3 Reasons Why 50°C is the Best Heater Temperature

Why set temp to 50°C storage heaters

This Article is for Storage Heaters

You just got your shiny new digital or heat pump water heater. You’re poking around the control panel, feeling like a tech genius, and you think, “Hey, I've used an instant heater before and my ideal shower is around 38°C… let’s set it to that!”

Stop right there!

Why? The way you set your instant heater temperature is different from how you set your storage heater temperature.

38°C is great for your skin, but terrible for your storage tanks. If you want to shower smart, save money, and keep your family safe, there's one magic number you need to know: 50°C. Yes, 50°C is the sweet spot. Not too hot, not too cold. Perfect for performance, protection, and peace of mind.

Wondering why? Let’s dive into the 3 powerful reasons!

1. STOP bacteria! Keep Your Family Safe

Think 38°C feels warm? Sure, it is perfect for a nice, relaxing shower. But it is not nearly hot enough to kill harmful bacteria!!

In particular, there is one silent troublemaker you don’t want lurking in your heater: Legionella.
Legionnaires' Disease lung infection legionella chills fever
Legionella bacteria love warm, stagnant water, especially between 25°C and 45°C. While infections are rare in Singapore thanks to our clean water supply, it only takes one nasty surprise to regret not playing it safe.

That’s why 50°C is your first line of defence. At this temperature, Legionella can’t thrive, and your water stays fresh, clean, and safe for the whole family.
disinfect 70 15 min 6 months heat shock detox
💡 Want an important Tip? Crank your heater up to 70°C for 15 minutes every 6 months for a full “heat shock” detox. It’s like giving your heater a spa day. Except this one kills bacteria instead of stress.

2. Stop Wasting Heat and Watch Your Savings Climb

Here’s a little secret the factories won’t tell you: most water heaters are preset at a high 70°C. Why? Because in chilly countries where tap water can be a freezing 10°C, you need mix in very hot water to get a decent shower.

But we’re not in Switzerland. This is sunny Singapore, where our “cold” water is a toasty 30°C straight from the tap

Some in UK and USA are doing it too.
70 loses heat at faster rate and 50 loses heat at slower rate
What happens if you keep your heater cranked up to 70°C? You lose heat. Fast. The higher the temperature, the more heat escapes from the tank. That is literally your money escaping!

🔥 Do this instead: Set your heater to 50°C. Mix this with our 30ºC 'cold' water and you still get the perfect shower. Take advantage of our natural heat in Singapore!

Lower temp, lower heat loss, lower bills!

3. Extend Your Water Heater Lifespan

The hotter you run your water heater, the harder it works.

Setting your heater to a scorching 70°C may seem harmless but it will put your tank under major stress. More heat means more pressure, and that constant cycle of expansion and contraction wears out your heater's inner tank.
inner tank pressure 50 70
Drop your tank temperature to 50°C, and your heater gets to chill out. Less pressure, less wear, and a longer lifespan. You allow your heater to stay in tip-top shape for longer.

50°C is the Magic Number!

👍🏼 50°C keeps bacteria at bay. 👍🏼 50°C stops your money from evaporating. 👍🏼50°C helps your heater live longer.

For Singapore, 50ºC is a perfect balance of safety, savings, and longevity.

If you have a modern heater, you can set the heater temperature at the digital control panel. You have power to save energy, it is right at your fingertips. Use it!

Don't blindly follow factory settings, when you can have hot water that’s safer, cheaper, and lasts longer.

Check your control panel now. Your future self and your electric bill will thank you later. 💪🔥

Why Set at 50ºC? FAQ

Why don’t governments make it compulsory to pre-program heaters to 50°C?
The reason is simple: most water heaters are manufactured for the global market. Countries like Canada, Japan, and those in Northern Europe need much hotter water due to freezing climates.

Singapore is a small, tropical city, so we don’t command international factory settings. That’s why, even though 50°C is ideal for us, it’s not the global default.

