Experience Comfort, Savings, and Safety with 120F Water Heater (2024)

FAQs

Is 120F hot enough for a water heater? ›

120 degrees Fahrenheit is the safety recommendation against scalding, but 140° is the common default setting. Most experts agree that anything below 120 degrees creates a risk for bacteria to develop inside your water heater from stagnant water, such as legionella that causes Legionnaire's disease.

The EPA recommends 120 degrees because it's hot enough to keep diseases at bay, it's not hot enough to cause scalding, will supply enough hot water for most small families, and is relatively energy-efficient. However, the best setting for you could vary based on a few factors.

An ENERGY STAR certified electric water heater uses different technology and can save a household of four more approximately $470 per year on its electric bills, compared to a standard electric water heater, and more than $4,500 over its lifetime.

Keeping the Water Hot Enough to Kill Germs and Bacteria

Keeping the water temperature at 120 degrees or higher will prevent bacteria growth. If the home has a dishwasher that does not pre-heat the water, a setting of 140 degrees may be ideal.

State law advises that residential water heaters should be set no higher than 120 degrees. This temperature setting reduces the risk of accidental scalding, especially to children and the elderly. It also saves energy and helps reduce your utility bill.

Manufacturers often recommend a hot water heater temperature between 120 to 140°F, and there's a reason for this.

A good rule of thumb to follow is the "120° rule." This means you should wear a wetsuit or dry suit whenever the sum of the air temperature and water temperature is equal to or less than 120°F. Warm weather does not cancel out the danger of cold water, wearing lighter clothing on a warm day increases risk.

But be aware that even if you love hot showers, you probably don't want to shower at 120 degrees. A good maximum might be 110. Skin-care experts often recommend much lower.

At 122 degrees, Legionella will become stressed enough to stop multiplying because the conditions are no longer favorable. However, between 122 and 130 degrees, the bacteria will remain present and will not die. In order to begin to kill Legionella, your water temperature must be set to 131 degrees or higher.

What is the number one hot water heater? ›

Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households usually only require them to be set at 120ºF, which also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. Water heated at 140ºF also poses a safety hazard—scalding.

Domestic water heaters, particularly electric devices, can certainly be contaminated by Legionella.

The American Society of Sanitary Engineering recommends that hot water tanks be set from 135 to 140 degrees, to inhibit the growth of Legionella bacteria, with the installation of anti-scald devices and tempering valves to prevent hot water injuries.

Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households usually only require them to be set at 120ºF, which also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. Water heated at 140ºF also poses a safety hazard—scalding.

Significantly, research has shown that Legionella can grow in water with a temperature between 68 and122. Therefore, you've probably realized that there is a narrow temperature range – about 125 degrees – that is cool enough to avoid scalding and hot enough to discourage Legionella bacteria.

Know the Ideal Setting:

The best setting for gas water heaters is around 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Similarly, for AMD GPUs, GPU Temperatures in the range of 65 to 75 °C are “normal” . Anything beyond these value means your GPU is overheating and you need to take care of it. The upper limit of Nvidia GPUs is 95 to 100 °C while it is 90 to 100 °C for AMD GPUs.