AttemptGreen.com

We’ve been doing a lot of work on our house lately but haven’t moved in yet.  While we were working on things we noticed that we haven’t been getting any hot water.  Turns out the pilot light needed lighting on the hot water heater.  In doing so we had to reset the temperature on the hot water tank.  When setting the dial, my husband asked where it should be set.  Great question.  Do you know what temperature your hot water heater is set to?

The Department of Energy says that the average household should be set to 120 degrees.  I don’t know about your dial, but mine doesn not have numbers to know what temperature it is set at.  This is when I turn to one of my favorite magazines, The Family Handyman.  This article explains how to find that magical temperature setting and has a picture of the dial, so you know what you are looking for.

The other thing I want to point out is the vacation setting on your hot water heater.  When I go on vacation, there are a number of things I turn down or off.  The temperature gets turned down (in winter, up in summer).  The water gets shut off.  I would also recommend an additional item to turn down, the hot water heater.  On the temperature dial of the hot water heater, there is the word “Vacation”.  By setting the dial to vacation, it turns down the amount of gas being used to the bare minimum without turning it off completely.  You could turn it off completely, but keep in mind you may have to relight the pilot light if you do.