How hot is your hot water? Ours is more than 140 deg F

[Ptah]

My freezer 6.6 F



Milk jug 46.9 F



Rolling boil 203 F



Kitchen faucet 142.3




How hot is too hot?

[Lyric]

1. 160 degrees. We keep it very hot because there are six of us

sharing one bathroom, and we also have to share our 60-gallon hot water heater with the efficiency apartment downstairs. Very hot water means that you need less hot water overall to take showers, do dishes, wash clothes, etc. Keeping it that hot is the only way to make sure that two or three showers don't deplete the entire hot water supply for everyone else in the house.

[Ptah]

3. My concern is that there are young children here in this complex

Scalding hot should not be an option.

[triguy46]

4. dupe, sorry

[triguy46]

5. But you are heating the water 24/7. Ask your utility company for an energy audit and their advice.

[triguy46]

2. Seriously? 140 is way too hot for human use.

If you are running a commercial laundry handling soiled medical linens, then you are just fine. But that is way too hot. You can save some big money by turning the hot water tank down to a very generous 120. The hot water tank is the most inefficient energy consumer in the home, I've been told. Ours got up to 120 when we installed geothermal HVAC and ran the de-superheater water through the tank, and I thought it was melting my skin.

[Ptah]

7. This is in an apartment complex of 64 units.

Thank you for your support.

:hug:

[triguy46]

11. So is the hot water is set by the landlord?

If so, there does seem to be some case law holding the landlord liable for injuries to children. This is the issue, not if we as adults can regulate the temperature and blend very hot with cold to make it just right. But what of a kid who goes to wash hands, or the elderly who have decreased sensitivity. These two groups are the ones at risk for home scalding.

[Ptah]

12. Yes, it is controlled by the landlord.

Since it is a recirculating system,
the max heat is immediately available.

[triguy46]

13. I wish I had more help to give, but this seems a problem. Good luck.

[madinmaryland]

6. Having fun with a new toy? How warm are some of your body parts!!

:hide:

[Ptah]

8. Yes, the Scald-O-Matic is just wonderful

[triguy46]

9. FYI, re: scald burns in children.

Inj Prev. 1998 September; 4(3): 238–242.

PMCID: PMC1730399
Copyright notice
Tap water scald burns in children
K. Feldman, R. Schaller, J. Feldman, and M. McMillon
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
Abstract
Tap water scald burns account for 7% to 17% of all childhood scald burns that require hospitalization. Often the burns are severe and disabling. Toddlers and preschool children are the most frequent victims. In 45% of the injuries, the unsupervised victim or a peer turned on the tap water; in 28% the cause was abuse. Eighty per cent of the homes tested had unsafe bathtub water temperatures of 54°C (130°F) or greater, exposing the occupants to the risk of full thickness scalds with 30 second exposure to hot water. Such burns may be prevented passively by limiting household water temperatures to less than 52°C (125°F). New water heaters could be preset at this temperature and families could be taught to turn down the temperature on existing units.

[Ptah]

10. Thank you for this reference.

I'm prining it out and taking it to the
management.