All About Water Heaters
View PDF | Print View
by: jazz.daniel45
Total views: 4
Word Count: 542
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 Time: 3:54 AM
Humans have been a successful species due to intelligence, and the ability to produce technology for essential necessities. People have been creating technological equipment for over 2.5 million years. Whether it's a pocket-size stone or a magnificent monument, it represents a marvelous achievement for human kind. Relatively speaking, water heaters are a new technology, with advances in more recent times. People have become accustomed to a temperature controlled life. Homes, cars, trains, buses, and even food are heated to just the right temperature.
However, water has not always had this luxury. Storage of heated water in safe tanks that will maintain temperature is not a simple concept. Water heaters have overcome several major obstacles. Benjamin Maugham was the first to create a water heater. This was called the Geyser, from it's resemblance to the eruptive water vapor springs. It stayed quite true to it's name. Eruptive bursts of hot water could severely injure or at least burn those who attempt to use the device.
While these were unsafe and unreliable by all means, these devices started the concept of a water heater. The Geyser paved way to a design concept by a Norwegian mechanical engineer. The Ruud Company started manufacturing water heaters, that was designed by Edwin Ruud, himself. Water heaters are still manufactured to this day, by the original Ruud company. Throughout the company's century-old history, it has pioneered the way hot water reaches households. Today, there are several types of water heaters in use.
Natural gas, liquified gas, fossil fuels, oil, electricity, and now even solar energy have become power sources for water heaters. The typical water heater today, consists of a tall cylindrical tank, that has been carefully insulated to ensure the temperature loss is always at its minimal. Eco-friendly tanks have been introduced in more recent years. These tanks conserve and hold heat at much greater efficiency in comparison to earlier versions. The consumption of energy is reduced in eco-friendly tanks.
Water heaters constantly have to reheat stored water in order to maintain a constant temperature. Improved tanks have the capability of holding temperature for longer periods. This traditionally styled water heater is more common in North America and Europe. It's an expected standard for households, today. Major obstacles have been overcome, but that does not eliminate all problems. The water heater is limited to only the amount of water that can be held within the tank.
Further into the problem, valuable energy is constantly lost because of re-heating. As real estate prices increase, space becomes more valuable, and having a massive tank, might not suit a house owners best interests. Tankless heaters have been invented to eliminate these issues.
These water heaters work on demand, instantaneously. Despite the time it takes to start the flow of hot water, these on-demand water heaters produce an unlimited water supply. Installation costs can be quite expensive for tankless water heaters, but could save money in the long term, from reduced energy consumption. The safety features of modern on-demand water heaters can prove to be useful for a family with elders or kids. Temperature can be controlled, eliminating the concern of electrical fires, over-use, and burns. The evolution of water heaters continues, as inventors try to harness the use of solar energy.
About the Author
If you are looking for heat pumps bc then you would also like to know about gas fitter Vancouver, follow the link for more information.
Rating: Not yet rated
