Has The Temperature Of Your Hot Water Changed Dramatically Recently?
Before you attempt to adjust the electric hot water temperature settings yourself, it’s important to consider hiring a professional hot water repairer.
While in some cases it may be easy to adjust electric hot water temperature settings, the process can be tricky, and it’s essential to ensure it’s done correctly for both safety and efficiency.
If you do find the temperature of your electric hot water heater has changed/gone up or down drastically or is inconsistent, this is a sign of a problem with your hot water system. In that case, the best thing to do is hire a professional to evaluate and fix the issue.
Call the Hot Water experts on 1800 633 920 or send us a message and we’ll send someone over quickly to help with your electric hot water heater temperature issue!
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
We’re working on an electric water heater and discussing how to change the electric hot water temperature settings to suit your comfort and home needs. This is a task that requires turning the power off, so always make sure to shut off the electricity before removing any panel on the water heater—and double-check yourself for safety.
Always verify the power is off because sometimes breaker boxes are mislabeled or faulty. Electric heaters can be dangerous if not handled properly, especially when adjusting electric hot water temperature settings, so taking the extra step for safety is crucial.
Once the power is confirmed off, go ahead and remove the cover to access the internal components. We typically check for power in two spots on the unit. First, down by the element—if the power is still on, you’ll detect voltage there. Second, always check at the top two screws under the upper panel, as power is often constant in that area, which is especially important when adjusting electric hot water temperature settings.
After confirming there’s no power, it’s safe to proceed. An electric water heater has two thermostats—an upper and a lower. Why two? Because the upper thermostat handles the first hour of recovery and, once that temperature is reached, switches to the lower thermostat to heat the rest of the tank. Both thermostats may need adjustment depending on your electric hot water temperature settings preference.
Electric Hot Water Heater
Now, when it does that, typically the bottom element lowers the temperature on the thermostat by 10 degrees or so, then the top one, due to a phenomenon called temperature stacking, which is pretty simple if you think about it. Heat rises, it does the same thing in hot water and in the tank itself, so your top is going to be a little bit hotter than your bottom so that they don’t alternate wrong.
It’s something that a lot of people don’t know about that’s pretty important. So, your lower element is usually one set lower than your upper element because each setting on these is about 10 degrees. Now we get into the thermostat itself. Each one is a little bit different. Some of these thermostats have numbers on them and some of them have letters on them.
This one, in particular, has numbers on it and as you can see, it goes up to hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit on this thermostat- this particular. I like to see the hot water at about a hundred and ten degrees, especially when you’re dealing with the elderly and small children because it is potentially very, very dangerous any higher than that and you’ve got some time still to move away from the hot water before it scourges your skin.
Baby skin is very, very tender, and elderly people just can’t move very fast, so those are the two things that you have to be very aware of. Hot water is potentially very dangerous, it’s something that we all use every day. A lot of us end up taking it for granted until our water heater goes out or goes bad but it’s something that we need to pay attention to (temperature-wise) because it can be very potentially dangerous.
Okay. Now, to change the temperature setting, what you need is a smaller screwdriver. As before we used a larger one. You may have a couple of different sizes. You’re looking for a smaller screwdriver to do a job like this because it’s got to fit in the slot. What you do is you fit it in the slot and you turn it clockwise to turn it up. Did you hear that click? That click means that it is turned on. And you turn it counterclockwise to turn it down.
This particular one on the top is set at a hundred and twenty-five. I don’t recommend you set them this high just because that’s a pretty high temperature. I like to see the top one set at the top side on the electric heater at about 110 to 115 degrees and the bottom one at 105 to 110. And you got that stacking that happens, that makes your water heater very efficient. That’s how you adjust the thermostat on this. Now, there’s also a redundant thermostat in the lower half once again that you have to adjust to.
Read More: Electric Hot Water System Thermostat
Frequently Asked Questions :
- How can I safely adjust the temperature on an electric water heater?
Turn off the power, remove the panel, adjust the thermostat dial with a screwdriver, then restore power. - What is the optimal temperature setting for electric water heaters?
60°C (140°F) is recommended; lower settings save energy but risk bacteria growth. - Does changing the water heater temperature affect energy consumption?
Yes, lowering the temperature reduces energy use and standby losses. - Can temperature changes cause issues with electric water heaters?
Frequent or extreme changes can cause thermostat wear or safety problems. - Are there tools required to adjust an electric hot water heater temperature?
Screwdriver, voltage tester, gloves, flashlight, and thermometer.
