Most houses have hot water readily available these days
but there are various ways in which the water can be heated and stored.
Heating water
We usually have a boiler installed in the home to heat our water. Not so long ago these would have been typically installed behind the main fireplace in the house, and the water was heated by the coal or wood burning in the grate. These were known as Back Boilers and were effective, although a considerable percentage of the heat produced was lost up the chimney, so the efficiency was quite low. Despite this, because the fire was also heating the primary living room, the back boiler was widely installed and provided adequate hot water for millions of homes.
A more efficient device was the Range Cooker which was usually a fairly chunky cast iron construction which provided heat for the room, included hot plates and an oven or cooking and also heated the domestic water. More efficient than an open fire, the range is still a popular heating solution today.
However with the rise in popularity of Central Heating in homes the amount of hot water required increased considerably and more efficient boilers were developed, leading to the familiar oil or gas fired appliances we are familiar with today.
