Winters have approached and in the chilling winter water heater is one of the important home appliance that consumes a lot of energy. If you are looking forward to cut back on energy costs, water heater is the right place to start from. Adjusting few degrees of your water heater temperature is a good idea, but before doing the same one should consider the fact that if the set temperature is too low, water heater can turn into a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. On the other hand, if the temperature is high it might led to a scalding accident.
What should be The Optimum Thermostat Temperature?
You might be wondering then what should be the optimum temperature. As per U.S Department of Energy, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the recommended temperature setting. Nowadays most of the new water heaters comes with aforementioned preset thermostat temperature.
This temperature is ideal for prevention from many harmful bacteria and pathogens from multiplying and further breeding. With the rise in temperature, pathogens die off quicker. For a person with a strong immunity system, 120 degree Fahrenheit temperature is considered as safe as well as minimum temperature. Any temperature higher than this and closer to 140 degree Fahrenheit is good for those having a compromised immune system. Moreover if you want to use hot water for your dishwasher you’ll need to set the temperature a bit higher (in case your dishwasher doesn’t possess self-heating feature).
How to Prevent Any Scalding Accident?
Boiling water at nearly 140 degrees can cause a third degree burn in just few seconds. Whenever you on your faucet or shower head, it takes few second for hot water to travel through pipes. The situation is that you can’t even figure exactly when the scalding water will arrive. Small children and toddlers are more prone to such accidents as their skin is highly sensitive and thinner than adult skin. Reaction time, mobility and sensitivity are some other factors that attribute to higher burns in children.
Anti-scald valves are the solution to prevent scalding accidents. By installing these valves at each point of contact with hot water, water heater thermostat can be set up to 140 degree Fahrenheit. Installation of the same is quite a complex job and it is advisable to hire a licensed plumber.
How to keep the system energy Efficient?
Saving in terms of energy as well as money is crucial but same can’t be done at the cost of the health. However it is possible to save few bucks without making any adjustments with water heater thermostat. Here are some tips that can facilitate in your cost cutting mission:
- Less water usage as per requirement.
- Insulation of hot water heaters and pipes.
- Replacing your existing old fashioned water heater with energy star efficient water heater.
Are you looking for plumbing solution for your home? Dallas Plumbing & Air Conditioning is a licensed plumbing service provider offering a wide range of plumbing and heating solutions across Dallas and nearby areas call us today to fix any of your plumbing problems.