Turning up the temperature on your hot water heater may have its benefits, but it can also cause safety risks. Water above 130 degrees Fahrenheit can scald you, and water above 140 degrees Fahrenheit can cause third-degree burns. Young children and the elderly are especially susceptible.
Scalding Accidents
Setting the temperature too high can cause scalding accidents leading to burns. A study about water heater temperature and characteristics stated that many water heaters are often set dangerously high.
While most water heater thermostats can be set at 150 degrees, or higher, manufacturers post warnings that settings over 125 degrees can scald the skin.
Professionals recommend keeping your water heater set at a temperature between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher, or lower, could actually be dangerous for you and your family. While turning the temperature up higher can result in burns, turning it lower than the recommended setting can also be dangerous.
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.
At 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius), it only takes two seconds to suffer third-degree burns. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends setting the water heater at no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) to prevent scalding.
Manufacturers typically choose a temp to set water heaters between 120-140°F. To prevent scalding and save on energy costs 120 degrees is the recommended temperature, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends setting it to at least 122 degrees to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
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 family members can be at risk for scalding in as little as two seconds.
If you place your water heater on a higher setting, the water coming out of it will be hotter, and you won't need as much to reach that same temperature. Raising the temperature setting on your water heater ultimately makes your hot water supply last longer.
Turn the water heater up.
George recommends turning your water heater up to 140 degrees, which should kill any living legionella within five minutes, and then keep it at that temperature to ensure any newly introduced legionella won't survive.
The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away.
Many water heaters are set to 140 degrees F per factory specifications, but lowering the temperature can lead to energy savings of 4% to 22%, and up to $400, according to the Department of Energy. Even with the lower setting, you shouldn't have trouble getting your shower or dishwater hot enough.
Hard water leaves behind mineral deposits, mostly calcium and magnesium, when it's heated, such as inside a hot water tank. As the minerals coat the heating element, the element can't appropriately sense the water temperature and continues to heat. This can send scalding hot water out of a faucet or shower head.
Anything above 120 degrees can make your water heater too hot. If your water heater is set at or above 140, you will need to adjust the temperature to a lower setting and then do the same to the other thermostat for your water heater.
Common causes of water being too hot include a faulty thermostat, a stuck pressure relief valve, sediment affecting the heating elements, or a failing heating element. Faulty thermostat. When it comes to the temperature of your water heater, the natural place to start is the thermostat.
Hard water can cause sediment to build up in your water heater, leading to corrosion and shortened lifespan. We recommend installing a water softener or using a filtration system if you have hard water. This will not only extend the life of your water heater, but it will also improve the quality of your water overall.
If temperature issues are more recent, it might be because a dip tube broke. To see if this is the case, you can look for small bits of plastic that might be found in your shower head, drain strainers, or appliance filter screens. If you do find plastic bits, your water heater's dip tube is probably damaged.
Water heaters that are set too high increase the risk of scalding. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 1988 recommended manufacturers set heaters for a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature the chance of a tap-water burn is reduced.
The standard temperature for most water heaters is 140 degrees F, but the Department of Energy recommends turning down the temperature to 120 degrees to save energy.
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.
What is the recommended temperature for your water tank? The best or optimal temperature for your hot water tank is 120 Fahrenheit or 48 Celsius. This is a temperature that is comfortable and sanitary, yet does not significantly increase your energy costs.
Here is what temperature each letter stands for: Hot- 120 degrees. A- 130 degrees. B- 140 degrees. C- 150 degrees.
Here are some common heat up times for different water heaters, assuming the appliances are new and properly sized for the home: Electric storage tank water heater: 60–80 minutes. Propane storage tank water heater: 30–40 minutes. Propane tankless water heater: 0 minutes.
If this heat is being blocked by sediment and other materials, then your water heater has to work harder to heat the water. There are really no downsides to flushing a water heater. Sediment build up causes damage and it is more expensive to leave it than to just flush it out regularly.