Setting Your Hot Water Heater
Setting the temperature for your home water heater can be easy. Knowing what setting you should use requires consideration of several factors. There are risks to health and safety to be evaluated, and in the end you must decide what is best for yourself and your family.
Have you thought about the setting of your water heater temperature considering the risk of Legionnaire’s disease? It is something you should look into. While you see the EPA recommending that water heaters be set at 120 degrees F to save energy, OSHA recommends a tank temperature of 140 degrees F. This is because at lower temperatures, your water heater can become an incubator for the Legionella bacteria, the cause of Legionnaire’s disease. With the ideal growth range for Legionella being between 95 and 115 °F, you can see how that would be so. This may be an important consideration if your family has members in the most at-risk groups, including older people or those with serious illnesses or impaired immune systems.
For expert advice on the setting and condition of your water heater, call your local plumbing expert. That qualified professional can advise you on your water heater needs.
* Image courtesy of DOE
