What water heating temperatures are normally needed ?
A typical hot water cylinder thermostat is set by the installer and, due to its location, it is normally impractical for a user to vary it according to changing needs on a day to day basis. Furthermore, most electromechanical thermostats for hot water cylinders have a switching differential of 8C degrees. For most purposes, it is unnecessary and often unsafe, especially when children or elderly people are around, to raise the hot water temperature above 45C degrees. So, while a temperature of 45C degrees is satisfactory for most water heating purposes, and a temperature of 52C degrees may be satisfactory for periods when more than one bath is to be drawn off in quick succession, it is commonly regarded as necessary by installers to set the thermostat temperature to 60C degrees in order maintain availability of hot water for all conditions. It is wasteful for the temperature to be constantly raised by 15C degrees above the level that is needed. Most hot water systems will take at least
