If you live in a house with a family, large or small, hot water can be a bit of a precious commodity!  It is probable that there are several different schedules which the members of your household operate on, but showers can still be an issue depending on your water heater.  If you have ever taken the small panel off of your water heater, you may notice that there is a small knob which you can adjust with a flathead screwdriver.  This dial controls the temperature of the water inside the water heater.  For family-households, cranking this dial up is a tip worth considering so that less of your hot water source is needed for each shower.  If each member of your home is able to enjoy a nice comfortable shower, you’ll have a much happier home!

Before you boost the heat levels on your hot water tank, there is some important safety information you need to know.  First, you should be sure to make an announcement to everybody in the house that the hot water heater is going to be adjusted so that the first hot shower is taken with caution.  Also, considering that you have a few options as far as hot water temperature in your heater goes, you may want to experiment with hot water settings to decide which permanent setting will be best for your home.  Most heaters will allow you to adjust to a maximum of 160 degrees.  It is safe to set your heater to any setting as you will be mixing in cold water for your shower’s temperature.  Just keep in mind that it takes less than a second for 160-degree water to seriously burn the skin; always inform everybody prior to adjusting the heat levels!

Raising the heat level in your hot water tank is great as it requires less of your hot water supply to provide optimal shower water heat.  If you live in an apartment by yourself, this may not be the most energy efficient idea unless you take longer-than-normal showers.  As a courtesy, you may want to return your water heater dial to the original settings before you move to your next place!