​Benjamin Waddy Maughan (active 1860s)

Benjamin Waddy Maughan (fl. mid-19th century – early 20th century), English inventor of the first instantaneous gas water heater.

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Benjamin Waddy Maughan is recognized as the inventor of the first domestic instantaneous water heater that did not rely on solid fuel (wood or coal). His device, which he named the Geyser, marked a major step toward modern on-demand hot water systems.

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Early Life and Background

Maughan worked as a decorative (house) painter in the Clerkenwell district of London. Little is known about his early years. He does not appear to have had formal engineering training.

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In 1863 he married Fanny Elizabeth Seamer in Islington. Fanny later signed the 1866 women’s suffrage petition, linking the Maughan household to early feminist activism in Britain.

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The Invention of the Geyser (1868)

Before Maughan’s invention, domestic hot water was typically heated in batches on a stove or over an open fire—a slow and inconvenient process. Maughan developed a continuous-flow system heated by gas.

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British Patent No. 3,917 (1868) – Benjamin Waddy Maughan’s Geyser

The original patent drawings for British Patent No. 3,917 (granted 23 December 1868 to Benjamin Waddy Maughan for “Improvements in apparatus for the heating of water and other liquids, applicable for baths and other purposes”) are not freely available as high-resolution public-domain scans online.

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Unlike modern U.S. patents (which are easily accessible via Google Patents), British patents from the 1860s are held by the UK Intellectual Property Office and are not comprehensively digitized in open public repositories. No clear, high-quality image of the official 1868 patent drawings appears in major online collections.

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What the Patent Described

Maughan’s design was the first instantaneous (tankless) gas water heater that did not rely on solid fuel.

 

Key features shown in the (unscanned) patent included:

• Cold water entering at the top

• Water flowing downward through heated passages

• A gas burner at the bottom whose hot combustion gases rose and heated the water

• Hot water discharging for baths or sinks

• No flue/chimney (the major safety flaw)

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An impressive surviving example of a Maughan geyser (brass fittings, marbled green casing, three curved legs, displaying the Royal Arms) is held by the Science Museum Group in London.

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Maughan named the device a “Geyser” after the Icelandic word geysir (meaning “gusher”), referring to the natural hot springs of Iceland.

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Major limitation: The original design had no flue or chimney to vent the combustion gases. This made the appliance dangerous, as carbon monoxide and other fumes remained in the room. It was also prone to overheating or explosion under certain conditions. Despite these risks, the convenience of continuous hot water was considered revolutionary at the time.

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An impressive surviving example of Maughan’s geyser is held by the Science Museum in London. It features brass fittings, a marbled green casing, three curved legs, and the Royal Arms.

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Later Career and Personal Life

By the 1881 census, Maughan and his wife were living at Heydon House, Quarry Road, Hastings. He was described as a “Gas Engineer Fitter, employing 28 hands,” indicating that he had successfully commercialized his invention and was running a manufacturing operation.

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By 1887, when Fanny died, the couple had returned to Islington. Maughan operated a factory at Gloucester Road in Hackney (just off Hackney Road).

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His fortunes later declined. The 1911 census records him as an inmate of the Islington Workhouse, listed as “formerly house painter.” A note states that he had become deaf at the age of 63. The exact date of his death remains uncertain.

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Timeline of Key Events

• 1863 Marries Fanny Elizabeth Seamer in Islington

• 1866 Fanny signs the women’s suffrage petition

• 23 Dec 1868 Patents the Geyser (British Patent No. 3,917) – first instantaneous gas water heater without solid fuel

• 1881 Living in Hastings; described as Gas Engineer Fitter employing 28 hands

• 1887 Fanny dies; Maughan operating a factory in Hackney

• 1911 Recorded as an inmate of Islington Workhouse; noted as deaf since age 63

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Legacy

Maughan’s Geyser was the first practical domestic instantaneous water heater powered by gas rather than solid fuel. Although its lack of a flue made it unsafe by modern standards, it introduced the core concept of continuous-flow (tankless) water heating.

