Electrical hot water, 1930

PRR

I doubt this is a "first" but it seems to be all the modern features in one product, in 1930.

Note that "series with a furnace or range" was still a thing.

Electrical hot water, 1930

EdTheHeaterMan

They had electricity in that part of PA. in 1930?

PRR

What "part of PA."?

Larry Weingarten

Hi, Lots of good ideas in that design. Built in heat trap. Low heat flux, so little chance of scaling. Thick insulation. I wonder what the tank was made of? Of course, I also wonder if it had a temperature and pressure relief valve. That wasn't required nationally until around 1960. 🙀

Yours, Larry

PRR

wonder if it had a temperature and pressure relief valve

What is the dingus on the top of the "oil vacuum tube"? Kinda T&P valve shape. Seems to blow-off into insulation, but maybe it did, or maybe the blow-pipe has been omitted, or maybe the artist didn't have a clear picture to work from. And as you say: it was decades away from being universal.

As for repeated use of "vacuum tube"… it's 1930. Thermionic valves were in limited use 1910, commercial use 1920, but 1929 is about when "EVERY" home had radio (vacuum) tubes, or wished they did. Maybe on a new product that year, when you type "tube", your fingers throw on a "vacuum" automatically. But the concept only makes sense if the tube is full of oil or similar heat transfer fluid.

jumper

Decades ago hydro electricity was limited by grid. Nuclear somewhat similar.

Hot water is economic energy storage.