How do you set the thermostat above 120 degrees? My dishwasher requires 135 degrees. Thank you.

Open the access door to the thermostat ( about 3" wide & 9" high, two screws) At the bottom of the thermostat there is an adjustment screw on an arrow and dial. Factory settings are at 120% for residential heaters. Reset to 135% is hot but it will not scald anyone. Higher temps are dangerous especially to those used to the old setting (if there are 2 doors reset both thermostats)

Don,

there be should be a knob (typically red in color) on the front of your water heater, with temperature degrees listed. The knob should also delineate a typical range of settings for domestic use, which range from 120 degrees to 160 degrees. While a hotter setting will allow an increased amount of warm water, for example for longer shower duration, these temperatures can present a risk of scalding and require more energy to maintain the selected temperature.

EJ

Water heaters have thermostats so that you cand adjust the temperature of the water. Temperatures above 120 degrees can pose a scald hazard.

The temperture of a water heater should be approx 120 degrees. If you use a dishwasher that is the desirable tempurture to kill bacteria.

If your heater has two thermostates then make sure they are set for a 5 degree difference between them

Good Luck,

Marty

The answer different if you have: concerns about diseases, a dishwasher, young children or elderly that can be easily burned, electric vs. gas heat, type of plumbing (e.g. PEX or Copper).

In 1988, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommended that water heater manufacturers preset the maximum temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burns. Since several states have mandated this maximum temperature.

Raising temperature above 120 degrees requires service call.
Or change dip switch settings and risk voiding warranty and causing service call expense.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Troubleshoot-Rheem-Tankless-water-heater.html#temperature

Earliest versions of Rheem tankless 2006-8 let you set temperature up to 140 degrees F using remote.
However the hotter setting caused error codes because the burner cannot keep up with both high temperature and large volume of hot water rushing through pipe. Especially in winter with cooler incoming water that must be heated more to reach temperature set point.
The burner simply cannot keep up.
So Rheem changed maximum temperature at remote control to tepid 120 degrees, which is not hot enough for folks wanting hot shower, or folks filling whirlpool tub because water in tub cools before tub fills.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

As a general rule, thermostats are set to 120 for optimal heating/energy-conservation.
If household uses more hot water, then move upper thermostat to 135 for example, and leave lower thermostat at 120.
http://waterheatertimer.org/9-ways-to-save-with-water-heater.html

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For a price, expert works with you while you work on water heater or any do-it-yourself project.
Fixya is always less expensive than a service call.

Remove the four screws that hold the covers on the side of the water heater and carefully spread the insulation apart to see the thermostat,reset button and heating elements. The thermostat will have a adjusting screw on it that you can turn with a small blade screwdriver.There is a arrow pointing to temperature setting that you can adjust by turning the screw clockwise to increase the temperature. They normally come from the factory set at 120 degrees so you can turn it up to 135-140 and see if that helps.
Thank you and I hope this helps you.

thermostats need to be replaced

I think some one mis informed you, the normal temp on any water heater from the factory is 120, it should not go above that for reasons of sevear burns, as far as it't smart part it's just a name, you will lose a couple of degrees just comming torm the tank to the faucets, the water heater will allways keep the temp in the tank at what ever it is set at, it doesn't have the brains or computer to know what time of day it is but when the cold water comes in to the tank it comes thru a dip tube that goes to aprox 1 inch from the bottom of the tank, if you take a long shower and do not have a energy efficant shower head you can use up to 5 gals, per min of hot water where an energy efficant one only uses 2.5 or less and still has the same pressure at the shower head, the temp in your water heater tries to stay at the setting it is at depending on how much is used at one time meaning washing machine, filling tub or dishwasher at the same time, it lets more cold in as the hot goes out and as you know it can only heat up so much at a time and the cold water is just going across the bottom of the tank, so the name is just that no diffrent then any other water heater unless you went to a tankless water heater.