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His work directly influenced later inventors, most notably the Norwegian engineer Edwin Ruud, who improved upon the idea and developed safer automatic storage-tank water heaters in the United States beginning in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The term “geyser” continued to be used in Britain for gas water heaters well into the 20th century.

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Maughan’s invention represents a pivotal moment in the transition from batch heating of water over fires or stoves to the on-demand systems that became standard in modern homes.

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Edwin Ruud (1854–1932)

Edwin Ruud (1854–1932) Norwegian-American mechanical engineer, inventor, and industrialist Best known for inventing the first practical automatic storage gas water heater and founding the Ruud Manufacturing Company

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Early Life and Education

Edwin Ruud (born Edvin Ruud) was born on 9 June 1854 in the parish of Askim in Østfold, Norway, on the family farm Rud (Nedre Rud) near Kykkelsrud. He was the eldest son of farmer Andreas Eriksen Rud and Sofie Petersdatter.

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He received a standard rural education before entering the Horten Technical School (Horten tekniske skole) in Vestfold in 1875. He completed the engineering program around 1876.

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Immigration and Early Career in America

In the spring of 1880, Ruud emigrated to the United States, seeking opportunities in the growing industrial economy of Pennsylvania. He worked in Philadelphia and Altoona but returned to Norway in 1884 due to poor health. He came back to the U.S. the following year and settled permanently.

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By 1887, he was employed by George Westinghouse at the Fuel Gas and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh. Westinghouse’s firm was actively developing gas appliances and control systems. Ruud contributed to various gas-related devices, including automatic water distillers and gas regulators.

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Invention of the Automatic Water Heater

While working for Westinghouse, Ruud developed the first practical automatic storage tank-type gas water heater.

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Around 1888–1889, he engineered a system that used a gas burner at the bottom of a storage tank combined with a temperature-controlled gas valve. This allowed hot water to be stored and maintained at a set temperature automatically, ready for use on demand—a major advance over earlier batch-heating methods and the unvented instantaneous “geyser” invented by Benjamin Waddy Maughan in 1868.

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Key early patents assigned to the Fuel Gas and Manufacturing Company:

• U.S. Patent 443,797 – Water Heater – Issued 30 December 1890

• U.S. Patent 460,513 – Water Heater – Issued 29 September 1891 (filed October 1890)

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These designs introduced thermostatic control of the gas supply based on water temperature, solving the problem of inconsistent heating and safety.

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Founding of Ruud Manufacturing Company

In 1897, Ruud left Westinghouse, acquired rights to his inventions, and partnered with plumber James Hay to establish the Ruud Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh.

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On 22 January 1897, he filed an independent patent for an improved automatic water heater featuring a cast-iron shell, internal burners, a coil of copper tubing for efficient heat transfer, and thermostat-controlled gas valves.

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U.S. Patent 610,281 – Automatic Water-Heater – Issued 6 September 1898

This coiled-tube design could function as an instantaneous (tankless) heater while maintaining temperature control. The company’s stated goal was “to maintain the supply of water at the desired temperature at all times.”

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Ruud Manufacturing grew rapidly, producing both storage and instantaneous water heaters for residential, commercial, and industrial use. The firm expanded with factories, sales offices, and service facilities in the United States and Europe. It later absorbed other heating companies and became one of the leading water-heater manufacturers in North America. (The Ruud brand eventually became part of Rheem Manufacturing Company.)

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Later Innovations and Recognition

Ruud continued refining water-heating technology throughout his career. Notable later patents include:

US 853,738 Storage Water-Heater, 14 May 1907

US 875,217 Thermostatic-Valve-Operating Mechanism, 31 December 1907

US 968,605 Pilot-light burner for water-heaters, 30 August 1910

US 1,050,564 Water-heater, 14 January 1913

US 1,257,932 Water Valve for Instantaneous Water Heaters, 26 February 1918

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards and honors:

• Gold Medal, Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World’s Fair), 1904

• Edward Longstreth Medal of Merit, 1905

• Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Pittsburgh, 1927

• Knight / Commander of the Order of St. Olav (Norwegian royal order), conferred in stages between 1924 and 1929

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He married the singer Minna Kaufmann. Ruud remained closely connected to Norway, establishing educational funds and leaving significant bequests to his home region (including support that later helped found a hospital in the Askim/Eidsberg area).

