Installation Guide
 4 • Residen al Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
T
o reduce the risk of property 
damage, serious injury or death, 
read and follow the precau ons below, 
all labels on the water heater, and 
the safety messages and instruc ons 
throughout this manual.
RISKS DURING INSTALLATION 
AND MAINTENANCE
For informa on about changing the 
factory thermostat se ng(s), refer to 
the “Adjus ng Temperature” sec on in 
this manual (“Step 10” on page 15). 
Even if you set the water heater 
thermostat(s) to a low se ng, higher 
temperatures may occur in certain 
circumstances:
In some cases, repeated small draws of 
water can cause the hot and cold water 
in the tank to “stack” in layers. If this 
happens, the water can be as much as 
thirty degrees ho er than the thermo-
stat se  ng. This temperature varia on 
is the result of your usage pa ern and 
is not a malfunc on.
Water temperature will be ho er if 
someone adjusted the thermostat(s) to 
a higher se ng.
Problems with the thermostat(s), 
or other malfunc ons may result in 
higher than expected water tempera-
tures.
If the water heater is in a hot envi-
ronment, the water in the tank can 
become as hot as the surrounding air, 
regardless of the thermostat se ng.
If the water supplied to the water 
heater is pre-heated (for example, by 
a solar system) the temperature in the 
tank may be higher than the water 
heater’s thermostat se ng.
To reduce the risk of unusually hot wa-
ter reaching the fi xtures in the house, 
install Thermosta c Mixing Valves at 
each point-of-use. 
If anyone in your home is at par cular 
risk of scalding (for example, the elder-
ly, children, or people with disabili es) 
or if there is a local code or state law 
requiring a certain water temperature 
Temperature  Time to Produce
 a Serious Burn
120°F (49°C)  More than 5 minutes
125°F (52°C)  1½ to 2 minutes
130°F (54°C)  About 30 seconds
135°F (57°C)  About 10 seconds
140°F (60°C)  Less than 5 seconds
145°F (63°C)  Less than 3 seconds
150°F (66°C)  About 1½ seconds
155°F (68°C)  About 1 second
SAFETY
RISKS DURING OPERATION 
Scalding Risk
This water heater 
can make water hot 
enough to cause 
severe burns instantly, resulting in 
severe injury or death. 
Feel water before bathing or shower-
ing.
To reduce the risk of scalding, install 
Thermostatic Mixing Valves (tempera-
ture limiting valves) at each point-of-
use. These valves automatically mix 
hot and cold water to limit the tem-
perature at the tap. Mixing valves 
are available from Lowe’s®. Follow 
manufacturer’s instructions for instal-
lation and adjustment of the valves.
The thermostat(s) on this water 
heater have been factory set to 
approximately 120°F to reduce the 
risk of scalding. Higher temperatures 
increase the risk of scalding, but 
even at 120°F, hot water can scald. 
If you choose a higher temperature, 
Thermostatic Mixing Valves located 
at each point-of-use are particularly 
important to help avoid scalding. 
Li ing Risk
 WARNING! The 
water heater is heavy. 
Follow these precau-
 ons to reduce the 
risk of property damage, injuries from 
li ing or impact injuries from dropping 
the water heater.
•  Use at least two people to li the 
water heater. 
•  Be sure you both have a good grip 
before li ing.
•  U se an appliance dolly or hand 
truck to move the water heater.
Electric Shock Risk
Contact with the electrical 
parts in the junction box and 
behind the access doors can 
result in severe injury or death from 
electrical shock:
•  Disconnect power by open-
ing the circuit breaker or 
removing the fuses before 
installing or servicing. 
•  Use a non-contact circuit 
tester to confirm that power 
is off before working on or 
near any electrical parts.
•  Replace the junction box 
cover and access doors after 
servicing. 










