Indoor Plumbing History Guide

It was the ancient Egyptians who first introduced plumbing to mankind, thanks to a ruler named Menes who built a series of ditches and canals to help train water towards farms and city dwellings.

Around the same time in India, rudimentary straw and clay pipes delivered water from the Indus River Valley towards farms to help irrigate crops.

However, two more centuries would pass before the Egyptians invented copper water delivery systems and built the first toilets from stone.

Five hundred years later after that, King Minos of Crete built the first simple flushing toilets, but the fact that the Minoan culture was so isolated from the rest of the world prevented the sharing of their indoor plumbing knowledge with other cultures.

As the civilized world entered the Iron Age, Romans learned from what they saw during their many invasions of Egypt and built aqueducts and pipes. These simple structures of often used the natural pull of gravity to supply homes, public baths and fountains with local river water.

However, after Visigoths invaded Rome in 365 AD, the city was demolished and stalled the evolution of indoor plumbing. The world regressed back to the days when there was no running water at all for almost a thousand years.

The Invention of Running Water and Flush Toilets

Before the invention of running water and flush toilets, even kings and queens had to put up with less than sanitary conditions, which inspired Marie Antoinette to invent a special strong smelling perfume in order to cover up the smell of 17th-century day-to-day living.

Things were even worse in the streets, where pails of human waste were sloshed onto the streets in all of the big cities in Europe, with no readily available water to rinse it away. In the eighteenth century, King Louis the XIV did build a series of lead pipes to water his garden, but living without bathing or days had become so common, that it did not occur to him to add bathrooms to the palace.

However, cast-iron bathtubs had been invented by then and water warmed in pots heated over a stove was used to fill them. Only European royalty enjoyed the privilege of being clean and most commoners living in cities such as Paris and London only bathed once a year. The godson of Queen Elizabeth 1st, a man named Sir John Harrington, invented the first European prototype for a toilet.

As it was not connected to a sewage system, it was very much a novelty. By 1775, the modern toilet is invented by Alexander Cumming and then later improved upon in 1891 by Thomas Crapper, however outhouses still predominated all over the world because sewage and plumbing systems had yet to be built. The first comprehensive operating sewer system was completed in 1885, and many other cities all over the world quickly followed suit.

Advancing Towards Contemporary Indoor Plumbing and Fixtures

By 1910, the contemporary closed toilet bowl and tank that is used by citizens of South Windsor, CT today had been invented and the basic design has not really changed since then.

However, as common as flush toilets came to be throughout the twenties and thirties, two-ply toilet paper was not invented until 1942.

Other innovations that have been added to indoor plumbing include sensor-flushing toilets, low-flow toilets that conserve almost two gallons of water per flush and toilets with inbuilt jets and dryers that forgo the need to use any toilet paper because technology takes care of your every need.

Water-Saving Guide for a Fun Summer

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you need to do away with your water conservation priorities to have fun. You spend the entire year consciously trying to save water, why stop when the temperature rises and the kids are out of school?

There are many amazing ways you can have fun this summer and save water at the same time.

Here are 5 ideas to get you started:

Make the Most of Lawn Irrigation

Everyone knows that keeping the sprinkler on 24/7 to protect your lawn is wasteful. Instead, make the most of your sprinkler time by letting the kids run through the water and cool down at the same time!

Think back to your childhood, some of the most precious memories are made from impromptu sprinkler jumping. This is a simple activity that requires minimal effort on your part while maximizing fun and giving your kids some amazing summer memories and the chance to have fun and be silly.

Opt for Sponges Instead of Water Balloons

Water fights are a fun part of summer and nothing is more enticing than a bucket filled with gently jiggling, colorful water balloons. But water balloons only offer a one-time use, which can be wasteful.

Instead, pass our brightly colored sponges to your water fight participants and place several buckets of water around the yard as refilling stations.

Throwing a wet sponge is effective at soaking your enemies and the ability to re-soak the sponges will cut down on the waste.

Build Your Own DIY Slip and Slide

If you find yourself in a pinch for a quick and inexpensive summer activity, try making a DIY slip and slide course out of materials found in your own home.

Here are some steps to making a slip and slide out of things you already have:

1. Use a painter’s tarp or tape together some heavy-duty garbage bags as the course.
2. Make sure the slip and slide area is free of any rocks or sharp edges that could hurt someone.
3. Squirt a small amount of dish soap on the tarp or garbage bags.
4. Pour a couple buckets of water on the plastic and enjoy!

Hose Limbo

Although it can be fun to simply spray your family with the hose, there are other ways you can make a functional garden hose fun. Hose limbo is a spin on the traditional limbo game, except; instead of a “limbo stick” participants must limbo under a stream of water from the hose.