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Death and Legacy

Edwin Ruud died on 9 December 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of 78, after a long illness. He is buried in Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh.

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His automatic storage water heater fundamentally changed domestic life by making reliable hot water available on demand. The Ruud name continues today as a major brand in water heating, heating, and air-conditioning equipment.

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Timeline Summary

9 June 1854, Born in Askim, Østfold, Norway

1875–1876, Studies at Horten Technical School

1880, Emigrates to the United States

1884, Temporarily returns to Norway due to health

1887, Joins George Westinghouse’s Fuel Gas and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh

1888–1889, Develops first automatic storage gas water heater

30 Dec 1890, U.S. Patent 443,797 (Water Heater)

29 Sept 1891, U.S. Patent 460,513 (Water Heater)

22 Jan 1897, Files independent patent for Automatic Water Heater

1897, Founds Ruud Manufacturing Company with James Hay

6 Sept 1898, U.S. Patent 610,281 (Automatic Water-Heater) issued

1904, Gold Medal, Louisiana Purchase Exposition

1905, Edward Longstreth Medal of Merit

14 May 1907, U.S. Patent 853,738 (Storage Water-Heater)

1927, Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Pittsburgh

1924–1929, Receives Order of St. Olav

9 Dec 1932, Dies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Ruud’s work transformed Maughan’s earlier instantaneous concept into a practical, thermostatically controlled system suitable for widespread domestic and commercial use, laying the foundation for the modern water-heater industry.

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Clarence M. Kemp (active 1890s)

Clarence M. Kemp (c. 1853 – 1911) American inventor and manufacturer. Best known for inventing the world’s first commercial solar water heater, the Climax

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Background and Business

Clarence M. Kemp was based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1881, he founded the C.M. Kemp Manufacturing Company, which produced a variety of products of his own design, including valves, motors, and equipment for utilizing acetylene gas. The firm also sold conventional home heating equipment such as gas and coal stoves.

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Kemp observed that heating bathwater on a “wet-back” wood stove or range during the hot Maryland summers was unpleasant and inconvenient. Earlier attempts at solar water heating simply placed bare metal tanks on roofs; these heated slowly and lost heat rapidly once the sun set.

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Invention of the Climax Solar Water Heater (1891)

Kemp combined the older practice of exposing metal tanks to the sun with the scientific principle of the “hot box” (a glass-covered, insulated enclosure that traps solar heat).

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U.S. Patent 451,384 Title: Apparatus for Utilizing the Sun’s Rays for Heating Water Application filed: 14 June 1890 Issued: 28 April 1891

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Design of the Climax system:

• Several long cylindrical tanks (typically made of heavy galvanized iron painted dull black) were mounted inside a wooden frame or box.

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• The box had a glass cover on the upper (south-facing) side.

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• The enclosure provided insulation, reducing heat loss to wind and cooler air.

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• Cold water from the mains filled the tanks.

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• Solar radiation heated the water during the day.

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• Hot water could then be drawn for bathing or other domestic uses.

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• The trapped heat allowed the water to remain warm for a considerable time after sunset.

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Kemp sold the Climax in multiple sizes. The most popular model held about 32 gallons and measured roughly 4½ feet long by 3 feet wide by 1 foot deep, selling for around $25. Larger models held up to 700 gallons.

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He initially marketed the heater to “eastern gentlemen” whose wives and domestic staff had left for summer resorts, advertising that it would simplify housekeeping for men unaccustomed to lighting stoves for hot water.

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Commercial Success and California Expansion

The Climax performed especially well in sunny, high-fuel-cost regions. In 1895, Kemp sold the exclusive manufacturing rights for the system to two Pasadena, California, businessmen. Southern California’s climate proved ideal.

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By 1900, more than 1,600 Climax solar water heaters had been installed across Southern California. In Pasadena alone, a substantial percentage of homes (reports from the period indicate roughly one-third by the late 1890s) used solar water heating.

