How hot is too hot? Inside Edition tested the water temperatures in showers at multiple hotels in NYC.
A 76-year-old man died after being burned in the shower while staying at a motel in Kentucky, according to a lawsuit.
Alex Chronis was staying at an Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky, near Cincinnati. According to a lawsuit, the scalding shower hit temperatures of over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. That is enough to cause third-degree burns within seconds of exposure, according to burn experts.
Pictures provided to Inside Edition by the family's attorney show burns Chronis sustained over his legs after he was pulled out of the tub.
"The water was so hot, so scalding. As he attempted apparently to back away, he fell and they heard Mr. Chronis screaming, 'It's burning me, it's burning me,'" Chronis' attorney N. Jeffrey Blankenship of Ziegler and Schneider P.S.C., tells Inside Edition.
Chronis spent five months in the hospital before succumbing to his injuries.
"Had the proper measures been taken by the hotel owner, it absolutely could have been prevented," Blankenship says. "They didn't check water temperatures."
According to model codes from the International Plumbing Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code, an industry organization which provides guidance on the installation and inspection of plumbing systems as a means of promoting the public's health, safety and welfare, the water from a shower should not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Inside Edition checked into several hotels in New York City and measured the temperature of the water in multiple bathroom showers.
Most showers were under 120 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the temperature in a shower at Shoreham Hotel reached 126 degrees.
"You can get burned at 120 if you're in there for too long, and especially when you go up six more degrees, it doesn't take that much more to start breaking down your skin and causing damage and burns," William C. Diamond, master plumber at Diamond Plumbing and Heating in Livingston, New Jersey, tells Inside Edition.
After Inside Edition notified the Shoreham Hotel front desk about the shower's water temperature, two managers showed up to the room and said they were not aware of any issue with the hot water or of any previous complaints. They offered to have an engineer look into the matter and get back to Inside Edition and respond back. However, no one immediately responded.
Diamond says it is critical that water temperature is maintained properly.
"If it's too hot, call management and say, 'I'm not comfortable to stay in this room,' or, 'Can you send somebody up to fix the temperature,'" Diamond says. "If these valves don't work properly, you could have a comfortable shower then all of a sudden a change of pressure, somebody flushed enough toilets that now there's more hot water and now you get extremely hot water even though you thought you were safe."
In a statement that came nine days past the deadline Inside Edition requested comment from the Shoreham Hotel and four days after the report was broadcast, a manager for the Shoreham Hotel sent Inside Edition a statement: “We took the opportunity to perform additional tests of the hot water in our rooms. Our test showed that the water temperature is between 108-110 degrees, within the normal range. It is our policy to respond to guest concerns promptly to ensure that the guest is satisfied with their stay at the hotel. In the past, we had concerns that the water temperature in the shower is too cool or cold but have not received any concerns from our guests that the temperature is too hot." Additionally, "We will continue to reelevate the system to ensure the water temperature is safe for all our customers. The safety of our guests is of utmost concern, and we will continue to make that a priority.”
It's not just hotels. One Inside Edition producer tested the water in his apartment shower and measured it at 142 degrees.
"If it heads up towards 140 degrees, it's a matter of 10 seconds, and you'll get a second to third-degree burn," Diamond says.
You can buy a temperature monitor for under $10. If you can't adjust your water, it is advised to call a licensed plumber.
