“In general, you should set your hot water heater’s temperature to at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) recommend 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalding and conserve energy, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 140 degrees to kill Legionella bacteria.
Choose your setting based on your personal needs and the ages of the people who will be using the heated water in your household. Just keep in mind the default setting for most new hot water heaters is 140 degrees Fahrenheit — so you may need to make adjustments to your appliance. You can make a lot of mistakes when buying your hot water heater, but one of the biggest errors you can make when operating it is not dialing the temperature to the most appropriate setting after installation.”
Read more on water heater temperature settings here.
Obviously, households with young and/or elderly persons will want to be cautious when setting their water heater temperature. Of course, most people use both the hot and cold sources to reach their desired temperature. However, mistakes happen and if exposed to a temperature of 140F for just a few seconds scalding could occur.
If your water heater is struggling to maintain an adequate temperature contact Apple Valley Eagan Appliance at 952-953-0080. Our water heater service includes repair, installation, and maintenance.