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The Climax established the basic configuration still used in many modern passive solar water heaters: a glazed, insulated collector containing water vessels exposed to the sun.

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Later Work and Death

Kemp continued inventing. In 1898, he received U.S. Patent 608,291 for a submerged water heater (a metallic vessel immersed in water with an internal burner).

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Clarence M. Kemp died on 24 July 1911 at his home on the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland, after several months of illness. He was 58 years old. He was survived by his wife, Frances (or Alice) Regester Kemp, two sons, and three daughters. He is buried in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore.

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Recognition

In 2011, Clarence Kemp was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his passive solar water heater (U.S. Patent 451,384).

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Timeline Summary

March 1853, Born in Maryland

1881, Founds C.M. Kemp Manufacturing Company in Baltimore

14 June 1890, Files patent application for solar water heater

28 April 1891, U.S. Patent 451,384 issued – Climax solar water heater

1895, Sells exclusive manufacturing rights to Pasadena businessmen

By 1900, over 1,600 Climax units installed in Southern California

2 Aug 1898, U.S. Patent 608,291 issued (submerged water heater)

24 July 1911, Dies in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

2011, Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

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Legacy

Clarence M. Kemp’s Climax was the first commercially successful solar water heater. It demonstrated that solar energy could provide practical domestic hot water and laid the foundation for later improvements, including William J. Bailey’s “Day and Night” system (1909), which separated the collector from an insulated storage tank. Kemp’s work remains a landmark in the history of renewable energy and domestic water heating technology.

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William J. Bailey (active early 1900s)

William J. Bailey (active early 1900s), American engineer and inventor. Pioneer of the modern solar water heater through his “Day and Night” system.

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Background

William J. Bailey worked as an engineer for Carnegie Steel in Pennsylvania before moving west. In 1908, he relocated to Monrovia, California (a suburb of Los Angeles), seeking a cure for tuberculosis. There he turned his attention to improving solar water heating.

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Earlier commercial solar heaters, most notably Clarence M. Kemp’s Climax (patented 1891), consisted of black-painted metal tanks placed inside a glass-covered box on the roof. These systems heated water during the day but lost heat rapidly once the sun set, limiting their usefulness at night and in the early morning.

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The Day and Night Solar Water Heater (1909–1910)

In the summer of 1909, Bailey began selling an improved solar water heater from a small outdoor shop in Monrovia.

 

His critical innovation was to separate the solar collector from the storage tank:

• Collector: A flat-plate design consisting of a series of small-diameter copper pipes (typically ½-inch) attached to a black-painted metal absorber plate, enclosed in a glass-covered, insulated box mounted on the roof.

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• Storage tank: A separate, heavily insulated tank (commonly 60 gallons for household use) located indoors or in a protected location. Bailey used powdered limestone insulation and guaranteed that the water would lose no more than 1°F per hour.

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Hot water heated in the collector rose into the top of the storage tank (thermosiphon circulation), remaining available for use after sunset and into the following morning. This capability gave the system its name: Day and Night.

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Primary patent:

• U.S. Patent 966,070 Title: Solar Heater Application filed: 19 April 1909 Issued: 2 August 1910

This patent is widely regarded as marking the birth of the modern solar thermal water heater configuration (flat-plate collector + separate storage).

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Company and Commercial Success

Bailey established the Day and Night Solar Heater Company (later known as Day & Night Water Heater Co.) in Monrovia. The company operated a factory there, with a main sales office in downtown Los Angeles and branches in Ontario, San Diego, Oxnard, Visalia, Fresno, and other locations. Systems were sold throughout California, Arizona, and Hawaii.

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Key commercial points:

• Between 1909 and 1918, the company sold more than 4,000 units.

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• By the early 1920s, it claimed over 4,000 installations in greater Los Angeles alone (houses, hotels, and public buildings).

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• Total production before World War II exceeded 7,000 units.

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• Bailey also acquired the patents of earlier California solar heaters (including the Walker design).

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Typical performance in Southern California: 100–120°F on sunny winter days and 115–150°F during the rest of the year.

