Question: I recently read an article about a young child who attempted to pull herself up using the hot water handle and when the 140ºF water rushed out, she was severely burned.  What can I do to prevent my children from burning themselves in the tub?

Answer: It’s a little known fact that scalds are the second most common cause of severe burns among people of all ages.  Given that knowledge, there are a few things you can do to help prevent these types of burns in your home.

Adjust the Water Heater:  Adjust the maximum water temperature in your hot water heater to no higher than 120ºF.  This will prevent accidents and will help save you electricity as well.

Use Thermometers for Children’s Bath time:  There are several color indicating tools that will show you if bath water is too hot for babies and toddlers.  Available at any major retailer, these inexpensive sensors can be mounted on faucets or are even available as a floating rubber ducky.

Install Safety Spouts: Install a HotStop Scald Prevent Faucet or Tub Spout in your home.  When hot water reaches an unsafe temperature HotStop quickly reduces the water flow to a trickle to avoid scalding. Once the water in the line cools the flow re-starts automatically –usually in less than 30 seconds.

Source: Press Release, HotStop,www.h2otstop.com.