We rely on the home water heater for all our hot water needs in the house. The home water heater provides hot water for bathing and cleaning. You can install a conventional storage water heater that comes with a reservoir tank for storing preheated water. You can also buy a tankless or demand-type water heater that heats water instantaneously on demand. There is also the heat pump water heater that uses reverse refrigeration technology to heat water from heat energy absorbed from the surrounding environment. Water heaters can be powered by electricity, gas, or even solar. Regardless of the type of water heater that you install, you will have to be very careful about its temperature settings because of two reasons. Firstly, if you set the temperature too high, you will incur a huge power bill and you also risk scalding when using the overheated water. Secondly, if you set the temperature too low, the supplied water will not be hot enough for bathing and cleaning and this can also cause bacteria to grow. You have to set the water heater temperature just right to avoid these problems. The following tips will help you set the right temperature on your home water heater for various occasions.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you set your water heater temperature at 120 degrees. At this temperature the water is hot enough to kill all bacteria and other disease causing pathogens. The water is also not overheated hence it cannot cause scalding. The 120 degrees temperature is very suitable for the elderly and for small kids because it cannot cause scalding. At 120 degrees, the water heater will be consuming an optimal amount of energy, which means that it will not be wasting power. You can talk to your local plumber and have him set your water heater to what is best for your situation.
The EPA-recommended 120 degrees is okay for ordinary homeowners but there are special circumstances that can cause you to raise the temperature if you home water heater. One such instance is when handling some dishwashers. Some dishwashers do not preheat their own water and hence rely on the home water heater to get water hot for washing the dishes. If you have such a dishwasher, then you should the temperature of your home water heater at 140 degrees. If there are people with a weak immune system or suffering from respiratory diseases, then you should set the water heater at a temperature of 140 degrees. Many people adjust the temperature of their water heaters according to the number of people in the household. If there are few people in the house, then you should set a lower temperature. Many people in a single house require lots of hot water, which means higher temperatures to keep the hot water going.
Ideally, you should always set the temperature of your home water heater at 120 degrees and then adjust slowly to get the right temperature for your home. If you wish to address some of the aforementioned issues by increasing the temperature of your water heater without posing any danger of scalding on yourself, then you should consider installing a hot water tank booster. You can get a hot water tank booster for any professional plumber who installs and repairs Arlington water heaters. A hot water tank booster mixes hot water at 140 degrees with cold water to bring the temperature down to 120 degrees for your showers and faucets. You can also install a hot water circulating system to increase the speed at which the hot water reaches your taps and showers.
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