You might be surprised to learn that tankless water heaters were actually being used close to 20 years before the first storage tank water heater. Back in the 1860s, Benjamin Waddy Maughan created “The Geyser,” a tankless water heating system that became very popular throughout Europe.
Maughan created his model, so that cold water would flow through wires at the top of the unit. Then, the water would be heated by hot gases from a burner located at the bottom of the unit. Pretty amazing, right?
Early Drawbacks of Tankless Units
At first, tankless water heaters were large and bulky steel cylinders that sat on the floor. They also were typically attached to a single sink or tub. One of the main drawbacks of early tankless units was that, if you needed to replace any part of the water heater, then you would have to replace the entire unit as a whole.
Tankless water heaters didn’t gain popularity in the United States until well after World War II. Electricity and fuel gas were both relatively cheap for storage tank water heaters, and tankless units were still the same as the 1860s Maughan model.
With technology developments and innovations that occurred over time, however, the tankless water heater has since become a well-functioning device that can hang on the wall of practically any room in your home. Today, tankless units are about the size of a carry-on suitcase.
Tankless Units Today
Tankless water heaters have come a very long way since Maughan developed his original model in the 1860s. Today’s tankless heaters use computer boards and sensors that tell the machine when hot water is needed and what temperature the cold water flowing into the machine is.
As they stand today, modern tankless water units have become strong alternatives to storage tank models, which consume valuable floor space in your basement and make your water/electrical bills more pricy.
For all of your questions regarding tankless water heaters, get in touch with Radiant Plumbing today!
