Automatic residential storage type water heaters have been in use for well over one hundred years and have become a safe and reliable appliance in almost every type of residential dwelling, when installed correctly.
The ASSE International and the professional plumbing community are very aware of improperly installed storage type water heaters and the scald burns that have been caused by these improper installations.
As this paper will point out, there are many installation practices that if not followed completely may lead to potential scald burns caused by excessive temperature of the hot water at the point of use. It will also point out what can be done to lower the risk of scald burns at the point of use.
The do-it-yourselfer or the uninformed installer may be unaware of these installation practices. The best choice is to have a licensed professional install the water heater to avoid these potential hazards.
Note: There is another class of residential water heaters that have little or no storage and provide hot water on demand – Tankless/On-Demand Water Heaters. The heat source of some of these heaters is relatively constant and therefore the discharge water temperature can increase into the scalding range as the rate of flow decreases. This type of water heater, if not installed properly, can also lead to scald hazards. Some of the causes of these scald hazards are similar to what we speak of in this paper, yet some are distinctly different. We hope to address these issues in another White Paper at a later date.
This paper will only address the recommended installation practices of the residential storage type heaters.
