The leading cause of deaths and injuries to children at home is accidents. Scalding from hot water is one of the most dangerous of these accidents. Small children are busy and can get to sinks or bathtubs quickly. They can burn themselves severely before they can get out of the water. Infants are unable to move away from hot water if it is accidentally left on too hot.

The following chart shows just how dangerous hot water can be.

Temperature/Time to Cause Bad Water Burns

150 degrees F (66 degrees C) 2 seconds 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) 6 seconds 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) 2 minutes 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) 10 minutes

You can see from this chart that if your infant or young child should come into contact with hot water, the temperature of the water would make the difference between whether he or she gets burned or not. If your hot water heater is set at 150 degrees F (66 degrees C) and your child comes into contact with the hot water for just 2 seconds, your child will receive a burn bad enough to require medical treatment.

The following are some common questions and answers about hot water heater settings.

Q: If I turn the hot water heater setting down, won't I have trouble getting the dishes in the dishwasher and the clothes in the washing machine clean?

A: No. The major soap manufacturers design their soap to work best in water between 120 and 125 degrees F (49 to 52 degrees C).

Q: Will my baby get more colds if the hot water isn't hot enough?

A: No. Hot water has nothing to do with getting colds.

Q: Will we run out of hot water any sooner if we turn the temperature down?

A: Yes, you will. But this may be a small price to pay to protect your child.

Q: Will I save any money on utility bills by turning down the temperature setting?

A: Yes. On the average, for every 10 degrees F (6 degrees C) that you turn the temperature down, you will save 4% on the water-heating portion of your utility bill.