How Anti-Scald Devices Keep Your Kids Safe

How Anti-Scald Devices Keep Your Kids Safe

If you have a family with young children, you want to make sure your home is safe. While most families focus on covering sharp corners, securing large furniture, and covering electrical outlets, many parents do not consider just how dangerous their hot water can be. Countless children are rushed to the emergency room each year with severe burns as a result of taking a bath, using a shower or simply turning on a sink. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple way to protect your children from injuries caused by hot water: installing an anti-scald device in your home. An anti-scald device is a perfect solution to keep your kids safe.

Whole-House Solutions

Most studies and research place the ideal, safe temperature for children at between 37-38°C. An anti-scald device, also known as a tempering valve or mixing valve, controls the temperature of the water in your home by mixing hot and cold water inside a chamber. When installing an anti-scald device on your hot water heater, it protects your entire home. In other words, all hot water within your home will be dispensed at a precise, pre-set temperature. While you can manually set your hot water heater to a lower temperature, it’s not recommended you set it below 49°C to prevent the development of legionella. An anti-scald device is an ideal solution. It keeps the water in your tank hot enough to prevent bacteria growth while allowing you to control the temperature of outgoing water to prevent accidental scalding.

For Your Shower

If an anti-scald device attached to your hot water line is not a viable option for you, you can purchase a shower fixture that is designed to maintain a specific water temperature. Most use a pressure-balanced valve or thermostatic mixing valve, which ensures that hot water is adequately mixed with cold water to provide you with the desired water temperature. These types of fixtures are a great alternative to a whole-house system.

Tub Safety

For many young children, bath time is a fun, enjoyable experience. Children often love to play and splash around in the tub. However, at some point, their curiosity will lead them to the source of the water, and eventually the knobs. This is where accidents can and do happen. Young children don’t know or understand how to properly adjust the water temperature themselves, but this doesn’t mean they won’t try to emulate what they see their parents do. Installing an anti-scald device helps ensure your children do not adjust the water temperature above 37-38°C. Anything higher can burn them. Of course, an anti-scald device is only one part of tub safety. Always keep all bath products out of reach from young children. Install non-slip mats in the tub and rugs outside to minimize the slip hazard. Covering vanity corners and installing a child lock on the toilet to avoid flooding are some other safety measures parents can take to keep their kids safe in the bathroom. And never leave young children alone in the bathtub, even in what you would consider a small amount of water.

Don’t Forget Sinks

When parents think about anti-scald devices, they typically forget that the sink is where children usually have unsupervised access. To prevent burns, it is important to consider protecting your faucet by installing an anti-scald faucet in your bathroom and kitchen. Remember, these rooms are used frequently and therefore are the most dangerous for children. This is why it is essential to be proactive against potential hazards. Don't wait for an accident to happen, take the necessary precautions now to avoid injury later.

Let the Professionals Help

Though some products may advertise themselves as having simple, do-it-yourself installation, dealing with anti-scald devices and plumbing is anything but easy to do. A professional can help you determine what products will work best for your home and budget and properly install an anti-scald device that will keep your children safe for years to come. To learn more about anti-scald devices that can help keep your family safe, contact the professionals at Mr. Rooter to review the service options that best meet your needs.