different microbial products have entered the market, the effectiveness of which is often compared based on the amount of microbes they contain.

The CFU value only tells you one part of the whole.

In microbial products, the CFU value (Colony Forming Unit) is commonly used as a measure, which indicates the number of viable microbes at the time of testing.

Moni olettaa, että suurempi CFU-luku tarkoittaa automaattisesti parempaa tuotetta. Näin ei kuitenkaan ole.

CFU only tells how many live microbes are in the product at the time of measurement. It does not tell how many of them survive the intended use, how efficiently they break down organic matter, or how well they maintain their functionality throughout the product’s lifetime.

Biological plumbing maintenance requires functional microbes

In pipelines, conditions are rarely ideal. Temperatures vary, flowing water carries microbes forward, and systems contain grease, biofilm and various chemical loads.

Therefore, the decisive factor in biological pipeline maintenance is not only the number of microbes, but their ability to survive in these conditions and start working as quickly as possible.

A carefully prepared microbial product can be significantly more effective than a product with many times the number of CFUs, but whose microbes do not survive in the environment of use.

The right microbial strain matters more than a large number

Not all bacteria break down the same compounds. Different strains of the same bacterial species can behave in different ways. Some are specialized in breaking down fats, some in handling organic sludge, and some work effectively even in low-nutrient conditions.

Therefore, high-quality microbial products are based on carefully selected microbial strains and not on the largest possible total number of microbes.

More microbes don’t always mean more effective

Natural microbial strains always have a so-called saturation point. Once the optimal microbial population has been reached in the pipeline, additional microbes no longer improve the efficiency of the process. The extra microbes simply cannot settle in the system, but are removed with the water or die off. For this reason, the effectiveness of biological pipeline maintenance cannot be evaluated solely on the basis of the number of CFUs marked on the package.

Shelf life affects the actual effectiveness of the product

The CFU value is usually indicated at the time of manufacture. However, the number of microbes naturally changes over time. Temperature, humidity and storage conditions affect how many microbes are still viable months later.

Therefore, it is much more important for the user to know whether the manufacturer guarantees the microbial count until the product’s expiration date.

These are things to pay attention to when choosing microbial products:

When evaluating a high-quality microbial product, it is worth looking at the overall package offered by the manufacturer and not just the CFU count.

Please note in particular:

• that the manufacturer guarantees the viability of the microbes throughout the entire shelf life
• that the microbial strains used in the product are safe and researched
• that the product has been developed specifically for biological pipe maintenance and not as a general-purpose microbial mixture
• that the manufacturer has extensive experience in developing biological solutions and practical applications.

For example, the QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) classification indicates that the microbes used meet high safety requirements and their use has been scientifically evaluated.

Effective microbial products are based on expert product development

Biological pipeline maintenance means much more than just adding microbes to the pipeline. A functional solution is created when the right microbial strains, their viability, dosage and application form a whole that also works in real-world conditions.

At the same time, industry regulation is constantly evolving, further emphasizing the importance of high-quality product development.

Ultimately, the most important question when choosing microbiological products is not how many microbes are in the product on the day of manufacture. Much more important is how effectively the microbes work where the problem actually lies – in the case of SmartPipe, in the piping.