The leading cause of deaths and injuries to
children at home is accidents. Scalding from hot water is
one of the most dangerous of these accidents. The following
chart shows just how dangerous hot water can be.
Temperature Time to Cause
of Water a Bad Burn
-------------------------------------
150°F (66°C) 2 seconds
140°F (60°C) 6 seconds
125°F (52°C) 2 minutes
120°F (49°C) 10 minutes
-------------------------------------
Small children can get to sinks or bathtubs
quickly. They can get badly burned before they can get out
of the water. Infants are unable to move away from hot water
if it is accidentally left on too hot or if the cold water
is unintentionally turned off. Here are some tips to keep in
mind:
- When using tap water, always turn on
the cold water first, then add hot. When finished, turn
the hot water off first.
- Do not use hot steam vaporizers. They
can cause steam burns. Use a cool mist vaporizer.
- Never leave a child alone in the
bathroom for any reason. They are at risk for getting
burned by hot water or drowning.
If your hot water heater is set at 150°F (66°C) and your
child comes in contact with the hot water for just 2
seconds, your child will get burned badly enough to need
medical treatment.
Here are some common questions and answers
about hot water heater settings.
- Q: If I turn the hot water heater
setting down, won't I have trouble getting the dishes in
the dishwasher and the clothes in the washing machine
clean?
A: No. The major soap manufacturers
design their soap to work best in water between 120°F
and 125°F (49°C to 52°C).
- Q: Will my baby get more colds if the
hot water isn't hot enough?
A: No. Hot water has nothing to do with
getting colds.
- Q: Will we run out of hot water any
sooner if we turn the temperature down?
A: Yes, you will. But this may be a
small price to pay to protect your child.
- Q: Will I save any money on utility
bills by turning down the temperature setting?
A: Yes. On the average, for every 10°F
(6°C) that you turn the temperature down, you will save
4% on the water-heating portion of your utility bill.
- Q: I don't know where the thermostat
of my hot water heater is, and I don't know how to tell
at what temperature it is set. How can I tell?
A: First measure the hot water
temperature. The best way to do this is to measure it in
the morning, before anyone in your home has used any hot
water. Turn on the hot water at the kitchen sink and let
it run for 2 minutes. Then, using either an outdoor
thermometer or a candy thermometer, hold the thermometer
in the stream of the water until the reading stops going
up. If your water-heater setting is at a safe level
(between 120°F and 125°F, or 49°C to 52°C), you don't
have to do anything. There is no advantage to setting
the thermostat below 120°F (49°C). If your hot water
setting is too high, here are some tips on how to find
the thermostat and turn it down.
- Gas hot water heaters usually have
a thermostat outside the tank at the bottom.
Electric water heaters usually have either two
panels screwed to the top and bottom of the tank or
one panel along the side of the tank. Thermostats
are located under these panels.
- The thermostat should be set on
the "low" setting or within the "energy efficient
range." If the temperature at the kitchen sink is
too hot at this setting, adjust the thermostat to a
lower setting.
After changing the thermostat setting,
you can test the hot water temperature again about 24
hours later. If you test it in less than 24 hours, you
may not get an accurate reading. Continue to test the
water temperature and adjust the thermostat setting
until the water is no hotter than 125°F (52°C). If you
get it below 120°F (49°C), then turn it back up a small
amount.
Please, take some time to think about the risk to your child
from hot water in your home. Think about whether the
convenience of having lots of very hot water is really worth
the added risk that you might be taking with your child's
health. Your child is at less risk for hot water burns by
age 4.
