Hot Water Burns Like Fire

The campaign to stop scalding by hot water from your taps and showers

How HOT is that?

Surprise yourself ... roll over the pictures!

Great - you've got it!

Roll over or click on these images to reveal the temperatures of some of the common things in life.

44°C

In hospitals controls are required to ensure that water hotter than 44°C is not discharged from outlets that may be accessible to vulnerable people and where there is the potential for whole-body immersion.

43°C

Many radiators and associated pipework in hospitals are likely to operate at temperatures which may present a burn risk.

The maximum surface temperature should be 43°C.

45°C

If hot water used for showering or bathing is above 44°C then there is an increasing risk of scalding injury. Where large areas of the body are exposed to high temperatures, scalds can be very serious and can lead to fatalities.

50°C

BEWARE! - TOO HOT ALREADY
Water at a temperature of just 50°C can cause a partial thickness burn in about 90 seconds. 50°C is hotter than an adult can stand for a bath or shower.

29°C

This is swimming pool water temperature recommended for recreational, adult teaching, and conventional main pools. One or two degrees lower for competition pools.

60°C

DANGER!
Water in your home is usually stored in your hot tank at 60°C in order to kill legionella bacteria. But beware since at this temperature water can cause a full thickness burn in adults in 5 seconds and just 1 second in children and the elderly. So it needs to be cooled before use.

Minus 24°C

That's COLD! But great for lovely ICE CREAM ... Its best to store ice cream on the shelves of the freezer, not in the door.

Ice cream is best stored at -24°C

39°C

"When immersed in water at 39°C water your heart rate will increase by 12%, which can cause problems if you have a heart condition," says Mike Maynard, chairman of the Hydrotherapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. "It will also bring all the blood to the surface of the skin, making it red."

36 - 37°C

The NHS says that a normal body temperature is around 37°C although it depends on the person, their age, what they've been doing, the time of day, and which part of the body you take the temperature from.

36 - 37°C

SAFE FOR BABY'S BATH
BUT NO HOTTER THAN THIS!

Pour cold water in the bath first, and then add the hot water. Mix the water well to make sure there are no hot spots. Never put your baby in the bath when the water is still running.

48°C

Building Regulations (April 2010) state all new-build homes must have devices fitted to baths to limit the water temperature to a maximum of 48°C. That is more than hot enough for domestic use, but it removes the potential for the most serious scald injuries to happen.

38°C

For a bidet the NHS Estates recommends a maximum of 38ºC. The comfort band for this type of application is very narrow, so don't go over 38°C.

14 to 18°C

The ideal serving temperature for red wines is around 14ºC to 18ºC.

100°C

VERY DANGEROUS
Boiling Water! Great for a good brew of tea. But boiling water will lead to terrible scald injuries and in some circumstances death.

Show More

Water in hospitals

Radiators in hospitals

Body temperature

Serious risk of a scald

First signs of a burn

Your swimming pool

Stored water at home

Hot water & your body

Baby's bath water

New house bath water

Maximum for a bidet

Best for red wine

Best for a good brew!

Delicious ice cream

36 - 37°C

The NHS says that a normal body temperature is around 37°C although it depends on the person, their age, what they've been doing, the time of day, and which part of the body you take the temperature from.