Turn of the Screw
A huge variety of personal and social problems trace to a single source: household water heaters set at too low a temperature. This new but persistent problem that is due entirely to the nagging of environmentalists, governments, and safety paranoids. Defy them all in one fell swoop. [MORE]
Comments (14)
As an environmental engineering student I am intrigued by this article. I do not take issue with advocating turning up the heat but rather the characterization of the environmental movement. Sadly the majority of "environmentalists" (ie reactionary jack asses who don't know crap and undermine their own cause) have caused this view.
So, at the risk of being a reactionary myself, I would like to draw attention to a growing movement in industry. The assertation that environmentalism and luxury cannot exist is bunk. The market does not purchase products that are inferior (except when the government mandates it). The goal of the new movement is to create products / processes that are not only environmentlly friendy, but cheaper and better.
So while the majority of environmentalists should be disposed of there is a sect that is out there applying our ingenuity not to undermine civilization but to make it better while ensuring a healthy world for the future.
Please turn up your water heater. Pay higher energy bills. Develp a demand for more efficent heaters. We will produce and in the end you will have hotter water, a cheaper energy bill, and less environmental impact. No real capatalist can argue with that. Environmentalism and progress need not be at odds.
Published: February 20, 2004 9:05 AM
Through the last 16 years the subject of the water heater temperature has been a source of many heated debates at my household as my wife has always demanded that the water temperature be increased, and my teenage son is always complaining that the water is warm and needs to be ran for a few minutes or longer to reach that optimum temperature. Trying to ‘Green� and trying to keep the peace usually resulted in my turning the water temperature up for a short time then returning a month or so later and turning it back down trying to conserve energy and water in the process.
My thinking has perhaps been flawed by having good intentions of trying to save energy but the results have been accepted by my household with a lukewarm welcome. Have I been trying to save energy and water for at least the last 16 years but in fact could have been proactive by increasing the temperature and thus reducing the energy and water usage? By keeping a lower water heater temperature setting here in our cold northern region, has probably resulted in the furnace running many hours longer than necessary to get the water temperature up.
I agree with the author on this hot topic that a small turn of the screw can turn a dull and lukewarm household into a piping hot, squeaky clean efficient and much brighter world. The end result will be a much happier household and a saving of energy in the long run.
Published: February 20, 2004 7:21 PM
LRC is good about once every month for a truly crazy but entertaining article. Tucker seems to be rolling them out pretty regularly, including the terrific article on how to dress like an Old World dandy. Thanks guys. :)
- Josh
Published: February 22, 2004 5:12 PM
I find Mr. Tucker to be quite entertaining as well as dead on to the point in that who should mandate what we do in our own homes for the benifit of our well being. Sure there are the "anti-energy" people who think that all technology is bad for the enviroment. But what about the average household who wants clean clothes and dishes so that their families don't get sick?
I too live in a very cold region where it makes sense to turn up the temp so that the furnace won't run all the time to maintain a lower setting on the water heater. I will agree with the author that we need to take matters into our own hands and "turn the screw". Sure we might pay higher power bills at first, but we will have clean socks and hotter showers. In the long run things will work out for the best and we will find a way to get hotter water cheaper.
Published: February 22, 2004 7:08 PM
I too thought this to be a very entertaining article. However, I think it goes beyond the simple turn of a screw, as the author wants you to believe. I think the author is using this story to point out how the government’s most miniscule restrictions and regulations affect us all in ways that we may never realize. The regulations on new homes mandate that water heaters be set at 120 degrees at the factory? Why would anyone think this? If I buy the water heater; pay for the house to put the water heater in; and then pay for the water that gets pumped through the water heater; I believe that I have every right in the world to set it at any temperature I want. I don't think any environmentalist has the right to dictate what temp my water comes out of my pipes at. I can understand that environmentalists are against something like …freon, because it is proven to damage the ozone layer. But hot water? That is just out of hand. The author is right in that it seems that we live our lives according to what “those people� think. Although, I do agree with Jeffrey Tucker in that "even if the whole world is conspiring against civilization, you can preserve your part of it with the smallest turn of a screwdriver. I enjoy a very hot shower and for one am not afraid of being scalded by 130-degree water. In this case the rewards far out-weigh the costs.
Published: February 22, 2004 11:22 PM
Here's a note I received (quoted in full)
In the past few years several very annoying things have begun to crop up in our household:
* The dishwasher (a high-end Maytag) refuses to get things clean. It doesn’t even melt out all of the powdered soap. Previous, far cheaper units did much better.
* Whites no longer come as clean from the wash. This has prompted my wide to by a huge array of supplemental products, most of which only moderately help. Worse yet, my shirts and trousers seem to smell.
* We all experienced the mind-numbing shoe stink problem, but I and my son started to get serious cases of athletes foot.
* Despite replacing the water heater a couple of years ago with a larger and better one, baths, showers, sink dishwashing water, all seemed to never get truly hot, like I remembered from the past.