If you have a digital or heat pump heater, you’ve got the power to set it yourself!
Aside from energy savings and longer appliance lifespan, there’s another huge win: you reduce the risk of scalding.

At 60°C, it takes just 5 seconds to burn skin. At 50°C? You’ve got over a minute before serious injury could occur.

That’s a massive safety upgrade, especially if you have kids or elderly family at home. 50°C gives you comfort and peace of mind.
Nope! Gas heaters work differently. They're a type of instant heater, which means they heat water only as it flows through.

In Singapore, you can preset gas heaters to around 40°C. You won’t get the same control or heat stability as a storage system. If you want to enjoy the benefits of hotel-like, high pressure and temperature showers, a storage heater is your best bet.

Other Posts

6 Reasons Why a Tankless Heater May Be Better Than A Storage Heater

Stiebel Eltron BathBox Tankless Heater
So, you’re in the market for a tankless heater. Whether it’s because you noticed a leak in your old water heater, if you think it’s time you replaced your old one, or you’re getting a new one for your new BTO, we’re here to recommend the tankless water heater.

1. No Heat-Loss, Save 30% Energy

A tankless heater only runs when water is flowing. A storage heater pre-heats water for you and stores it in a tank. This tank can lose heat. That is why tankless uses less energy than a storage heater. It can save up to 30%, which is better for your monthly bills.

Apart from lowering your bills, all tankless heaters come with a water-saving device. Your water usage goes down by 20%, and you still have a good shower at 7 litres/min. But just how efficient is the tankless heater?

The National Environment Agency (NEA) introduced the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) to allow you to compare the two heaters and make informed purchases. The tankless heater has 4 ticks, whereas the storage heater only has 1 tick. NEA estimates that this helps you save up to $120 a year!

2. Space-Saving and Easy Installation

Storage heater comes in tank sizes of 30 to 100 litres. Tankless heaters have no tank, so they take up less space. A small heater is easy to install in a false ceiling as it is space saving. That's why your installation will cost less with tankless.

A bonus with tankless heaters is that you get to skip messy ceiling works that can cost up to an extra $500.

The installation of a storage heater, including ceiling works, is about $1500. Compare this to a tankless heater, which costs about $900 to install.

This is what ceiling works looks like:
false ceiling gen 1 electric heater tank cut
Because of this, some creative clients save on huge costs by choosing not to change back to a storage tank. How?

They leave their storage heater in the false ceiling, and get us to fix in a tankless heater in the same false ceiling. We disconnect the pipes from the old storage heater and connect to the new tankless.

Doing this, you can save on ceiling works $200 + removal cost $250. The only catch is that you need to use a hand shower. Rain showers do not run well with tankless heaters.

No problem for most people, some of us prefer hand showers anyway.
Storage and Tankless Heater Installed Together

3. Tankless Heaters: No Need to Maintain

Discolored water being drained brown water hose basin white flush tank
You need to maintain a storage heater tank every 3 years. This costs about $200 each time. The water needs to be flushed out to clear any sediments that are stuck there. This is the same for all storage heaters.

Sediments make your water yellow so you need to do this. If you have a landed home with multiple heaters, this cost goes up.

With tankless heaters, life is easy. No need to maintain these at all as they have no tank.
Comparison of Maintenance of Storage vs Tankless Heater
Simply enjoying how sleek it is for a water heater. Installer Bee is also wonderful in explaining the various positions for the installation before made my decision in this placement. He also took effort to clean up after the installation works. 👍 ...
Aurgus Chang Bathbox Heater Google Review
Aurgus Chang
Google review
Bathbox installation done by Mr.Moez. Great service by him and really like how clean and neat the Bathbox look
Afiq Hamizan Bathbox Heater Google Review
Afiq Hamizan
Google review

4. No Fear of Leaks with Tankless Heaters

Storage heaters can leak and cause damage. This is something every false ceiling owner has to put up with at some point. To prevent this, some choose to change their heaters before they get too old.

