DIY guideWater heater

Check the hot-water temperature at the tap

Measure how hot the tap water really is, and turn the heater down if it's too hot to be safe, or up if it runs out.

7 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

Pick a time no hot water has run for a few hours, like first thing in the morning.
Run the hot tap nearest the heater for a couple of minutes, until it's as hot as it gets.
Keep your hand out of the stream until you've measured it.
Hold a kitchen thermometer in a cup under the stream. About 120 °F (49 °C) is hot enough for most homes without scalding.
Turn the heater's dial a little at a time: the knob on the front, or its screen. A dial behind a cover is a plumber's.
Wait a few hours with no hot water used, then measure again the same way.
Some homes have a mixing valve on the heater's hot pipe. If the tap won't change, it may need setting, and that's a plumber's.
Water that scalds, or a temperature that won't change when you turn the dial: ask Handyman for a plumber.

Handyman says: Still too hot? I'll find a plumber.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.