One installation we love to provide for our customers is the tankless water heaters. These appliances are truly one of the best investments that homeowners can make today: they offer an unlimited supply of hot water, cost less to run than standard storage tank water heaters, take up a small amount of space, and can last for many years.
Because not every home has a tankless water heater yet, people often assume that this technology is a recent development. The truth is that, while tankless water heaters may seem new to many U.S. homeowners, they’ve been around for a long time. A very long time!
The first tankless water heaters
In fact, the tankless water heater is almost as old as standard storage tank water heater that was first developed in last years of the 19th century. However, they simply weren’t as efficient at the time as the storage water heater system invented by Edwin Rudd in 1889, a gas-powered system that is still the basis for modern storage water heaters.
In 1929, Stiebel-Eltron invented the first electric tankless system. Although this was a very convenient system—especially helpful for homes with no access to natural gas and limits on size—it was costly to run.
Modern tankless water heaters
For decades, the tankless water heater lagged behind the storage tank system in energy efficiency and reliability. But within the last 30 years, the technology of tankless water heating caught up with conventional methods. In Europe, tankless water heaters became popular, and they’re now the standard when it comes to both homes and businesses. It wasn’t until the last decade that tankless systems made major inroads in the U.S. The demand for them continues to rise each year as more people discover the advantages they offer for convenience, reliability, and energy savings.
We understand that it’s difficult to shift from a familiar piece of technology like a storage water heater to something new—but it may very well be worth it!
Talk to the water heater professionals at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. in Orlando, FL, if you’re interested in learning more installing a tankless water heater.