This activity is sure to soak a few people and give hours of entertainment.

Bucket Filling

Games are always a hit when it comes to outdoor fun. Try this minute-to-win-it style game by placing a full bucket and empty bucket away from each other. Participants will have to fill the empty bucket using water from the full one.

The only catch, they must fill the bucket by wringing out water from a sponge! Although the key is to move the water quickly and efficiently without spilling any, you are sure to get soaked in the process.

Useful Ideas for Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels

Have you decided to renovate your kitchen or bathroom? The summertime is the ultimate time of year to do so.

However, many homeowners only focus on how they want their new room to look and function.

What many people fail to realize is that renovations involve much more than a simple change of scenery.

Regardless of whether you’ll be cooking up some delicious food in your new kitchen, or relaxing after a long day in a newly installed jetted-tub, get the most out of your renovations with these useful ideas:

Make Sure You Plan Ahead

When you take on a major remodel project, make sure you do your research before making any financial investments.

You should know your exact plumbing needs, any necessary installations, and the existing layout of your home’s plumbing system.

This information can be found on your home’s blueprint, but these can be hard to come by, especially in older homes.

If you cannot access these blueprints, contact your local plumber.

They can come in and provide you with a rough estimate of how your home’s plumbing is laid out by using their experience and expertise.

Depending on the fixtures that you wish to install, consider any upgrades that may be necessary to complement these changes.

For example, if you’re planning to install a new shower, you may also need to install a new water heater to keep up with the demand for hot water.

Stick to your plans once you’ve started renovations. Changing your mind during renovations can cost you serious money and time.

Try to reserve at least 10% of your budget for emergencies or unexpected costs.

How to Hire the Right Contractor

Hiring the right contractor for your specific remodeling job is of the utmost importance.

You want to find a plumber who understands your wishes, and has the expertise to deliver the results you desire.

Find a fully certified and trained plumbing professional, as they’ll have the equipment and expertise necessary to carry out the job safely and effectively.

Homeowners can also use a plumber’s website to see if their work will align with your goals.

Review their testimonials and photos of previously completed projects, and ask around your community to hear other people’s thoughts of their service.

Updating Plumbing Fixtures

When you’re updating plumbing fixtures, invest your money in high-quality upgrades that will last you for years to come.

For the most part, modern plumbing technology is also eco-friendly and more efficient than older fixtures, so you’ll save even more money in the long run.

Sometimes, your kitchen or bathroom renovation will involve having to knock down a wall, exposing your home’s pipe system.

If this is the case, have your plumber carefully inspect these pipes for weak or damaged areas.

By having them fixed when they’re exposed, you can lower your chances of having to knock down walls later on for emergency fixes.

These Top 3 Reasons for Stinky Drains and Smelly Water Need Your Attention

Modern plumbing fixtures and the systems that connect them are designed to be odorless. Even so, issues ranging from cracked pipes to blocked vents, to water heaters set at too cool temperatures.

All of these things can allow sulfurous odors to seep into your home that are not only disgusting but can pose health problems with concentrations of bacteria and methane. Here are three common reasons for noxious odors:

1. Drain and Sewer Line Problems

Bad smells can come from leaks from rotted or cracked drain pipes, loose-fitting pipe connections and other reasons. Blocked, overflowing drains can also be culprits.

Sewer blockages in your private lines connecting to the main sewer lines causes water and odors to back up drains.

These blockages are often caused by flushing foreign objects in toilets, ranging from diapers and tampons to solid food and pet litter.

Cooking oil and fat poured down sinks can also create blockages.

If the main sewer line backs up, then it is the city’s or municipality’s duty to fix the problem. But often you will need to consult with a plumbing professional to determine the reason.

2. Bacteria in Water Heaters

Every metal water heater comes equipped with an anode rod, which protects the tank from corrosion and rust. As the rod decays doing its job, it can create hydrogen sulfur gas that acts with bacteria in tank sediment to create rotten smells and bad-tasting water.

The bacteria can also multiply if the heater is unused for a long time or its temperature setting is put too low, by a family, for example, that wants to protect its children from scalding water.

Water stored at temperatures under 140°F runs increasing chances of breeding bacteria, including ones that can cause Legionnaire’s disease.

3. P-Trap and Venting Issues

The sulfurous smells can also be caused by a vent pipe on your roof blocked with bird nest or other debris.

The impeded airflow can create a vacuum that drains the water in the bottom of P-traps.

These are the curving pipes under your sink that collect water in the bottom of the U-shape, creating a seal that prevents water and odors backing up from sewer pipes.

If the water in the P-trap is whisked away by a vacuum, leak or evaporation if the drain hasn’t been used for a long time, then the seal is broken and sewer smells waft in.