Lowering water boiler temperature - health hazards?

EcoScruples

Washing hands, there are 2 ways to do this and not get scalded so it amazes me anyone does.
1. If you have a mixer tap then you run the water at the correct temp and wash you hands.
2. If you have a hot & cold tap you pop the plug in and fill the sink with enough water at the right temp to wash your hands.

It really cant be any more complicated.

Mstty

27.8 million households

However many millions of commercial properties

200-250 reported cases , half of which from trips abroad although caveat it's underestimated.

Zandoni

I don't understand why people are turning down their boiler temperatures for hot water. I don't think it saves much at all when you realise it has to be mixed with cold.

FreeBear

Zandoni said: I don't understand why people are turning down their boiler temperatures for hot water. I don't think it saves much at all when you realise it has to be mixed with cold.

Just ran my boiler this evening for a bath. Normally takes 1h15m to heat a tank to 52°C. Today, I decided, f*kit, go for 45°C. Boiler run time, just under 40m. Nor did I have to run the cold tap as much as I usually do.. So saved nearly half the gas, and used more of the heated water - Double saving there.

jrawle

EcoScruples said:

Washing hands, there are 2 ways to do this and not get scalded so it amazes me anyone does.
1. If you have a mixer tap then you run the water at the correct temp and wash you hands.
2. If you have a hot & cold tap you pop the plug in and fill the sink with enough water at the right temp to wash your hands.

It really cant be any more complicated.

No-one was talking about washing their hands! A poster referred to scalding his or her hands in the water used for washing dishes. I suggested this could be an issue if the water is at, say, 45°C for six days, but then 65°C when you weren't expecting it. If you put your normal amount of hot and cold in the sink, it'll be too hot.

Out of interest, when you wash your hands in the sink, or under the mixer tap, how do you check the temperature is right before risking scalding your hands? Do you use a thermometer?

Reed_Richards

jrawle said:

Do you find you get caught out and scald your hands on the one day a week when the water has been heated to 60°C rather than 45? I've been thinking about what it would be like to live with a heat pump, and inconsistent hot water temperature on the day it has its weekly boost is one of the downsides.

For 19 years I had an unvented hot water cylinder heated by a gas boiler.  My spouse did not like the tap water to be too hot and only the kitchen sink had a mixer tap so the cylinder temperature was set to 50 C.  Once a week on a Sunday morning the gas boiler would automatically take the cylinder temperature up to 60 C for one hour.  You did notice that the tap water was hotter than usual but by the time we had both take a shower the cylinder temperature was down to around 50 C again.  We were never scalded.

I think if you follow HSE regulations you would be obliged to have a TMV on every hot outlet to ensure the hot water can never be too hot (42 C max?).

Section62

Reed_Richards said:

I think if you follow HSE regulations you would be obliged to have a TMV on every hot outlet to ensure the hot water can never be too hot (42 C max?).

This applies in some situations in a commercial/business setting, not to owner-occupied domestic dwellings.

The only TMV requirement for owner-occupied domestic dwellings is that those which were newly built after 2010 should have a TMV on the bath hot tap supply, and this is a Building Regulation, not a HSE requirement.

Ally_E.

jrawle said:

Ally_E. said:

I often scald my hands washing dishes when temperature is 50C+, our kitchen tap doesn't mix hot and cold very well. That's another reason I like to keep the temperature at around 45C and do a boost once a week to higher temperature. Need to replace that tap really, as that's a poor excuse. 

Do you find you get caught out and scald your hands on the one day a week when the water has been heated to 60°C rather than 45? I've been thinking about what it would be like to live with a heat pump, and inconsistent hot water temperature on the day it has its weekly boost is one of the downsides.

Yes, it's the 60 temp days that it scalds. 45 temp days are nice and pleasant. 60 temp days are especially difficult in this hot weather 

wild666

My temperature for the water from the combi boiler is set at 50 degrees I boil water for drinking and washing up. I don't drink cold water, my tap is a mixer tap and I don't use it cold and in the 12 months since I've had it it hasn't affected me in any way.  

BUFF

as you have a combi your hot water is being heated instantaneously presumably from mains water supply that is treated.