I recently go a new 60 Gallon hot water tank for our house and the water temperature is really hot. Is it better or more efficient to lower the temperature or just use more cold water when I shower or use the water?
What are the drawbacks if any?
2006-10-29 06:37:17 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
We don't have children so I only want to know about efficiency/wear and tear.
2006-10-29 06:45:53 · update #1
If I lower the temperature I would use more hot water... hmmm what to do?
2006-10-29 07:03:45 · update #2
My local gas company suggests turning down the temperature as low as possible -- and I suspect that yours does also. (The same applies if you have an electric heater.) Lower temperatures are also safer, especially with children.
Bear in mind that certain appliances (like dishwashers) require hotter temperatures [if they have their own heaters, it might be more efficient to let them raise the water the last few degrees rather than provide over-hot water everywhere else].
Think of your water tank as being like a giant thermos flask. The drop in temperature of the contents will depend on the temperature difference between the contents and the air outside the tank (your thermos contents will stay hot longer on a hot day than on a cold day). Your water tank will automatically turn itself on to keep the temperature more-or-less constant ... the higher you set the temperature, the more heat it'll lose and the more the heater will need to be on.
You can also help by adding more insulation to the tank, although newer tanks are supposed to already have "enough". (Our local gas utility installs an insulating blanket for free - that's how important they think it is.)
This advice is not valid for tankless (on-demand) water heaters, which don't have a storage tank to keep hot.
2006-10-29 07:37:22 · answer #1 · answered by Peter L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are 3 different kinds of hot water system you could have: 1) Combi boiler that fires up every time you open a hot tap and instantaneously heats the water (which you don't have) 2) boiler with gravity-fed hot water tank (with cold water tank in the roof) 3) boiler with modern pressurised water cyclinder (e.g. megaflow) whereby the tank can be installed virtually anywhere (it sounds like you have this kind of pressurised cylinder in the loft). If you do, most pressurised cylinders will keep the water just up to the temperature of the thermostat on the tank itself, with a 'boost button' for when you suddenly want to have a big bath, whereas older gravity systems usually have a timer which can end up letting the water cool down to nothing, then fire up the boiler at odd hours to unnecessarily scorch the water back up to the right temperature. Hope that's given you something to think about.
2016-03-28 00:57:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The consumer products safety commission recommends water temperature of 120 degrees to prevent burns. Lower temp is actually more energy efficient and by circulating more water in the tank you also stir up sediment that collects at the bottom of the tank thus increasing the life expectancy of the water heater.
2006-10-29 07:07:28 · answer #3 · answered by Larry D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The lower the better. Increasing the temperature increases heat lost, which increases cost.
More importantly too high a temperature can cause burns. At one burn center, 25% of the burn patients were scalded by tap water, and 25% of those patients died.
If you think hotter water does a better job of killing germs, you have to go to about 140 degrees F to accomplish that
If you run the water hotter, and mix it with cold water, you are using just as much water as you would with cooler settings on the water heater.
2006-10-29 14:41:50 · answer #4 · answered by Ed 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Even not considering the possibility of scalding yourself or someone else it is more cost effective to heat your water to moderately hot. If you turn the heat to high or very high the water heater will constantly heat the water, wasting money. It is better to keep it at medium temperature.
2006-10-30 03:57:21 · answer #5 · answered by big_mustache 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
turn it down to the lowest setting you can enjoy water as you like it... why??? a 60 gallon heater is costing you LOTS to keep heating up! I have only a 30 gallon with 6 living here!
2006-10-29 11:47:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's dumb. That is only if you run out of hot water normally. If you don't, lower that puppy's temperature.
2006-10-31 11:46:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
not only is it dangerous it uses lots more power or gas. Turn it down and save some money
2006-10-29 07:01:33 · answer #8 · answered by dustin g 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, keep it back. A person or child can get scalded.
2006-10-29 06:43:23 · answer #9 · answered by cfoxwell99 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do not leave it on high. some one especially kids could get hurt & burned bad.
2006-10-29 06:40:13 · answer #10 · answered by Tired Old Man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