Cyn datblygu rheweiddio artiffisial, mae pobl wedi gwybod eu bod yn defnyddio rhew ac eira naturiol i gynnal amodau tymheredd isel mewn offer syml, hynny yw, defnyddio ffynonellau oer naturiol. Yn Tsieina, mae rhew naturiol wedi'i ddefnyddio i gadw bwyd tua 3,000 o flynyddoedd yn ôl, ac mae'r Llyfr Caneuon yn y seithfed ganrif CC yn cynnwys penillion am gasglu, storio, ac oeri bwyd â rhew naturiol. Hyd at y cyfnod modern, mae pobl yn dal i ddefnyddio ffynonellau oer naturiol fel rhew, eira a dŵr daear. Dim ond tymheredd isel cyfyngedig y gall y ddyfais oeri sy'n cael ei oeri â rhew naturiol neu iâ artiffisial gyrraedd tymheredd isel cyfyngedig, ac mae'r amodau technegol a hylan yn wael, gan ei gwneud hi'n anodd cwrdd â gofynion amrywiol. Mae offer rheweiddio modern yn defnyddio oergelloedd i oeri.
In 1834, J. Perkins of the United States successfully trial-produced a human-operated refrigerator that could work continuously with ether as the working medium. In 1844, J. Gorey in the United States trial-produced a refrigerator using air as the working medium, which was used to make ice and cool air in hospitals. From 1872 to 1874, D. Bell and C. von Linde invented ammonia compressors in the United States and Germany respectively, and made ammonia vapor compression refrigerators, which was the origin of modern compression refrigerators. In the 1850s, the Carré brothers in France successively developed absorption refrigerators and ammonia absorption refrigerators using sulfuric acid and water as working fluids. In 1910, the steam jet refrigerator appeared. Freon refrigerant appeared in 1930, which promoted the rapid development of compression refrigerators. In 1945, the United States successfully developed a silver bromide absorption refrigerator.