It is not possible to set a water heater thermostat at a given temperature and get a relatively constant temperature of hot water from a water heater. That way a little cold water can even out the temperature to what is comfortable. Emergency Heat, also known as “auxiliary heat”, is the second stage of heat that your thermostat runs on when the temperature is too cold for your heat pump to extract heat from the outside. Many homeowners wonder: what is the best temperature to set the water heater? However, if you have a compromised immune system or are prone to respiratory conditions, you should consider setting the temperature higher than 120. That means your heater hot water temperature should be set at or below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. By this it means that your range of setting the boiler down when it gets warmer out is between say, 180 and 140. what setting should i use? If the heater's breaker did not trip (it is still on), try to reset the high-temperature limit on the heater: Turn off the breaker to the water heater's circuit in the service panel. Under Australian law the internal temperature of a hot water heater must be set at 70 degrees celsius. Run the water for a minute or two to heat up the pipes and the glass. New water heaters have a temperature dial called “VAC” for vacation setting\. When you’re leaving for vacation, simply turn this dial to VAC\. Optimal Water Heater Setting. A water heater should not be set beyond 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjusting Your Tankless Water Heater. If you set your boiler operating temperature below that for extended periods the flue gasses will condense, form acidic deposits and eat the boiler. Each tankless water heater or POU device has a LED panel where you can adjust the desired temperature. For safety reasons, most manufacturers recommend that the water you use in your home stay at around 120 °F (49 °C). Fuel sources can be propane, natural gast or electricity. jsmithy1 Forumite. 17 November 2011 at 10:29PM. Water heater manufacturers recommend that installers set thermostats at 120 - 125 F, and most of them ship the water heaters at an even lower temperature setting. Especially when there are children in the home should temperatures be set conservatively. However, a lower temperature does mean you will run out of hot water more quickly. Water temperatures in the range 20°C to 47°C also favour growth, the optimum temperature being 37°C, but it is uncommon to find proliferation below 20°C. Check the thermostat and adjust lower if necessary. If your water heater is set too high, you will be paying the price in your energy bill each month. Check Temperature Setting. You can adjust the temperature degree by degree, rather than by a less precise dial control. For example, if the delivery temperature is 53C, lower the thermostat by 4C to 5C. Water Heater Temperature. These LED controls offer you much more control over temperature than you have with a storage heater. Turn power back on to the water heater and enjoy your new water temperature settings. C is hotter than B which is hotter than A. Emergency Heat is typically triggered when it is 35°F and below outside. gas boiler heats water up in our house. Water heaters are set from the factory to heat water to a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A water heater set to 120 degrees may be just fine for most people. Setting the temperature to 140ºF can also increase demand losses resulting in an annual expense of up to $500 dollars. Most water heaters will already be set to this temperature when they’re installed. Water heaters have dial indicators that allow you to control the temperature of the hot water. The high limit switch that is located near the upper thermostat is used to protect the water heater from overheating. Water that is set to 160 degrees will give you a lot of hot water. Sometimes people call in because their tankless water heater keeps cutting on and off. This feature is used when the homeowner is away from home for an extended period and hot water is not needed\. They are the most common way to heat water in the United States. Sometimes water heater thermometers vary depending on the brand, the age, or how much the water heater is used. Any higher, or lower, could actually be dangerous for you and your family. 14 posts. Cooler temperatures mean warmer clothes, chilly nights and maybe even a fire in the fireplace. In order to set the temperature of outlet water, you need to set both thermostats on similar temperatures. I've got a 40 gallon water heater, and what I've been finding is that it provides just enough hot water to fill my sizable bathtub, but no more. Residential tank water heaters typically store between 20 and 80 gallons, heating the water 24/7, usually at the factory setting of 120°F. The most obvious reason the water is too high is that the thermostat is set way above what is comfortable. (Yawn.) Well, the EPA recommends a hot temperature setting of 120-degrees F for both safety and energy-saving purposes. They tolerate a range of temperatures, although below 20°C and above 50°C they are dormant and above 60°C they will not survive. It will stop working if the temperature of the water goes above 170 F. You can also reset your settings using this button. But beside the joys of sinking into a hot bath or indulging in a relaxing shower, the temperature you set the water heater could possibly directly affect your health in an unsuspected and invisible way. Summary of Setting the Temperature of Your Tankless Water Heater. Master Plumber Bryan Graham explains why that happens and how to fix it in this video. "setting the thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing? Know