Plumbing The History Of Plumbing Plumbers And Plumbing Jobs

Plumbers - The Early History Of Plumbing, Plumbers And Plumbing Jobs

The Early Days Of Plumbing And Plumbers

Plumbing goes back a long way, with the early signs of crude plumbing jobs being found in ancient ruins sites showing evidence of bath house plumbing systems, plumbing systems in ancient palaces and the structures of aqueducts. As far back as 4,000 years evidence can be found of drains systems made of stonework.

Terracotta pipework seemed to be the plumbing material of choice in those early days of plumbing.

Plumbing and the Romans And Greeks Involvement In The History Of Plumbing

Much later, in the 16th century, Sir John Harrington created an invention which appeared to be the early prototype of the toilet system, or washout closet, presumably this led to the term w.c. in plumbing terms.  200 years later, Alexander Cumming patented the toilet system.

The Romans and Greeks were large contributors to the development of plumbing in its early days, devising systems often used throughout their spectacular palaces by emporers and dignitry.  The demand for bath houses played a large part in the need to develop plumbing systems.  The bath houses played a large part in the networking society of Romans, whereas the Greeks used plumbing in a much more 'functional' manner.  Many decisions in Roman society were made in the fabulous bath houses so the Romans endeavoured to improve constantly the bath house experience, developing hot water and steam systems.

Early Sewer And Waste Drainage Systems

Baths and bath houses were all very pleasant but how to get rid of the waste and drainage?  It is considered that the early sewerage and drainage systems of Rome were built between 700 and 800 BC with each street supposedly emptying into a central drainage system or waste channel.    Ventilation was poor and the sewer system was probably extremely ‘smelly’.  This problem was eliminated much later and thankfully modern plumbers working on plumbing jobs and homeowners do not have to live within this type of substandard environment.

Toilets and W.C. Systems And Their Plumbing Development

Records show that Alexander Cumming holds the first patent for the toilet, having invented the ‘S’ trap back in 1775 with Joseph Bramar following with an improved version a few years later – the ‘Bramar toilet’.   Wedgwood, Shanks and Twyford, pottery makers of distinction soon came along and began to replace components of the Bramar with pottery versions, constantly improving the design of the toilet on an ongoing basis.

The modern flush toilet system as an invention is larged attributed to ‘Thomas Crapper’.  Thomas Crapper seemed to be the inventor who managed to pull together many earlier inventions based around the plumbing of the water closet, w.c. or toilet system and produced a working system far superior to those previous created.

Another contributing inventor to the toilet was Samuel Prosser, who in 1777, invented and patented the 'plunger closet'. The plunger released the waste and also sealed the soil pipe.