This is where the tankless heater shines. No tank = No leaks. That is why the tankless water heater could be an easier choice for you.
leak false ceiling water damage tank water heater

5. Tankless Heaters can Give You Infinite Hot Water

Ever wanted to take a long long shower after a long long day? You can do that with the tankless heater. With a tankless, water gets heated non-stop. This means that the hot water you get goes on forever. You can jump straight in the shower, with no worries that you'll run out of hot water half way.
If your family takes long showers one after another, you may run out with a storage heater. A tankless heater however, gives you infinite hot water. It just keeps going, as long as you aren't using a rain shower. You also can't use multiple bathrooms at the same time because of the lower flow rate.

If you are unsure if the tankless is a good choice for you, feel free to take an easy quiz here! We'll help you with that.
Speed of Tankless Heaters

6. Tankless is Safer for Kids and Elderly

Sometimes on a rainy day, the water at my shower takes longer to heat up because of the cooler cold water. I get impatient and turn the lever all the way to the left (high) and suddenly, the water is way too hot! I often jump back due to the high temperature and quickly turn the tap off. I bet this has happened to you at least once if you have storage heaters.

Many of us have ageing parents or grandparents. They might not be able to react so quickly. Luckily, the tankless heater has a special function not known to many.

Storage heaters can reach up to 70°C, which is a temperature that can scald. The tankless heater allows you to set it to a safe temperature of 50°C. This temperature control setting protects the elderly from injury as it is not so high. This setting also prevents young children at home from getting hurt.
Tankless Heater Safer for Elderly and Children

Why We Choose Stiebel Eltron Tankless Heater

Stiebel Eltron is the # 1 tankless heater supplier in the world. Established in Germany a 100 years ago, they have the best tankless technology. We like these good brands as they make stuff that is durable and long-lasting. An added bonus is how slim it is, allowing it to fit in the tighest space.

In Singapore, our labour cost is high. You don't want to waste money changing to a new heater every 3 years. You want something that can last you around 10 years. Stiebel Eltron can.


We also provide a 3 year full warranty on branded heaters like Stiebel. This is the longest heater warranty in Singapore. The average warranty for other brands are only 1 year.

A good brand is worth investing in. It will spare you the mess that comes with constantly replacing new heaters.
Stiebel Eltron BathBox Tankless Heater HDB Installation made in Germany
Moez came to help us replace our faulty storage heater with the AOS bath box! So slim and sleek looking. Very pleased with the hot water and pressure in both our toilets
google review J
Jac
Google review
Just installed a tankless bathbox at my owner house, Thanks to the installer, Shamemul, for his patience and cooperation during the installation. The tank looks sleek and space-saving compared to the other storage heater brands👍
Afiq Hamizan Bathbox Heater Google Review
Afiq Hamizan
Google review

Conclusion

With storage water heaters requiring more maintenance in the long-run, why not stick with the easy way out?

Not only will the tankless heater be a good addition to your household, it will also help save on your energy bills. The tankless heater can do this while giving you good water pressure for comfortable showers as well. It can also keep your family members, both young and old, safe from burns.

The BathBox is worth your time. Simple and direct, just like it's design, your save on space and energy starts now.

Tankless Heater FAQ

How is the tankless heater different from the instant heater?
Tankless heaters are totally different from Instant heaters.

• Tankless has a more advanced technology. They produce better flow rates of 7 lit/min. Instant heaters only go up to 5 lit/min.

• If you have 2 bathrooms, you can use 1 tankless piped to 2 baths. This is the ideal setup for BTOs. If you choose to install an instant heater, you need 2 heaters plus extra pipe work. Instant may end up costing you more, and your shower won't feel as good with the lower water pressure.
If you want to test the water pressure before deciding on the BathBox, feel free to visit us at our showroom here.

We have a working model available to test it out.
The tankless heater is better investment if you have a BTO.

The installation will also be neater, with no visible pipes.

Here are the approx costs:
Tankless Heater FAQ Tankless vs Instant Heater Cost of Installation

Learnt something new? Share it!

Facebook
WhatsApp
LinkedIn

Other Posts