Have you noticed that recently your water isn’t as hot as it used to be?
Maybe it’s time to turn up the temperature on your water heater. It is common when winter comes along to start to run out of hot water or notice you don’t have as much hot water as you used to.
When the ground temperature changes and gets colder the incoming cold water temperature also gets colder and most water heaters have to work a little harder to heat up your water. Once the water is hot and you start to use it, the cold water coming into the tank mixes with the hot water and your hot water cools down. This is especially true when you have an older water heater that has sediment build up. The sediment will leech the heat out of the water quickly. Most people also enjoy a longer hot shower in the winter months, due to the colder temperatures. There is a simple answer when you want hotter water during the winter months. Check where the thermostat on your water heater is set and turn up the temperature.
Gas Water Heaters
For gas water heaters the thermostat is the small box sticking out of the front of the water heater, you will notice there is a red dial and maybe a button or two. You will notice a notch and then “A” “B” and “C” settings. If your water heater is set to the recommended 120 degree setting (small white notch on the front dial), you can turn the temperature up slightly to 125 or 130 and you should notice a big difference – just beware of hot water scalding, especially if there are children or seniors in the home who skin is more sensitive and easy to burn. Run a test about 1/2 hour later and see if your water is hotter. Once you have tested the water temperature and you are satisfied you can enjoy hot water all winter long. Try to set a reminder to turn the temperature down again in the spring.
Electric Water Heaters
For electric water heaters you will have to remove the small top panel with a screw driver and then turn the temperature dial inside the panel up. Be careful working on the inside of the water heater when the power is on, we recommend you refer to your owners manual for instructions and diagrams.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your water heater!
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