The best temperature setting for a hot water heater is between 120 and 140 degrees. Below 120 degrees, bacteria can develop in the stagnant water sitting in the tank. Above 140 degrees, the water is so hot that you and your family members can be at risk for scalding in as little as two seconds.
Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households usually only require them to be set at 120ºF, which also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. Water heated at 140ºF also poses a safety hazard—scalding.
The maximum Department of Energy recommended water heater temperature setting you should never exceed is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest recommended setting should never be below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the temperature is set above a safe threshold, such as 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the risk of scalding increases significantly. This can cause painful burns and other serious injuries, especially for children or older adults with more sensitive skin.
If you are taking a shower or a bath you can receive severe burns because of scalding hot water. At 140°, water takes only a few seconds to cause third-degree burns, which penetrate the skin and can create permanent scarring.
Children and older people, who typically have thinner skin, suffer more severe burns in a shorter time and at lower temperatures than adults. A child can suffer a third-degree burn in 124°F water in less than three minutes. Children and adults can be burned this badly in two seconds or sooner in 149°F water.
At 140 degrees Celsius, water is in a superheated state, which means that it exists in a gaseous phase rather than a liquid phase. The pressure of water in this state depends on its specific volume, temperature, and other properties such as its internal energy and entropy.
Most adults will suffer third-degree burns if exposed to 150 degree water for two seconds. Burns will also occur with a six-second exposure to 140 degree water or with a thirty second exposure to 130 degree water. Even if the temperature is 120 degrees, a five minute exposure could result in third-degree burns.
120 Degrees is the recommended max temperature for water heaters, according to both the American Society of Sanitary Engineering and the US Department of Energy. Firstly, setting the max temperature to 120 degrees prevents the water from scalding your skin.
Yes, it's very bad to turn your water heater all the way up. To do so will reduce its life, increase your electricity bill and could possibly cause scalding—particularly if you have young children or an elderly relative living in your home.
What Temperature Should a Water Heater Be Set At? Most water heaters are designed to operate safely at temperatures between 120 and 160 degrees. Many tank-style units also have a low-temperature setting where the unit will only heat up the water to around 90 to 100 degrees.
To help prevent bacteria growth, the ASSE recommends keeping the water in your water heater tank at about 135 - 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can set your residential tankless water heater higher, but know that a child can be burned by 140°F water in just a couple of seconds. For commercial applications with higher demand, 140°F is a good setting.
120 degrees Fahrenheit is the safety recommendation against scalding, but 140° is the common default setting. Most experts agree that anything below 120 degrees creates a risk for bacteria to develop inside your water heater from stagnant water, such as legionella that causes Legionnaire's disease.
Raising the temperature setting on your water heater ultimately makes your hot water supply last longer. It will ensure everyone gets a hot shower, with plenty leftover to run your dishwasher and washing machine.
The warm setting should be between 90-110° degrees, while the hot setting should be 140-150°.
The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius at sea level. That means in most places this is the temperatures of boiled water.
Overheating water heaters sometimes cause corrosion in the tank. This corrosion can cause leaks and other issues.
According to most dermatologists, the ideal shower temperature is anywhere between 98°F (37°C) and 104°F (40°C)—and no more than 105 °F (41°C). Rinsing under lukewarm water allows you to stay comfortable and maintain your body temperature while reaping all the benefits of both hot and cold showers.
The best temperature setting for a hot water heater is between 120 and 140 degrees. Below 120 degrees, bacteria can develop in the stagnant water sitting in the tank. Above 140 degrees, the water is so hot that you and your family members can be at risk for scalding in as little as two seconds.
The severity of tap water scalds depends on the temperature of the water and the length of time the skin is exposed. Human exposure to hot water at 140°F can lead to a serious burn within 3 seconds, whereas at 120°F a serious burn takes about 10 minutes.
Experts have recommended that the ideal bath temperature should only be a few degrees higher than normal body temperature. Thus, the best temperature is estimated to be between 98 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lower the temperature, the greater the safety and savings in energy cost. To achieve this, we recommend a temperature setting of 120°F or less. Water temperatures over 125°F can cause severe burns instantly or death from scalds.
A 30 gallon water heater can provide up to 20 minutes of hot water for activities such as showering, bathing, or washing dishes by hand.
Live Science writes that most humans can endure about 10 minutes in 140–degree heat before suffering from hyperthermia, a lethal form of which is the aforementioned heat stroke.