Plumbing Safety: How to Avoid Scalding Hot Water

Hot water can be deceptively dangerous, particularly for young children and the elderly. There are a number of situations where young children and elderly cannot react in time before they scald themselves. Scalding burns can damage your skin, but longer exposure to hot water can cause serious damage, even to the deep tissue. In order to maintain the safety of yourself or those around you, Allen Service has put together a few tips on how to make sure that those most at risk avoid scalding hot water.

The greatest danger for the elderly is that they might not react fast enough before hot water causes harm. Hot water can cause injuries much faster than most people realize. It only takes two seconds for 150-degree water to cause third-degree burns. Six seconds of exposure to 140-degree water can cause about the same amount of damage. Even at 120-degrees, damage can be dealt. Due to mobility concerns, it is important to install grab bars around bathtubs and showers to make sure that elderly can get out of hot water if there are any sudden changes. It is always a good idea to test the water before getting in.

For children, it’s a different issue. Most of the time, parents prepare baths or water for their children. The ideal temperature for a bath should be under 100 degrees F. To be completely sure that a bath is suitable for a child, stick your arm all the way in until it is submerged to your elbow. The water should never feel hot, as that is a good sign that the water is above 100 degrees.

Another important tip to remember when it comes to avoiding scalding hot water is to monitor your child at all times when they are in the bathtub. Children can accidentally turn on the faucet and add scalding hot water to the tub. Unrelated but just as important, children can also drown, especially infants, in even the smallest amount of water. It’s always a good idea to monitor your child.

A water heater is typically set to a maximum of 120 degrees when it leaves the factory to ensure that consumers don’t accidentally expose themselves to scalding hot water. If you feel that your water heater is behaving improperly, producing too much hot water or too little, contact the team at Allen Service. Our knowledgeable staff have helped families throughout the Fort Collins area with their plumbing and heating needs. You can trust the team at Allen Service to check your hot water heater and diagnose any problems you might be experiencing.