the Ideal Setting: The best setting for gas water heaters is around 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide. Reduce the thermostat setting on your water heater by the appropriate amount. my water heater's old, if that makes a difference. "we have lifestyle LP722 thing in kitchen, im assuming its set from this box?? Your water heater accounts for about 18 percent of your home’s energy bill. Remove the insulation and the plastic safety guard, being careful not to touch any wires or electrical terminals. Writer Bio. Make Your Mark: Set the temperature of your water heater by aligning your selected temperature with the marker on the outside of your dial. You should set the temperature between 60 and 65 °C but for maximum efficiency, it should be set to around 60 °C. Remove the access panel for the upper heating element on the water heater. A good temperature is usually 120°F for most people. Consider whether your water temperature is in need of adjusting. Next put the top and bottom metal covers back in place with the screws you removed earlier. It could be caused by the temperature setting of your tankless water heater. thanks. Professionals recommend keeping your water heater set at a temperature between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Step 4: Once you have the temperature settings as needed, replace the insulation. While turning the temperature up higher can result in burns, turning it lower than the recommended setting can also be dangerous. Temperature Setting Too High. Your water heater is likely set by the factory to that temperature. The question I always asked myself when reading about this is why manufacturers have the default setting … So if B is too hot, set it to A; if B is too cool, crank it up to C. Generally, A should be as hot as you need, but habits vary. That means you should adjust your water heater to at or below 120 degrees Fahrenheit and then re-test it 24 hours later. Do not set it lower than this as you could increase the risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease. We would strongly discourage inexperienced people from adjusting their hot water thermostat themselves. Bacteria, such as the strains that cause Legionnaire’s Disease, thrive in water with a temperature less than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Having said that, if you don’t live with anyone who fits into the categories above, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is probably the best temperature setting for your hot water heater. The Department of Energy recommends having your tank-based hot water heater set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for most people, but if you’ve never adjusted the temperature on your hot water heater, it’s probably set to 140 degrees, which is the default setting from most manufacturers. and he said the top thermostat should be set to a higher temperature than the low one, but other places I've read said they should be at the same temperature. Which means if I want to rinse off with the shower after the bath is over, that rinse is going to be ice cold. For newer models, this may be a triangle or a line just outside the dial. Legionnaires’ is a form of pneumonia that’s caused by bacteria in water. The thermostat can not accurately control the water heater outlet temperature … Temperature adjustment on a tankless heater is simple. Setting the hot water temperature lower also means a savings in energy bills for heating the home's water in many cases. The standard temperature for most water heaters is 140 degrees F, but the Department of Energy Link … The temp in the Hot water Cylinder shouldn't be set belo 55 deg c as below this temp, bacteria can breed. When the temperature finally drops to the point where we can turn on our heaters, remembering the most energy-efficient thermostat setting can be as perplexing as remembering why you walked into the room. 17 November 2011 at 10:29PM. For homes that use more hot water, set only the top thermostat 5° to 10° degrees higher. It can also cause a serious burn in less than a second. But finding that setting on the water heater temperature setting dial isn’t easy, because most dials aren’t labeled with numbers. Most manufacturers recommend a temperature setting of 120 degrees. This is a great question, and with the following information from Aire Serv®, you can maximize the performance, efficiency, and safety of your water heater. Determine the Best Temperature for Your Water Heater. 0. Increasing your water heater temperature by just 10ºF from 130ºF to 140ºF may increase heat loss resulting in a larger electric bill from $30 to $75 dollars annually. This is usually set between 90- and 120-degrees Fahrenheit, but this could be too high for some homes. This temperature kills harmful bacteria and preserves a safe operating temperature for your hot water system. for hot water for shower etc. When the water reaches maximum temperature, drop a cooking thermometer into the glass to get an accurate reading. Tank Water Heaters provide a large volume of dependable, low-cost hot water. So one must spend energy to maintain temperatures higher than that. You see, stagnant water inside water heaters, especially those serving multiple units in apartments or older divided buildings, and the connecting piping system from heater to taps can … What Temperature Should a Hot Water Heater Be Set At? To limit the risk of injury, it’s best to just leave it alone in most cases. Setting the water to a higher temperature increases the risk of scalding. What is the best/ideal temperature for a hot water cylinder? They relate to the relative temperature of the hot water. 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