Your water heater is one of the hardest working appliances in your home. You might not even realize this, but your water heater is always working dutifully behind the scenes. It accounts for nearly 17% of the energy usage across your entire home. Once you’re aware of the structural importance of your water heater, it’s easy to see why it is important to care for it.
We’re prepared to help you perfect your water heater services in Orlando, FL. Today, we’re going to discuss the perfect temperature you want to have it set to.
The Optimal Temperature for a Water Heater
The ideal temperature for a water heater isn’t straightforward. It’s actually a fluctuating number depending on your home. Let’s go through the factors that will help you determine the right temperature setting for yours needs.
- Your Health: If you or any of your family members are immunocompromised, you should consider setting your water heater to a higher temperature. Bacteria growth can occur in your tank at 120° and, while this is safe for most people, it might not be safe for you if you’re immunocompromised.
- The Number of People in Your Home: How many people do you have in your home? If you live alone or with one other person, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll run out of hot water if you keep your tank at 120°. If you have a larger family who all shower, do laundry, or run water around the same time, you might want to up your thermostat setting. A higher thermostat on your water heater helps make sure that you have hot water for everyone in your home.
- The Type of People In Your Home: Do you have kids? There’s a chance that your little ones could scald themselves if the water is too hot. You might want to choose a temperature of 120° if you have kids.
- Your Dishwasher: Does your dishwasher have a booster heater to run warm water through the unit? If the answer is no, then you might want to up the internal temperature of your water heater to 140°.
These are the general guidelines. If you still have a question that wasn’t answered above, you should schedule an appointment with our team. We can look at your home individually and answer any questions you have.
Other Ways To Improve Your Water Heater Efficiency
If you’re choosing the optimal temperature for efficiency for your water heater, you might want to consider other efficiency tips. Here are a few:
- Insulate your Water Heater: If you have a tank water heater, this reduces your standby heat loss.
- Go Low-Flow: Replacing your showerheads and faucets with low-flow versions of these appliances will help you consume less hot water and save money.
- Go Tankless: Tank water heaters are great, but tankless water heaters make efficiency a priority. If you’re really concerned with your efficiency, then it’s time for you to go tankless. We have system suggestions! Contact our team to talk about your home, your needs, and your options.
Contact Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. for your water heater services.