All of this was creeping along, worsening day by day, when I read your article. My son (a compute geek) shot the water stream at the faucet farthest away from the heater; the master bath tub & shower. NINETY-NINE degrees?! Out we go to the water heater in the garage. The red knob has several gradations of perhaps 10-12 degrees from “HOT� on the left to “Warm� on the right molded into the plastic. One is a bit bolder than the others (a clue) but then a mark towards the “warm� side is painted in a bold white line. That is where it had been factory set. And, yes the thing was plastered with scalding baby warnings.
Two clicks to towards “HOT� and a few hours got us to 119 degrees at the tub. My wife could barely believe it; this was like the old days; having to work your tootsies into the water! Out to move the thermostat one more notch. Wow, what a difference!
We feel like such fools. But due to your great article we are on to a healthier and happier home. Thank you so very much!
Published: February 23, 2004 7:23 AM
My Uncle got very sick in his home. Doctor's diagnosed Legionnaires Disease! While he was hospitalized, teams went to his home to investigate the possible source, lest there be an epidemic. The cause....HIS WATER WAS NOT HOT ENOUGH. The solution...TURN UP THE WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE!
Published: February 23, 2004 7:57 AM
Tucker that was a great article and on target...my husband will turn that screw on our new homes water heater or maybe even I will go take those stickers away on that new machine and do it myself! We all love a HOT shower but you are right the brand new dish washer has left grime on those dishes (which he hates) I bet it is the temp set too low. Thanks for your insight.
Published: February 23, 2004 11:15 AM
More amazing water heater information:
Your article is particularly relevant because of recent idiotic gov't intervention in the water heater industry.
In the last 12 months , all domestic heaters require a sealed combustion chamber underneath the tank because 15 times in the last 20 yrs some redneck spills his gasoline tank in the garage and the gas pools under the heater, causing the garage to blow-up. Now , the five manufacturers are scrambling to change the heaters and it has raised the price of heaters about 20% and there will certainly be problems with these heaters down the road.
Now, the gov't has raised the energy factor on all heaters and the 5 mnfrs are pulling their collective hair out and we can't get heaters right now. Ultimately , we will all have warm water and will smell like [censored].
The tank-type heater is SO outdated, go to www.takagi-usa.com to see a REAL water heater; once agin the Japanese are kicking our ass. I just put one in my home and I've got HOT water !
Published: February 23, 2004 3:56 PM
First, I’d like to agree with everyone and say this was an entertaining/interesting article…thanks!
Second, it is true that most people do not want to think about their water heaters (along with several other appliances/items in their homes), or have any knowledge of them. After reading this article I asked my father, who just happens to install water heaters (and other household appliances), his opinion on the article/comments. Would you believe it, he agrees with Mr. Tucker. Additionally, he noted that after installing water heaters - he is required to set the temperature to the manufacturer’s required settings. If the customer wishes to raise (or lower) the recommended setting he instructs/demonstrates how to do so. By allowing the customer to apply their desired setting (as for himself to set the temperature according to manufacturer recommendation), his employer is eliminated from liability from “scalding� injuries, etc. However, it’s important to mention that not all installers are like my father and that most customers (at the time) do not care or even listen to what my fathers (and others like him) have to say…
Third, “penny pinchers� need to realize that in the long run, they’re losing money. Like Mr. Tucker (and other commenters) has noted, their investments in clothing, cleaning supplies, etc. add up over time. The real question is what are you/they gaining by having a lower temperature setting? Does it really make your/their life better?
Fourth, I want to know who out there is “scalding babies�. The problem in these cases is NOT the water heater. As a parent/guardian/provider, you should check the water before you place your child inside the tub, or sink, or wherever babies are scalded! These are probably the same people who sue McDonald’s after they are careless and spill piping hot coffee in their lap. C’mon people…THINK!
Published: February 24, 2004 11:11 AM
The above comment by Thomas again proves how far green minded consumers have been driven into the red by the irrational thinking of environmentalists and the resulting government red tape.
The over-regulation by the government has passed to the consumer added/hidden costs. Environmentalism and luxury can exist together if properly designed and marketed by both sides of the faucet.
Published: February 24, 2004 2:38 PM
I fully agree with Thomas's comment about the "scalding baby" threat. Being a mother, I question anyone who would put their baby in water without checking it first-They are the ones who need their "label"!
I read the article all the way through, and must admit that I too am guilty of having a stinky mop, and now I know why. Let's turn up the heat-and in the long run save money in clothing expenses, etc. In addition, the medical benefits of reducing germs would be worth it by itself.
Published: February 28, 2004 12:05 AM
I'm not convinced yet those "on demand" tankless water heaters are a good idea either (time to write another article?)
I read the following great article that basically says that the massive energy used for on demand hot water ends up being just as much as leaving the pilot going on a well insulated traditional tank water heater. In the real world customers are finding that not only did they often not get enough hot water, but they also didn't conserve any energy. There are comments left to the article from actual customers (most of whom are not happy with their overpriced, overhyped, underperforming tankless water heaters).
Tankless Water Heaters - Some Surprising Facts
Published: October 27, 2006 9:53 AM
http://www.askthebuilder.com/451_Tankless_Water_Heaters_-_Some_Surprising_Facts.shtml
Published: October 27, 2006 9:55 AM