Home water temperature safety education

There is strong evidence that home safety education regarding safe water temperature increases home safety practices such as testing home water temperature; education is most effective when paired with the provision of home water safety equipment^{1, 2, 5}. Effects appear greater when interventions are delivered in homes than in clinics¹. Additional evidence is needed to determine the effect of educational interventions on the incidence of tap water scald burns^1, 2.

Providing thermostatic mixing valves along with educational leaflets can increase the likelihood of having safe hot water temperature among families with a young child⁶. An evaluation of a Baltimore-based fire department home visiting program indicates that residents who receive educational materials with a thermometer are more likely to test water temperature and lower water heater gauges than residents who do not receive such interventions⁵.

General home safety educational efforts have been shown to be effective for children of various ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Such efforts have demonstrated effects for children in single parent and two parent households, children living in rental units, and children in family-owned homes¹.

Homeowners appear more likely to have a safe hot water temperature than renters. Households with electric water heaters are more likely to have a safe hot water temperature than those with gas water heaters³.

In the U.S., water heating is usually the third largest source of residential energy consumption⁷. Households that set water heater thermostats to lower temperatures such as 120 degrees Fahrenheit or halfway between the low and medium settings can reduce energy expenditures and energy use^{8, 9}. Typically, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit reduction on water heater thermostats households save 3-5% of water heating costs⁸. A UK-based cost analysis of a large-scale scald education and thermostatic mixing valve installation program suggests that installation of thermostatic mixing valves in government-owned apartments produces net benefits for society¹⁰.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹¹, American Burn Association¹², the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission¹³, and child safety organizations such as Safe Kids Worldwide¹⁴ urge individuals to set a water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and then test tap water to ensure running tap water is no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Safe bath water temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit^12, 15.