Many take the invention of indoor plumbing for granted, but prior to toilets grounding the family home, plumbing consisted of unsanitary, rudimentary chamber pots and uncomfortable, stinky outhouses. As running water in homes grew across the country, the possibility of sanitary systems that would carry waste out of the homes without having to deal with messy pots became a reality. Learn how the invention of indoor plumbing made your own household toilets a reality today.
For today’s society, cholera, yellow fever and typhoid are all but distant memories. For generations before, however, polluted water made such diseases commonplace and life risky. Once scientists uncovered the connection between these kinds of diseases and sanitary conditions in households and cities, the government empowered boards of health to create stringent reform. As a result, plumbing was born, as a water-based system was deemed necessary to remove human waste from homes.
Similar to the system of pipes, water channels and aqueducts employed by the Romans for water usage, the American plumbing system was built from the ground up. Eventually, reservoirs, water towers and pumps comprised the components that would make up the supply system, with pipes routing the water into individual homes. A connected system of pipes to remove the waste and process it followed, ensuring that households had a sanitary system to supply water and remove waste from the home.
In 1891, Thomas Crapper invents the modern toilet, gaining a patent for a design that employs a valve and siphon. Other products would follow, including the standard household faucet, toilets featuring a built-in trap for gases, through-the-roof venting, as well as machines to manufacture pipes.
Today, modern indoor plumbing technology is far exceeding the imaginations of those who first benefitted from indoor toilets and sinks. Consumers can now purchase stronger showerheads to improve water flow, or conversely, install water-savings showerheads to conserve water. Sink faucets can now monitor temperature. You can turn a faucet on or off without turning a faucet handle, or you can purchase a touch-based faucet.
It’s not impossible to foresee a future where plumbing technology continues to evolve to a point where it exceeds our wildest dreams. Perhaps in the next few decades backed up toilets, leaky pipes and waiting for the right water temperature will also be a thing of the past. For more about the invention of indoor plumbing or to schedule plumbing service, get in touch with your local plumbing experts. For answers to your questions, contact the Pink Plumber today.
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