Manufacturers of water heaters typically ship the units with the controls preset from 120 to 140 degrees. Setting the water heater thermostat control lower saves on monthly utility bills and can help you avoid hot-water scalding accidents. Serious burns to exposed skin can happen in less than 5 seconds when the hot water reaches 140 degrees. Setting the temperature down to 120 degrees increases the exposure time to five minutes for burns. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Open a hot water faucet in the home and allow the water to run for 1 minute. Immerse the probe end of the meat thermometer into the hot water stream. Wait until the thermometer needle has stopped moving, generally in less than 30 seconds. Read the thermometer face. This gives you an accurate reading to use in determining if you want to adjust the water heater's thermostat.
2. Adjust a gas water heater by turning the front dial located on the lower end of the water heater tank. The dial is fully marked with numbers identified in degrees. Turn the dial in the correct direction to set the water heater temperature. Open a hot water faucet and allow the water to run for at least 10 minutes. Test the water temperature and make adjustments as needed.
3. Disable the electrical power for an electric water heater. Turn off the circuit breaker or pull the fuses that supply power to the circuit.
4. Remove the two screw-on panels that conceal the electric heating elements and the separate thermostat controls. Most electric water heaters use two elements, one at the bottom of the tank and the other near the top. Some water heater models may have insulation in front of the controls. Remove the insulation to gain access to the adjustment dial.
5. Turn the adjustment dial in the correct direction for heat adjustment. In most cases, turning the adjustment screw clockwise reduces the temperature and counterclockwise increases the temperature. Some adjustment dials may only be labeled with numbers 1 through 10. Others may have the degree markings, while some models may only have a "hot" and "cold" label. You must adjust both thermostats to achieve an accurate water temperature.
6. Replace the insulation, if possible, and the metal covers over the heating elements and thermostat controls. Restore the electric power and test the hot water temperature to confirm the temperature change.
Tags: water heater, water temperature, adjustment dial, allow water, correct direction, degrees Setting