{"id":21567,"date":"2015-02-16T19:11:24","date_gmt":"2015-02-16T19:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.redcapplumbing.com\/tampa_plumber\/?p=556"},"modified":"2015-02-16T19:11:24","modified_gmt":"2015-02-16T19:11:24","slug":"temperature-water-heater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/temperature-water-heater\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Best Temperature for Your Water Heater?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What Temperature Should Your Hot Water Be<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may be surprised to know that while the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends setting your water heater at 120 degrees. OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) recommends setting your water heater thermostat at 140 degrees under certain circumstances. If you would like to read more about OSHA’s recommendations click here<\/a> and scroll down the page.\u00a0If your hot water has an unpleasant odor, it is usually caused by some\u00a0bacteria. Raising the temperature above 140 degrees will help.<\/p>\n

If you have an older dishwasher that doesn’t preheat the water, recommended water heater temperature is 140 degrees. This is to ensure clean sanitary dishes.\u00a0Basically you’ll need to adjust the temperature to suit your needs or your budget.\u00a0I know a gentleman that lives alone and keeps his water heater set at 110 degrees and only allows it to heat one hour a day.<\/p>\n

How To Check Your Hot Water Heater Temperature<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allow your water heater to set an hour unused before checking the temperature.\u00a0You can use a candy or cooking thermometer to check your water heater temperature. Go to the faucet nearest the water heater. Run the hot water for one full minute ( this will heat the water pipes and give you a more accurate reading ). Fill a coffee cup from the faucet and read the thermometer.<\/p>\n

\u00a0About water heater settings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because heat rises (yes, even in water) the water in the top of a water heater can be much hotter than the water in the bottom. This is especially true of a gas water heater where the thermostat and burner are located at the bottom of the tank.\u00a0Water heater settings or temperature settings are not exact\u00a0temperatures. The degree settings on a thermostat are approximate.<\/p>\n

Gas water heater Adjustment<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have a gas water heater\u00a0you are in luck as far as adjusting\u00a0the temperature.<\/em><\/p>\n