Every year thousands of people are scalded by overheated tap water. When is hot water too hot? At 130 F, serious burns happen in 30 seconds. At 140 F, it takes only 5 seconds. And for the elderly and small children it takes half the time. To prevent injuries, water heaters should be set at 120 F. For kids, bath water should be 100 F, or less. But temperatures can fluctuate as water heaters are emptied. And they can become fickle with age, often doing their job too well and overheating to potentially dangerous levels. One low-tech safeguard is various colored dots painted next to the shower temperature control indicating a favorite setting for each person. Better yet are new high-tech multi-function shower temperature controls such as those by Moen that store and recall favorite settings. They maintain a consistent balance to eliminate shower shock from a sudden burst of hot or cold water.