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 What should be the ideal temperature setting for a water heater?
In Nursing homes or where children are concerned 105°F (40.5°C) maximum is the preferred temperature. Also how hot should the water be coming out of the faucet in the laboratory 2' from hot water heater? Answer. When in doubt install a Pressure balance/temperature faucet to prevent accidental burns. For example a lot of installations send the same temperature to the dishwasher/washing machines as to the rest of the home.  A residential dishwasher needs 140-160°F (60-70°C) degrees for proper cleaning. Germs love anything less then 140°F (60°C). When doing a combination occupancy like a commercial establishment with residential apartments using the same domestic H/W supply I use a commercial heater giving an out put of 180°F (82°C) water. As most licensed plumbers know you need 160°F (70°C) water for washing and 180°F for sterilization in lieu of chemicals. Water below 125°F (52°C) will allow all types of germs to grow inside the hot water tank (called incubators). So they sued everyone until the manufacturers lowered the residential water heaters to a very unsafe level. The solution to the temperature dilemma is to use a quality mixing valve to allow VERY hot water to go to the dish washer and laundry machines to actually kill GERMS and use these tempering valves to control the temperature of the water after these devices to go throughout the system. Now when this hot water does reach a showerbody or faucet you can add the following safety devices that are used with great success called pressure/temperature regulating/valves or balancing valves etc. What these devices do is protect the user from being scalded when someone else flushes a toilet and the pressure drop is acted upon with no chance of the user being burned. The same when the hot water is used say in a dish washer this sudden drop in temperature Or pressure will not shock someone in a shower.
Years ago when water was heated by the cave dwellers over a pile of wood in a pot around a camp fire the parents TESTED the water before throwing a child in. Still a good idea! |
Depends on the local codes and the applications.
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