Wednesday
Jul302008
In Hot Water
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 12:37AM | Share Article 
Most
residential hot water heaters are generally set at 60 C (140 F). There
are many advocates suggesting that the temperature be lowered from 60 C
down to 49 C. The advantages include less energy use and lower risk of
injury due to scalding. The lower temperature has already been
mandated in some countries. Unfortunately, reducing the storage temperature to under 50 C significantly increases the risk of bacterial growth in the water tank, resulting in possibility of Legionnaires' disease. If you wish to lower the temperature then don't go below 54 C.
The possibility of injury due to scalding can be minimized by following a set routine for turning on and off the hot and cold water and educating children in the safe use and dangers of hot water. As for energy consumption consider the following tips:
Check the insulation rating of your hot water tank. If it is R-10 or less and the hot water tank is located in an unfinished basement (or garage) then consider installing an insulation blanket around the tank. Call a professional if you are uncertain how to install the blanket.
Make sure that the hot water pipe is insulated all the way from the tank until it goes up through the ceiling to the next floor. This will keep the water in the pipe hot or at least warm.
If you have an electric water heater then consider installing a water heater timer. The water heater can be turned on for periods of high use and off at other times. A manual switch allows water heating at any time.
For frequently used taps consider installing a local on-demand water heater. This will reduce the waiting time for hot water, resulting in less energy and less wasted water.
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