Hot Water Temperature Questions
One of the things plumbers are asked about all the time is the temperature of the water heater, especially with respect to children, older adults, and factors such as the Arizona code--which is currently 120 degrees. But, let’s look at some of the factors which influence the ups and downs of hot water heater temperatures.
Saving money
The first thing most people take into consideration is who is using the hot water and their needs. It is easy to say that the lowest temperature setting is best, because obviously from an economic standpoint, that will require the least amount of energy. However, when you are the second person in the shower that morning, and there isn’t any hot water left because you weren’t the first shower-taker, the enthusiasm for saving a little money fizzles.
Burns
For advocates of hotter hot water, who want to be able to have some hot water for that second shower, the matter of who else is living in the household may require consideration.
Children and older adults living in the home have scalding injuries at a rate of twice that of their healthy adult counterparts. So, if the second-in-line-but-still-got-the-hot is essential to you, there has to be a plan for the wee children, who are likely as not to try to pull themselves up out of the bathtub using the hot water faucet.
Bacteria
Just when you thought you should probably turn the water heater back down and take your shower at night, another consideration is added to the mix: the potential for the bacteria which causes Legionnaires disease. When the bacteria are lurking in the water, and that water is turned into an aerosol form, such as a shower, Legionnaires can be transmitted. Legionella can hide in water heaters and plumbing pipes and grow in water with a temperature between 68 and 122 degrees F. The CDC says there were almost 7,500 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States in 2017.
Temperature Regulators
So, the solution that many people recommend is to set the water at 125 degrees F. This is certainly hot enough to burn an older person or a young child. People with serious concerns, but not a serious bank balance, can buy a temperature-regulating device which prevents too-hot water from coming out of the faucet. The flow slows to a trickle until it is cool, thereby avoiding an accident. Of course, if the sensitive person is standing in the shower lathered up with shampoo and body wash, the five minutes it takes for the water to resume is going to seem interminable. Not as endless as recovery from a scald injury, however.
Use a thermometer
Finally, most water heaters aren’t equipped with a nifty thermostat to tell you the exact temperature of the water, so a little experimentation is in order at the faucet with a thermometer until you discover what temperature the hot water is when it arrives at your sink or shower. Each plumbing system is a little different, and those differences show themselves at the tap.
While this information may not have been helpful at assisting you with arriving at a conclusion, it does give you some concept of the problems and risks associated with setting your water heater at a temperature which is too hot or too cold. If you have questions about your situation, contact your plumber.
Trust MNS Plumbing, a licensed and friendly plumber in the Phoenix area, for all your gas water heaters, electric water heaters, and gas line installation and repair needs.
