We just had a new Rheem 50 gal water heater installed. The water was way too high for our needs.
I turned the power off, and took off the plates to the thermostats. Both the upper and lower elements were set at 150 degrees, too hot for us. I set them both at 115 degrees.
But, here is my question... should both the upper and lower elements be set at the same temperature ? I noticed that on our old heater, the upper thermostat was not adjustable, which leads me to wonder if their is an "ideal" setting for the upper element, regardless of the temperature setting of the lower thermostat.
Wholly crap! Learn something every other day. Never saw a warning on any heaters. Mine is set at 120° and I bet Vacation setting is even colder.
Snipped from that link:
The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says
Q. Can Legionnaires' disease be prevented?
A. Yes. Avoiding water conditions that allow the organism to grow to high levels is the best means of prevention. Specific preventive steps include:
Maintain domestic water heaters at 60°C (140°F). The temperature of the water should be 50°C (122°F) or higher at the faucet.
Q. Do you recommend that I operate my home water heater at 60°C (140°F)?
A. Probably not if you have small children or infirm elderly persons who could be at serious risk of being scalded by the hot water. However, if you have people living with you who are at high risk of contracting the disease, then operating the water heater at a minimum temperature of 60°C (140°F) is probably a good idea. Consider installing a scald-prevention device.
"James" wrote in news:JKadneV6yKL4GRXWnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.localnet:
I've kept both upper and lower set to 120 for over twenty years. If you don't set the top and bottom to the same temp, then when you shower, after a few minutes or so the temp will change as the hotter/colder water at the top of the tank is used up. I doubt anyone would really notice. If you like hotter water, you can set the upper element to a higher temp, and when you wash your hands and do things that don't use much water, you will get the hotter water. When you bath, the water will cool a bit after a few minutes. Again not sure who would notice.
Legionella also appears in large central air conditioning systems, evaporative coolers, whirlpool spas, architectural fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice making machines, misting equipment, and similar disseminators.
The bacteria are everywhere and cannot be easily remove from most water supplies (it takes hypoclorination or ozone). Infection is via respiration of airborne bacteria released when water droplets vaporize. The airborne bacteria can travel up to six miles.
My take on the infection vector is that a problem occurs when more bacteria enter the system than the body's immune system can accommodate.
Why waste money on the higher water heater settings if we're all gonna die anyway?
pressureized water tanks and can't get in there anyway. What about your cold water system on a well system? Full of legionellae? Bull crap. Never happens.
Aside from personal preferences, some states have laws pertaining to this. For instance, as a landlord (in WA, and probably others), the max legal setting is 120°. This is to protect children, the elderly, and common idiots from scalding themselves. 120° won't sterilize your dishes, and I find that to be only a marginally comfortable shower water setting in the PNW. My home settings are at 140°. For rentals, I include a clause in the rental agreement which states the law, then directs the landlord to set it at _____..... usually 135-140° ....., then holds the landlord harmless for any resulting injuries. Fingers crossed that this clause will never be tested in court. It's too bad there isn't a setting which will sterilize morons.
In the desert SW, our settings are 125°. This won't sterilize dishes, but it's warm enough for a comfortable shower. The water quality is so terrible they add bleach to the supply... strong enough to smell it when you flush, or turn on a tap, and likely strong enough to sterilize dishes too. This compromise also saves money, considering the higher electric rates. Many full time desert residents turn their water heaters off in the summer, since the ambient water temperature rises when the air is 110-120° every day, and never cools below 80-90°. When in Rome.....
135-140 F is the range you should be looking for, if you have small children tin the house, consider a mixing valve at the bathroom sinks with a single on/off lever. We use them in schools to prevent accidental burns with kids. The normal setting is about 100/105 F , the cost is minimal and you won t find them at the Big Box stores, it gives them warm water to wash their hands, but will not cause scalds, the same holds true with emergency showers in science labs in high schools. Domestic dishwashers pre-heat the water, commercial dishwashers typically have an external pre-heater that heats the water to 180F before it enters the dishwasher.
Please remember, the only question from this OP was whether the top thermostat should be set at same temp as the lower one. Out of 34 messages so far, I think one person has addressed this single question posed in the OP. Most other messages have tried to tell me **what temperature** I should set my water heater. As I noted in my OP, I have already decided that.
Source: V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms December 2001
OP Original Poster (slang, Usenet)=======================================Out of 34 messagesso far, I think one person has addressed this single question posed in theOP. CY: One would need to be a surgeon, to adress the question posed in the original poster. Most other messages have tried to tell me **what temperature** Ishould set my water heater. As I noted in my OP, I have already decidedthat.CY: How did you get a message in your original poster? Swollow a capsule?
People often make decisions based on wrong information, lack of full information or facts needed for a better decision. You are in that category. Rather than do some fact finding and educate yourself, you choose to denigrate those that attempted to help. Thanks for taking the time to do that.
Really, what are people thinking, mentioning reasons for a particular setting, laws, and disccussing the subject further? Just set both elements at 230° and be done with it.
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