Usually when someone is said to be in "hot water" it means they are in trouble; however when bathing or showering it's good to be in hot water! In fact I am sure most would agree: to be without hot water in the home is more than inconvenient, it is unhealthy and unsanitary.
    This month we will talk about the proper temperatures for safe use in the home. Did you know there are approximately 3800 injuries and 34 deaths on average each year due to excessive hot water temperatures in the home? The medical term for these injuries caused by hot water is scalding. Most of these occur among the elderly and children under the age of five. As the grim facts disclose, it is vital that all families, homeowners, tenants and landlords alike are aware of the following facts and figures:

                  It is recommended that water temperature in heating equipment be set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (C P S C).This setting will decrease the amount of time it takes to be scalded significantly, however it does not remove the risk entirely; please consider: If a child was exposed to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes it could cause third degree burns, as you can see, it takes common sense and special attention to be safe with hot water, it is obvious that hot water needs to be mixed at the tap with cold water for safe use.One way to be certain is to use a thermometer when running the tap, you can find a reliable one at a plumbing supply store or a good hardware store.

   To draw a bath it is recommended for babies to have the water at 75 degrees Fahrenheit,
Adults at 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit, however, this depends on each individual.Children and the elderly need special care in this regard.
            Please take note of the following figures; these should serve as a good warning: 150F will cause third degree burns in 2 seconds,140F, 6 seconds,130F, thirty seconds. As you can discern 120F is the much safer choice for settings on water heating equipment.It is usually easy to set the temperatures on water heaters you can look in the manual,or call the manufacturer, if you find it difficult call your favorite plumber!
  Next month we will talk about dangerous hot water conditions in the home and how to correct them. Please be alert to the dangers, sometimes it's good to be in hot water, but not too hot!