Water Heater Temperature

Water Heater Temperature

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.

Is 145 degrees to hot for water heater?

To help prevent bacteria growth, the ASSE recommends keeping the water in your water heater tank at about 135 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, this creates a scalding hazard.

Is 150 too hot for water heater?

Just be careful that you don’t turn the temperature up too high. Water that is 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit can easily cause scalding. Of course, the temperature setting isn’t always the problem. If you consistently run out of hot water, you may just need a bigger tank or a tankless water heater.

Is 120 degree water hot?

The EPA recommends 120 degrees because it’s hot enough to keep diseases at bay, it’s not hot enough to cause scalding, it will supply enough hot water for most small families and is relatively energy-efficient.

Is 135 too hot for water heater?

The American Society of Sanitary Engineering recommends that hot water tanks be set from 135 to 140 degrees, to inhibit the growth of Legionella bacteria, with the installation of anti-scald devices and tempering valves to prevent hot water injuries.

Is 130 degrees too hot for shower?

If not, they could be scalded in the shower. The only real time that you need hot water that is more than 120 degrees is when you do the dishes. The water doesn’t even need to be that hot. Hot water that registers at 130 degrees will kill bacteria that can help with the spread of germs.

Will 125 degree water burn you?

Studies show that a temperature of 52 degrees C (125 degrees F) can cause a full-thickness skin burn in 2 minutes and a temperature of 54 degrees C (130 degrees F) can result in a full-thickness skin burn in 30 seconds.

Should I set my water heater to very hot?

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.

Will 115 degree water burn you?

At 110 to 112 degrees, it will take at least twenty-five minutes before that water can cause any skin injury. If we raise that water temperature to 120 degrees, the burn time is decreased to about 19 seconds.

What happens if you set your water heater too high?

High electricity bill

Warning: A water heater set too high can skyrocket your energy bill! According to the Department of Energy, your water heater can waste between $36 to $61 yearly due to standby heat losses. The good news is, you can save between 4% to 22% of your yearly energy bill if you lower your temperature.

Will 110 degree water burn you?

Even though a water temperature of 110° F is ‘relatively-safe’, exposure can be painful; the human pain threshold is around 106-108° F. As the chart reproduced below reveals, the severity of a burn is a function of the temperature of the water and the duration of the exposure and the condition of the skin.

James H. Sterling
Author

James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.