The inventor of the mixed boiler
The invention of the first water heater in history is generally attributed to a man from England named Benjamin Maugham.
Benjamin was a decorative painter by profession. As a curious and creative person, he must have spent time outdoors admiring the wonders of nature. On one such occasion, while visiting a hot spring site, the sight of a jet of hot springs bursting into the air may have given Eureka the idea for the creation of his own Gas Geyser.
In 1868, Benjamin Maugham invented and patented the first boiler. It consisted of a gas-fired iron furnace. The water from the hands would be heated by the burner flames and stored in the hot water tank. When a faucet was open, hot water came out.
The boiler must have made a lot of noise when turned on, which is why it deserves the name “Gas Geyser”.
Perhaps Maugham did not think of all the technical details – since he was not an engineer – and the Gas Geyser did not become popular or commercial at the time. One of the reasons is that not having a proper ventilation system or temperature regulator would make it unsafe and even dangerous.
In 1889, a Norwegian engineer named Edwin Ruud, who had emigrated to the United States with his family, heard about the Maugham Gas Geyser and decided to make some adjustments and additions, improve it and market it. He made a cast iron gas combi boiler with a copper heat exchanger. When the faucet was open, a valve turned on the heater burners and the mains water was instantly heated and delivered through the faucet to the sink or tub without first being stored in the hot water tank.
This convenient invention was later patented by Ruud. He soon managed to market it and many homes installed it in their attics, basements or kitchens. It was becoming popular and demand was so high that just 10 years later, Ruud opened his own company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Ruud Manufacturing Company became the leader in appliances for heating water and other products. He made different water heaters that were suitable for domestic and commercial use.
Having gas central heating in the house became the trend of its day. Now, over a hundred years later, the Ruud Company is still operating and competitive in the US among many other combined boiler companies.