Let’s take some time to discuss water heaters. Your water heater is obviously something that you need working on a daily basis, right? Whether that be when you hop in the shower or turn on a faucet to do the dishes, a properly-functioning water heater is something that we often take for granted. Given that, it’s also safe to say that you will quickly notice it if something were to go awry with your water heater and it stopped working.
With water heaters serving such an important role in our day-to-day lives, they are also a popular topic of discussion here on our plumbing blog. After all, if there is anything you can do to ensure it continues working correctly and you don’t have to make any avoidable repairs along the way, that would be worthwhile information to know! Having said that, there are a number of things to take into consideration when it comes to your water heater. Being aware of the necessary maintenance is a big one, as that will be critical in terms of getting the full number of expected years out of your water heater. Another important topic is going to revolve around the plumber completing the original installation, since you’ll want to make sure they install everything correctly according to code. How about the actual water heater installed? If it’s too small of a heater, then you may find yourself running out of hot water repeatedly (even though there is nothing physically wrong with it)! To sum it up, there are definitely plenty of things to talk about with water heaters.
In this week’s blog post, we’re going to be discussing an important aspect of water heaters and that happens to be the temperature in which they’re set at. There’s a recommended range in which water heaters should be set at and doing so above or below that range could raise some concerns. We’ll discuss what that range is and why it’s so important to keep the temperature there!
What is the recommended temperature range for a water heater?
Okay…first things first, what is the recommended temperature range that you should keep your water heater set at? 120 to 140-degrees Fahrenheit is the preferred temperature range. This is true for both tank water heaters and tankless options. We’ll discuss in the next sections why it can be risky to set it below or above this range!
What happens if you set it below 120-degrees F?
Now that we have the standard temperature range set, the next question is what would happen if you went below 120-degrees F? The biggest risk you’ll run into with setting it below 120-degrees F is the possibility of bacteria (Legionella) growing. With the water heater set at 120-degrees F or above, you can prevent this from occurring! All in all, hot water possesses the ability to eliminate many dangerous germs, including Legionella.
What happens if you set it above 140-degrees F?
After the last section, you now know the risks of setting the temperature too low, so let’s now take a look at the other side of this. What risks could you run into if you set the temperature above 140-degrees F? Unsurprisingly, if the water were to be too hot, then you’ll need to be worried about scalding. Especially if you have younger children or older occupants in the household, then it’s important to be aware of how these higher temperatures could cause serious burns and it is definitely something that should prompt you to lower the water heater temperature. While you don’t want to set it low enough to where bacteria can grow, you also don’t want it so hot to where it could lead to bad burns quickly either!
Anything else you should know about your water heater?
When it comes to water heaters, there are definitely more than a few things that homeowners should be mindful of (with one of those being the temperature in which it is set at). After all, based on the two sections above, I think it’s pretty clear that too cool or too hot of temperatures can cause some serious health risks. Fortunately, the recommended range is very consistent, no matter who you ask.
With that all being said, as we wrap up this week’s blog post, I thought it would make sense to highlight a few other items that homeowners should be mindful of in regards to their water heater. Whether that be with your water heater, faucets, sewer line or anything else in your plumbing system, I’m going to guess that you would like to keep the number of issues to a minimum. So…what are a few other easy tips that any homeowner should remember with their water heater?
Flush Your Water Heater – Just as the water heater’s temperature is important for the health of everyone in the household, it’s also important to flush your water heater for the health of the water heater itself! Over time, mineral build-up can accumulate and eventually result in your water heater having to work harder to perform its normal responsibilities. Flushing the unit (possibly on an annual basis or more frequently, depending on the hard water levels) is certainly a worthwhile maintenance task.
Make Sure It Has the Necessary Safety Components – There are a couple of safety components that I wanted to feature here, which are essential for a properly-functioning water heater. The first of these (for a tank water heater) is a thermal expansion tank, which is there to prevent thermal expansion from causing troubles. When water is heated, it expands in volume and this extra volume will need somewhere to go. A thermal expansion tank takes on this extra pressure/water, thus allowing everything to function properly. The second of these that I would like to highlight is a T&P valve and the necessary discharge piping. Also known as a temperature and pressure relief valve, this is a safety measure and is designed to open if the temperature or the pressure were to get too high.
All in all, there are quite a few different things that go into a water heater’s daily operation. While the main focus of this week’s blog post was the recommended temperature range, we also wanted to feature a few more items for those looking to better understand their water heater!
Water Heater Services in Kansas City
No matter if it be repairing an existing water heater, installing a new one or even routine maintenance, our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing has years of experience working on a variety of water heater-related projects. As evidenced by this week’s blog post, one of the many aspects of owning a water heater is going to be in relation to the temperature in which it is set at. While everyone may have slightly different preferences for this, there is definitely a recommended range that you should keep yours at.
Do you live in or near the Kansas City area and need help with a water heater project? If so, we would be happy to help out! As we just mentioned in the previous paragraph, our team tackles a number of different water heater projects throughout the year. To learn more and request a free estimate, we encourage you to fill out the form HERE and a member of our team will be in touch.