Water Heaters Come Full Circle: From 1887 to Today’s Tankless Technology
In the 1880s, hot water on demand was unheard of. Heating water meant lighting a fire, waiting, and hoping there was enough for the day. Today, hot water flows instantly from nearly every tap—and with modern tankless water heaters, it can be endless.
What most homeowners don’t realize is that this “modern” technology isn’t new at all.
The first automatic water heater was invented in 1887 by Norwegian mechanical engineer Edwin Ruud, who was living and working in the United States at the time. While employed by George Westinghouse, Ruud developed a system that heated water as it flowed. In 1897, he purchased the rights to his invention and launched his own company dedicated to producing water heaters.
That original Ruud system looked nothing like the tank-style water heaters most of us recognize today. It featured a free-standing cast iron shell with a copper coil inside, wrapped around a burner. As water passed through the coil, it was heated instantly and delivered directly to the home. A gas burner and water-pressure-actuated valve automatically controlled the flame.
A Ruud advertisement from 1920 described it perfectly:
“Light a fire under the water tank for the day’s use—that’s the old way. Simply turn any hot water faucet in the home any time—that’s the up-to-date way. With a Ruud there’s nothing to light, no tank to watch… you and your family have hot water galore.”
Yes—the first modern water heater was tankless.
Over the years, tankless water heaters have earned mixed reputations. I’ve heard everything from “they don’t work” to “they’re the greatest invention ever.” And honestly? For a long time, I was skeptical too.
Living in Utah—where winter groundwater temperatures average around 40 degrees—I saw many early tankless systems struggle to keep up with whole-house demand. I even advised people not to buy them because, at the time, the technology simply wasn’t there.
Things have changed.
Modern tankless water heaters are far more powerful, efficient, and reliable than their early counterparts. Advances in heat exchangers, controls, and sizing options have made them a viable solution even in colder climates. I now have a tankless water heater in my own home—and I’m completely satisfied with it.
Today’s systems heat water as it flows through copper or stainless-steel heat exchangers with no time or quantity limitation. When properly sized and installed, they can deliver endless hot water to every faucet in the home while achieving efficiencies of up to 97%.
Tankless and tank-style water heaters alike have come a long way since 1887. It’s remarkable to see how water heating has come full circle—and exciting to imagine where the next generation of technology will take us.
— Victor Bachman