Controlling your Hot Water Temperature

[Julie-Ann]

Hot water and children are a dangerous combination. But there are ways to reduce the risk of scalding from hot water. I would highly recommend you look at whether you can implement any of these ideas.

So to set the maximum temperature of the hot water in your system you can use any of the following methods:

1. Go outside and have a look at your hot water system. On most units there is a way to control the maximum temperature for hot water. On ours it is as simple as adjusting a dial.

2. Tempering valves blend hot and cold water to deliver mixed water at a constant temperature. They incorporate a temperature sensitive element which expands and contracts depending on the temperature of the water flowing across it. In doing so the valve maintains an essentially constant outlet temperature.

3. You can have your plumber install a thermostatic mixing valve. It is a safe and reliable way to achieve perfectly tempered water supply.
Hot and cold water is mixed as it passes through the valve and is discharged at the required temperature i.e., 43 degrees for adults or 38 degrees for children. Unlike tempering valves, thermostatic mixing valves are much more accurate (+/- 1 deg.) and fail safe in case of any disruptions in either the cold or hot water supply.

4. A temperature controller is a digital control pad which allows you to control the hot water temperature in your kitchen, laundry and bathroom individually. So you can set the temperature in your bathroom higher than the temperature in the children’s bathroom. You simply punch your required water temperature in the control panel and the water will automatically be heated to this exact temperature so you do not have to mix your heated water with cold.

Have you used any of these methods to control your hot water temperature?

[mjm]

yes ours is instant gas and the temp control is on a sliding stick thing, I think ours is set down a bit lower than high... unless dh has readjusted it
this is a good reminder to go and check it

[decorheaven]

Our temperature is regulated at the instant gas appliance. Not sure if it is the local council or QLD state govt. Problem is by the time it gets to the bathroom at the other end of the house the basin of water is just luke warm. We thought it was a problem and got the plumber to check it out. Problem is the water at the appliance is set to the max so they are not allowed to alter it. I dislike the idea that I cannot control my water temperature but... see article link later. In our case it is not a matter of getting burned but freezing. Parents of young children should take responsibility also. A friend has an extra temperature control in the main bathroom and while her other water is at a safe temperature in the house, the main bathroom was on a lower setting.

Seeing I am moaning here. What about lady the other day with the cup of hot coffee on her child's pusher. One bump and it would be all over the child. Which goes to prove that these few force us to use laws to protect children when common sense is not that common.

Hot water can burn like fire:
hot-water-firex300.jpg
http://www.parenthood.com/article-to...like_fire.html
Finally - have a nice and safe weekend!!!!

[mjm]

oh wow I missed that one, funnily enough I recently bought a pram to use when my granddaughter comes over and it has two cup holder things above the pram , I wouldn't dream of putting a hot drink in them though. Actually even a full can of cool drink falling "donk" on the head has gotta hurt... so yeah although the cupholders are handy, I'm not sure they are very practical or safe

[decorheaven]

The one I am talking about did not even use a cup holder. Kind of balanced or not depending on how you look at it. I can see the cup holders would be useful for the child's drinks considering the alternative is they keep dropping it. Again common sense must prevail.

[Julie-Ann]

Wow how silly is it to have any hot drink near a baby.

I have never heard of a government body controlling the temperature of your hot water- how very strange.