Water temperature affects skin health

On a cold winter day, it feels like there’s nothing better than a long, hot shower. But how hot is too hot? The ideal shower temp for your skin doesn’t stray above lukewarm. As soon as your shower starts scalding, you risk harming your skin’s health. There’s no absolute rule for how hot a shower should be, but most doctors advise keeping water below 110 degrees. If it feels at all uncomfortable or if your skin is turning red, it’s probably too hot.

Avoid Serious Burns

While the U.S. Department of Energy suggests setting your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for both safety and energy savings, many older appliances including dishwashers recommend a water heater setting of 140 degrees. Which, as you can see from the chart below, could cause serious burns in less than 5 seconds!

Check User Manuals

Although there are anti-scald faucets available, a better remedy is to check your appliance user manuals as many modern appliances have a temperature sensor that is used in conjunction with heat elements to boost the water temperature if is not hot enough, so there may be no need to have your water heater at a high setting.

Lower Energy Use

Keep in mind, each 10 degree reduction in water heater temperature setting can save up to 13 percent on your hot water heating bill.

Follow us on Twitter!