Steps聽to聽Change聽a Hot Water Heater Temperature
Every home has a water heater working quietly聽behind the scenes聽to聽warm up聽water for showering, cooking, cleaning and other household聽activities.聽Does your home's water feel聽too hot at the tap?聽Perhaps聽the opposite is true, and the water聽just won't聽get聽hot enough. You聽could聽need to聽change聽your hot water heater聽temperature聽to聽increase聽comfort, safety and energy efficiency.聽Read more to find out聽why you might聽need聽to change the temperature and how to make this聽simple聽adjustment based on the type of water heater聽your home uses.
Reasons to Adjust Hot Water Heater Settings
Sometimes, you聽may want聽to lower the temperature; other times, the hot water might聽necessitate聽a boost.聽According to聽the聽, the聽optimal聽water heater temperature is between 120 and 140 degrees F,聽striking a聽balance between safety and energy efficiency.
But聽where聽within聽this range should you聽set聽your hot water heater? The answer聽will depend聽on your household’s聽unique聽needs.
Turn Down the Water Heater Temp? Here's Why:
- Safety: A temperature聽of more聽than 140 degrees聽risks聽third-degree burns聽in just a few聽seconds.聽Decreasing聽your water heater’s temperature closer to 120 degrees聽further minimizes聽the risk of scalding聽at聽the tap.聽While聽hot water burns聽can happen to anyone, children and older adults are聽particularly聽at risk, as their skin is sensitive and can burn聽more rapidly.
- Maintenance: Turning the temperature off is聽a crucial聽first step before draining the tank or聽performing聽other聽water heater maintenance聽tasks.聽As soon as聽the聽appliance聽is off, wait several hours聽to give the water time to聽cool before聽beginning maintenance聽so scalding water doesn’t splash on your skin.
- Energy savings: Water heating聽accounts for聽a聽major聽portion of your home’s energy use.聽Reducing聽the temperature setting to 120 degrees聽reduces聽your utility聽costs聽without聽compromising聽hot water performance. When you聽will be gone聽for a few days,聽lower聽the聽heat聽even more for energy savings while you’re聽out.
Why You Should Increase Your Water Heater Temp
- Microbial growth in the tank:聽Don't set聽your water heater聽under聽120 degrees for聽a long time聽because this聽causes聽an environment where聽unhealthy聽bacteria can grow.
- Better cleaning: If your dishwasher doesn’t聽come with聽a built-in heating聽system, you聽may聽need to set your water heater聽at a temperature more聽than 120 degrees for your dishes to聽get聽clean. Hotter water聽eliminates聽grease and dirt more聽efficiently聽and聽offers聽better sanitation.
- More hot water for聽the household:聽Boosting聽your water heater’s temperature makes more hot water available. If you’re聽frequently聽the last聽person聽to get ready in the morning and you聽routinely聽are forced to endure聽lukewarm showers, try turning the water heater setting up to 140 degrees.
How to聽Change the Temperature on聽a Hot Water Heater
Before making any聽modifications, it’s聽a good idea聽to聽check聽your current water temperature.聽Open聽the hot water tap at the kitchen sink and聽place聽a cooking thermometer聽into聽the聽stream.聽Usually, the temperature at the tap is about 10 degrees聽colder聽than the water heater setting聽due to heat loss as the water聽flows through your pipes.
Altering聽the water heater is聽an easy聽undertaking聽with聽the majority of聽units.聽Use聽these聽guidelines聽to help you make the聽right聽adjustment.
Traditional Storage Tank Water Heater Temperatures
If聽the water in your home has聽a聽gas or electric storage tank,聽check near聽the bottom of the tank for a temperature dial. You聽should聽see “Low” on one end and “Very Hot” on the other, with letter and symbol markings in between.聽Rotate聽the knob聽just a little聽to one side聽or the other, depending on聽whether聽you聽are looking for聽hotter or cooler water.
Following聽the adjustment,聽kick back and relax for聽three hours聽for聽the temperature in the tank to stabilize.聽Then,聽go find聽the water temperature at the tap聽another time.聽Feel free to聽keep聽using your hot water like normal聽even though you are waiting.
Changing the Temperature on a Modern Tankless Hot Water Heater
惭辞诲别谤苍听tankless models聽often聽have聽an easy-to-use聽digital control panel with temperature settings you can move up or down聽with the touch of聽a button.聽Note聽that tankless water heaters聽sometimes aren't聽able to聽achieve聽the highest settings during cold spells or peak demand times. If you’re聽struggling聽with the lower flow rate,聽contemplate聽installing聽a second point-of-use unit in the kitchen or bathroom.
Reach Out to聽黑料社区聽for Water Heater 黑料社区 in聽the U.S.
黑料社区聽is聽devoted聽to聽increasing聽home comfort and safety with reliable聽water heater repair聽in聽the U.S.. Consider scheduling services with us if you need聽assistance聽adjusting聽your hot water heater settings or if the thermostat reading and tap temperature聽do not match. We聽offer聽fast,聽enduring聽solutions to all your water heater聽dilemmas. For expert service聽that is completely personalized聽to your needs,聽call聽黑料社区聽at聽today!
