Thursday 28 August 2014

The Adelaide plumbers of the 1800s

Needing a plumber at a moments notice can be quite the challenge in modern day Adelaide, however, just imagine plumbing over 100 years ago! The plumbing that we know today can have us frustrated, however, if we take a step back and realise what toilets were like, we can appreciate the toilets we have today! Living busy Adelaide lives we can face small but very annoying plumbing problems, however it is thanks to a few clever people in the 1800s that we have the toilets to begin with.

The modern toilet that we know and use in Adelaide today was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington, and was initially designed for Queen Elizabeth, who also happened to be Harington’s godmother. The initial design released waste into cesspools, however, there were two elements in the design that made their way into modern designs we use in our plumbing in Adelaide today. These two elements include: a valve at the bottom of the water tank and a wash down system. This then developed even further in 1775 when Alexander Cummings designed a toilet with a water trap, which was placed underneath the bowl. However the most interesting development that has made its way into modern Adelaide plumbing, is the colloquial term ‘crapper’, which is actually the name of Thomas Crapper, who was a plumber who brought the modern toilet design and manufacturing technology together. This was a colloquial term created for the toilets when Australian and British troops came home calling toilets ‘crappers’. The 1800s however were the days where the largest development of toilet design occurred and when toilets were accompanied by the invention of toilet paper by American Joseph Cayetti in 1857. Some of the main toilet designs of the time include:

 • Hopper closet - This was an inexpensive design that featured an inverted cone as the receptacle, with a squirt of water released - which created a fairly weak flush. Due to its low cost, mainly poor people used it.

 • Wash-out or flush-out water closet - In this design water was used to seal the drain tube, and combined with a flushing mechanism and siphonic action, this evolved into the modern toilet which we use in plumbing in Adelaide today.

All these facts are interesting, however what they outline is the development of toilets and how much easier and convenient plumbing in modern Adelaide today. Although this is true and plumbing has become very convenient there are hiccups that are unavoidable due to day-to-day life. This is where we have to call in the professionals.

Best Plumbers in Adelaide are a friendly professional team that can help you with all your plumbing needs. If you own a business in Adelaide or just need help sorting out a plumbing issue at home, the professional plumbers and Best Plumbers can help you sort the issue out as quickly, professionally and conveniently as possible. So don’t stay stuck in the 1800s, visit the Best Plumbers Adelaide website at Bestplumbing.com.au.

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