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Later Improvements and Freeze Protection

Bailey continued refining the design. A major later patent addressed freezing problems that occurred when water in the exposed collector pipes froze and burst:

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• U.S. Patent 1,242,511 Title: Solar Heater Application filed: 18 June 1913 Issued: 9 October 1917

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This system used a closed-loop circulation of a non-freezing liquid (typically a water-alcohol mixture) through the collector. The heated liquid passed through a heat-exchange coil inside the domestic storage tank, transferring heat without mixing the fluids. This protected the collector from freeze damage while still supplying hot water under full household pressure.

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Decline of the California Market and Florida Expansion

The discovery and widespread availability of inexpensive natural gas in the Los Angeles basin during the 1920s sharply reduced demand for solar water heaters. Sales fell dramatically (only 350 units in 1926 and just 40 in 1930).

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Around 1923, Bailey sold the Florida patent rights to a Miami firm (the Solar Water Heater Company). The Florida market, with high fuel costs and abundant sunshine, proved highly successful. By 1941, that company had installed more than 60,000 solar water heaters, and more than half the population of Miami used solar energy for domestic hot water.

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In California, Day and Night gradually shifted toward gas water heaters. The last solar production run occurred in 1941, just as World War II began and copper (a key material) was restricted for civilian use.

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Timeline Summary

Pre-1908, Works as an engineer for Carnegie Steel in Pennsylvania

1908, Moves to Monrovia, California, seeking treatment for tuberculosis

Summer 1909, Begins selling the Day and Night solar water heater

19 April 1909, Files patent application for Solar Heater

2 August 1910, U.S. Patent 966,070 issued – foundational Day and Night design

1909–1918, Sells more than 4,000 units

Early 1920s, Claims over 4,000 installations in greater Los Angeles

18 June 1913, Files patent for improved freeze-protected system

9 October 1917, U.S. Patent 1,242,511 issued (non-freezing circulating liquid)

~1923, Sells Florida patent rights to Miami Solar Water Heater Company

1926, Only 350 units sold (natural gas competition intensifies)

1930, Only 40 units sold

1941, Final solar production run; company shifts fully to gas heaters

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Legacy

William J. Bailey’s separation of the solar collector from an insulated storage tank established the basic architecture still used in the vast majority of modern solar water heating systems. His Day and Night heater transformed solar technology from a daytime-only novelty into a practical, round-the-clock domestic appliance and remains a landmark in the history of renewable energy and hot water technology.

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Dr. Theodor Stiebel (1882–1960)

Dr. Theodor Stiebel (28 February 1894 – 9 September 1960), German engineer, inventor, and industrialist, founder of STIEBEL ELTRON and pioneer of modern electric water heating.

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Early Life and Education

Theodor Hermann Friedrich Stiebel was born on 28 February 1894 in Braunschweig, Germany, the son of master carpenter Hermann Stiebel and his wife Hermine.

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He trained as a mechanical engineer (Diplom-Ingenieur) and later earned a doctorate in political economy (Dr. rer. pol.) while working on technical ideas related to electric heating appliances.

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The Breakthrough Invention: The Ring Immersion Heater (1924)

In the early 1920s, the common household immersion heater was a solid “plunger” type (Kolbentauchsieder).

 

These devices had large mass, heated slowly, reached extremely high surface temperatures (up to around 600 °C), cooled slowly, and posed a serious fire risk if left on a combustible surface after use.

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Stiebel designed a radically improved ring-shaped immersion heater (Ringtauchsieder):

• A hollow cylindrical metal body with a wall thickness of only about 3 mm

• Heating element (resistance wire on a mica carrier) placed in the annular space

• Much faster heat-up and cool-down times

• Significantly safer and more practical for everyday household use

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He filed patents for the design in early 1924. Prototypes (the first 100 units produced with help from his uncle Carl Reese’s metalworking firm in Holzminden) were exhibited at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1924 and attracted strong interest.

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Founding of the Company

On 5 May 1924 (the official date recorded in the commercial register; preparatory work began slightly earlier), Stiebel founded the company “ELTRON Dr. Theodor Stiebel” in Berlin-Kreuzberg (Reichenberger Straße 143).

