Plumbing History the Story Behind the Pipes

Your plumbing system: you probably only think about it when something goes wrong. Plumbing tends to be the sort of thing we take for granted, but actually, it has a much storied history that dates back centuries. Plumbing has been at the center of an incredible amount of both scientific research and political conflict throughout history. It remains a contentious issue in the politics of developing nations, and inadequate plumbing costs hundred of thousands of lives every year. The story behind the pipes in your home is a lot more interesting than you may have first imaged.

The word plumbing comes the from Latin word plumbum, which means lead. This name came from the fact that many pipes were originally made of lead in fact, many still are. Officially, the word “plumbing†refers to the system of pipes and valves that brings water and gas into your home and takes waste matter out of the house. Although plumbing is attached to the sewer system, that system is considered to be a separate entity from plumbing.

Many people believe that plumbing as we know it is a relatively recent phenomenon because it was not so long ago that people had outhouses rather than indoor plumbing. In fact, historians believe that the first flushing toilet dates back more than 2800 years ago, to King Minos of Crete. Toilets themselves date back even further archeologists have discovered toilets in tomb of Chinese royalty dating all the way back to 200 BC.

Plumbing took a step back in the Middle Ages. The Romans had developed a relatively sophisticated system of plumbing, coupled with a sewage system, but in the Middle Ages, people turned to chamber pots. The waste from chamber pots was often tossed from the window into the street, which led to widespread illness. Some historians believe that chamber pots are a large reason why so many people died of Plague in this time.

Plumbing had changed dramatically by 1775, when a patent was issued to Alexander Cummings for a flushing toilet. It was during this time that people really began to understand the importance of sanitation, and advances in plumbing came swiftly afterwards.

By the start of the 1900s, indoor plumbing began to become the norm across all parts of society. Up until that point, indoor plumbing was reserved for the wealthy. The toilet system that we know today, with a cistern, bowl and water tank, was first invented in 1910. Most of the modifications since then have been associated with reducing sound, reducing the amount of water required for use and cosmetic improvements.

The piping used with toilets today is often made of a strong plastic rather than lead.

There is more to the history of your plumbing than you may imagine. Consider the centuries of research that have gone into the system the next time you reach to flush.