The answer to who invented the electric water heater starts around 1850 with an experiment that was created in which both the water and the bath, on the lower side, were heated by jets of gas. An Englishman, Benjamin Maughan, however, in 1868 invented the first instantaneous water heater called “The Geyser”, a device in which water was heated as it flowed into the bath. They were known to be quite dangerous.
Maughn’s invention influenced the designs of a Norwegian mechanical engineer named Edwin Ruud, who emigrated to Pittsburgh. Ruud, who invented the electric (automatic storage) water heater in 1889, founded the Ruud Manufacturing Company, which is still in operation today, and pioneered its advancement in both the residential and commercial markets.
The hot water heater is still sometimes known as a geyser in the UK. Other terms include: an electric water boiler, an electric dispensing pot, or an electric water urn.
There are several types of water heaters. The most common of these are storage water heaters. Instantaneous (tankless) heaters are newer on the market, and even newer, solar heaters.
Storage tank water heaters:
This is typically the kind of water heater you saw growing up, the big white tank often next to the furnace. Tank-type heaters come in different varieties: gas, oil, and electric. This refers to the type of burner used to heat the water. Energy efficiencies between different types of burners in tank water heaters can differ greatly. In this tank, cold water is used to fill the tank, and an element, usually near the top and bottom inside the tank, is used to heat it. Between the inner tank and the outer shell there is often insulation to help keep the water warm, without the elements having to do all the work.
Instant water heaters:
Instantaneous water heaters, also called tankless, are just that. They do not have a tank and are therefore believed to be more energy efficient. They are sometimes called an in-line heater as it only heats the water it needs as it passes through and therefore no energy is wasted heating additional water all day that is not in use.
Other terms for tankless are combination, combination boilers, flow-through, in-line, flash, on-demand, or instant-start water heaters.
These particular water heaters are rapidly gaining in popularity and will soon become the standard. Often, a main tankless water heater will be installed near the furnace, and smaller tankless ones will be placed at tactical points, such as power bathrooms, etc., to be located right where the water is used. This strategy saves water as well as energy, making this option one of the most efficient, as well as saving space.
Solar water heaters:
If you are lucky enough to live in a sunny location most of the year, a solar powered water heater may be an option for you. Solar collectors are usually installed outside the building on the roof or nearby. If there is insufficient sunlight or during the night, an automatic sensor turns off and prevents the remaining water from cooling.
For colder climates, you’re not out of luck. The evacuated tube collector solar energy heater is an alternative type of solar water heater, smaller and considered more efficient, also mounted on the roof, it is said to work very well in cold climates.
True to its name, the vacuum tube collector solar heater has a row of glass tubes containing heat-conducting rods. Inside the heating rods there is antifreeze, which is located in a circulating circuit. The heat is captured and transferred to a heat exchanger. The result is excellent, with very low heat loss due to the fact that once the inner cladding has absorbed solar radiation, the air has been evacuated from the glass tubes to create a vacuum.