How to Adjust The Temperature On Your Electric Water Heater

If you are a first time homeowner and this is your first winter in the new house, there are some things you should know about keeping the temperature on your electric water heater. The standard water temperature of your water heater is about 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.Before you start making adjustments you will want to check the temp of the hot water when it is coming from a faucet that is located closest to the hot water heater. Let the water run about 3 minutes or so then use a water thermometer check the temp. If the temperature is close to 120 or under then you will need to make some adjustments

The electric water heater has two heating coils located on the unit. One is located at the top of the heater and the other is located at the bottom. You will need to adjust both to the same temperature. Find the two covers on the front of the water heater. These covers will be very similar in size and they will both be rectangular. You will have to unscrew them. Most water heaters are insulated so you may have to pull a bit of the insulation back to gain access.

Sometimes these gauges do not have numbers but they will have marks or letters on them. You will want to turn the gauge about one or two marks either up to raise the temp and down to lower the temp.Now that you have changed the temperature, it will not change right away, it could take up to three hours. You may have to adjust the temp again if you still are not satisfied with the temperature. Some of the newer water heaters may have easier to read gauges. If at any point you are having any trouble, read through the owner’s manual and it can help you if you get stuck. By learning on how to do these simple adjustments you can save a lot of money on a serviceman.