How Much Do You Know Your Plumbing History?
Plumbing and sanitation are two vastly underappreciated technologies in today's society. Indeed, sanitation practices have been said to be as important to human activity as developing irrigation was to humanity's first civilizations. Without plumbing and sewers, humanity never would've made it this far!
This Independence Day, take a moment and appreciate the unsung heroes of modern society and learn about America's contribution to these important technologies. Here are some fun plumbing facts from plumbers in Murray.
American Plumbing History
- The "Firsts" at the Tremont Hotel: The Tremont Hotel in Boston contributed many of what people understand today to the hospitality industry. They provided the first free soaps, indoor plumbing, and bellboys.
- The First Available Toilet Paper: Joseph Gayetty sold the first commercially produced toilet paper. It came in a sleeve of sheets and was pretty coarse. It was supplanted by "splinter-free" paper in the early 1930s.
- The First President to Bathe in the White House: White House plumbing was rudimentary, not even in keeping with society at large, for many decades. Millard Fillmore was the first to add a fully functioning "bathing room" to the President's Quarters.
Interesting Facts About the Toilet
- The Romans added public toilets as part of their construction projects in the empire. Most toilets had an entrance and exit to access the toilets. Comically, most of the entrances are more worn down than the exits, indicating a greater urgency to get inside.
- It is estimated the average person will spend around 3 years of their life sitting on the toilet.
- A dual flush toilet will save 3 times the amount of water of a single flush toilet in ten years. This is equivalent to over $500.
- Ironically, Queen Elizabeth I had the first flushing "throne" since she was the godmother to John Harrington, the patent-holder of the first flush toilets.
- While the flushing toilet is largely an English invention, the world's most famous plumbers are Italian. Mario and Luigi.
Fun General Plumbing Facts
- The word "plumbing" is derived from the Latin word for lead since lead was the primary material for plumbing installations. Lead has a low melting point and is easily workable, making it the material of choice. Unfortunately, lead's toxic consequences weren't known to the Romans.
- During the late Roman Empire, plumbing was a large contributor to the declining birthrate of the upper class. Since only the upper class had access to plumbing and baths, they weren't constantly suffering from low-grade lead poisoning and infertility caused by baths that were too hot.
- Sinks are called "basins" as a callback to times before indoor plumbing. Washbasins were large bowls filled with water for washing, and as indoor plumbing came in style, the name stuck. It wasn't until the 1930s that sinks stopped having two separate faucets: one for hot water and one for cold.
About Towers Plumbing
Towers Plumbing has served the Murray, UT area since 1942. They have been strongly committed to quality service and workmanship for their commercial and residential customers all those years. Free quotes and fast turnarounds keep their customers coming back for all of their plumbing solutions.