How to Check Your Water Heater's Temperature Settings

Water temperature is a bit of a Goldilocks-type situation. If your hot water runs out before you're ready, isn't hot enough to begin with or has the potential to send you to the ER with a burn, it's probably time to learn how to check your water heater temperature.

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How to Check Your Water Heater's Temperature

If you just want to make sure your water heater is on the right setting, it's as simple as heading to your basement or utility closet and looking at the dial or readout panel. However, the settings on basic models are often vague and may not tell you the precise degree temperature of the water. To get this information, you'll have to do some hands-on investigation.

You'll need an instant-read digital thermometer — such as one you'd use to find the temperature of cooked meat. Don't run any water for about an hour or so. This ensures the water heater is full and should have the water at the set temperature. Run the hot water on full blast for a minute or two until it's reached the hottest temperature and then put the thermometer into the water stream. If you suspect your water is hotter than it should be, protect your hands and arms from splashes to avoid burns.

You can also use a small cup to collect the water, but keep in mind that these can start cooling the water quickly. You're likely to get a more accurate reading by testing the running water coming out of the tap itself.

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• The Age-Old Question: Is My Water Heater Gas or Electric?

• 5 Tell-Tale Signs Your Water Heater Isn’t Doing So Hot

What Temperature Should a Water Heater Be Set At?

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends that water heaters be set at 120 degrees F. This is the optimum temperature to still provide appropriately heated water for your needs while reducing the risk of burns. Many hot water heaters are automatically set to 140 degrees F when they're installed, but this is too high for most households — especially those with young children or older adults — because it's hot enough to present a scalding hazard.

Lowering your hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees F can also make a different in your energy usage and, therefore, your utility bills because your water heater doesn't need to use as much energy to heat up the water or maintain the higher temperature.

Is there any reason to have your water heater set higher than 120 degrees F? Maybe. Some situations that may require a hot water temp of 130 to 140 degrees F include:

• Using an older dishwasher model that doesn't have a built-in booster heater. Having a higher water temperature in this case kills bacteria and can result in cleaner dishes.

• Having a chronic medical condition that affects your immune system. Keeping your water heater at a higher temp can decrease the admittedly small chance of legionellae bacteria developing in your hot water tank.

How Do You Adjust the Water Heater's Temperature?

How to adjust your water heater's temperature varies a bit depending on the type of unit you have. On most traditional water heaters, there's usually a dial on the front of the unit toward the bottom. It may have actual temperature degree settings or it may have more general options, such as low, hot or very hot. You may also see one labeled "vacation," which lowers the temperature for times when you're out of town and won't be running the water.

Tankless water heaters operate a little differently. These models often have an LED panel that lets you adjust the temperature more precisely. You can usually adjust the temperature up or down with the buttons 1 degree at a time.

It's a good idea to go back a few hours later and manually check the actual temperature with the steps mentioned earlier after you change the setting to make sure it's where you want it to be. If you notice a big discrepancy between what your water heater should be set at and the actual temperature of the water coming out of the faucet, a professional plumber can help you diagnose the problem.