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Starting capital was 20,000 Reichsmark, borrowed from two uncles (Hermann Stiebel in Hamburg and Carl Reese in Holzminden). Production began in a modest backyard workshop of about 450 m².

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The ring immersion heater quickly established the firm’s reputation for practical, high-quality electric heating appliances.

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Expansion into Instantaneous Water Heaters and Broader Product Range

Between 1927 and 1933, Stiebel systematically expanded the product line:

• Small instantaneous (tankless) water heaters (Kleindurchlauferhitzer), beginning with 1,000-watt models that used innovative two-stage technology

• These were among the first such appliances to receive VDE approval (German electrical safety certification)

• Additional products included low-pressure and high-pressure storage heaters, boiling-water storage tanks, and other electric water-heating devices

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By the end of 1938, the company had obtained approximately 35 German patents and 12 foreign patents.

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Over his lifetime, Stiebel accumulated around 160 national and international patents, making him one of the most prolific inventors in the field of domestic electric water heating.

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World War II and Relocation

During the Second World War, the company was required to switch part of its production to armaments. The Berlin factory suffered repeated bomb damage.

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In 1943–1944 Stiebel relocated a significant portion of manufacturing to Holzminden in Lower Saxony (where his uncle’s firm was based). After the war, the Berlin works were effectively destroyed, and the permanent headquarters remained in Holzminden. The company also faced demontage (forced removal of machinery) under the British occupation authorities.

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Post-War Years and Death

Despite the difficult post-war conditions, Stiebel rebuilt the business. The firm gradually recovered and continued to innovate in electric water heating.

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Stiebel married twice. His first marriage (1930) was childless and ended in divorce in 1944. His second marriage (1947) to Margret produced a daughter and two sons, Frank Stiebel and Ulrich Stiebel (born 1949), who later took over leadership of the company.

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Dr. Theodor Stiebel died on 9 September 1960 in Holzminden at the age of 66 (by suicide). At the time of his death, he held approximately 160 patents and was widely recognized as one of the pioneers of modern domestic electric hot-water technology.

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Timeline Summary

28 Feb 1894, Born in Braunschweig, Germany

Early 1920s, Develops the ring-shaped immersion heater while completing his doctorate

Feb 1924, Patents for the Ringtauchsieder filed/accepted

Spring 1924, Exhibits 100 prototypes at the Leipzig Spring Fair

5 May 1924, Official founding of “ELTRON Dr. Theodor Stiebel” in Berlin

1925, Large-scale production of ring immersion heaters begins

1927, First small instantaneous water heaters (1,000 W, two-stage technology, VDE-approved)

1927–1933, Expansion of product range (storage heaters, boiling-water tanks, etc.)

By end of 1938, Approx. 35 German + 12 foreign patents obtained

1943–1944, Partial relocation of production to Holzminden due to wartime bombing

Post-1945, Permanent move of headquarters to Holzminden; post-war reconstruction

1947, Second marriage; later birth of sons Frank and Ulrich Stiebel

9 Sep 1960, Dies in Holzminden at age 66; leaves ~160 patents

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Legacy

Dr. Theodor Stiebel transformed electric water heating from bulky, slow, and hazardous devices into practical, safe, and efficient household appliances. His ring immersion heater and subsequent instantaneous (tankless) water heaters laid the technical and commercial foundation for the modern electric water-heater industry in Europe.

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The company he founded, now known as STIEBEL ELTRON, remains a major global manufacturer of electric water heaters, heat pumps, and renewable-energy systems, still headquartered in Holzminden, Germany.

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Other Notable Contributors

A.O. Smith engineers (1930s): The team that developed and patented the glass-lining process for steel water heater tanks in 1936. This innovation made durable, affordable storage tanks practical for mass production and is still the dominant tank-protection method today. (Detailed company history and technical article planned.)

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Range-boiler and water-back inventors (19th century): Numerous smaller innovations in stove-integrated water heating systems that provided the transitional technology most households used before dedicated automatic heaters became common.

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Looking Ahead

This page will expand as full-length articles on each major inventor are completed.

 

New verified information is added as research progresses.