Plumbing is more than just a series of pipes, appliances, and fixtures that manage the water and sewage distribution. There are numerous fascinating facts about plumbing history, operation, and usage that you might not know about.
Besides being mind blowing, these facts will give you a deeper understanding of how plumbing is essential for our daily lives. So, brace yourselves because this blog post will discuss a few plumbing facts that will blow your mind.
Facts about Plumbing You Need to Know
Here are interesting plumbing facts you might not know:
Plumbing History
Plumbing dates back to around 3,000 B.C. The Indus River Valley civilization made use of earthen pipes to give themselves access to transportable water and a way to get rid of their waste.
Later in 1,700 B.C., plumbers in Greece invented the first sewage system for drainage and disposal. They also created the first toilet in Crete.
Another interesting fact about plumbing history is that Egyptians used copper to lay plumbing pipes around three thousand years ago. Even today, copper is still the most popular material people use for plumbing pipes.
Albert Einstein and Plumbing
You might be surprised to know that Albert Einstein always had a special spot for plumbing in his heart. He once announced that he would be a plumber if he had to live his life again. For this, the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union named Einstein as their honorary member.
Einstein was so fond of plumbing that he once said, "If I would be younger again and had to decide how to make my living, I would become a plumber instead of a scientist or scholar. I’d like to be a plumber with the hope to find that modest degree of independence under present circumstances."
This statement earned him massive respect from the plumbing community.
Mario Bros and Plumbing
Plumbing has had a special connection with video games. We all once (or several times) played one of the most popular video games ever created, Mario Bros. In this video game, the characters Mario and Luigi are plumbers. Mario is Nintendo's primary mascot and is widely considered the most recognized video game character of all time.
The First Flushing Toilet
In 1596, John Harrington invented history’s first flushing toilet. That is where we got the nickname "the John." Later on, the toilet gained substantial popularity thanks to Thomas Crapper’s effort. That's why people often call the flushing toilet "the crapper."
Plumbing in America
In America, people waste nearly nine thousand gallons of water each year by running the faucet while waiting for the water to heat up. This contributes to around fifteen percent of a single household's annual water heating costs.
In addition to that, a typical American household's toilet flushing constitutes around thirty-eight percent of all water use in the home. However, if you use a low flush toilet, you can save up to eighteen thousand gallons of water annually.
Plumbing Leaks
Nearly one out of three hundred homes have a minor leak issue. This means that you waste a gallon of water each week if the leak drips twice each minute.
In addition to that, you waste about thirty liters of water every day if your faucet drips once per second. This means you waste around 10,950 liters of water annually from a single leaky faucet in your home.
Plumbing Pipes
One of the best features of plumbing pipes is that they are 100% recyclable while being naturally antibacterial. On top of that, when you insulate the pipes in your home, you cut down on the heat you lose as the water travels from the heater to the faucet.
Another interesting fact about plumbing pipes is that Sir William Congreve created the first fire sprinkler system. He connected pipes to the ceiling and fixed a valve outside his building while leaving them open so that the water could pass through them.
Plumbing Water Heaters and Faucets
Water heaters can lead to the most dangerous hazards in your household. To avoid any hazardous situation, you should set your water heater's temperature between 115 and 140 degrees. One thing to note here is that it only takes six seconds at 140 degrees and two minutes at 125 degrees to burn your skin.
It only takes fifteen minutes for a drippy faucet to fill an eight-ounce glass. If you have a single drippy faucet in your home, you are likely to waste an average of 180 gallons of water per month while wasting around 2,160 gallons of water annually.
Plumbing Toilets
Here are some interesting facts about toilets that you might not know:
- According to studies, the average person will spend three years (in total) in the bathroom throughout their lifetime.
- The average person goes to the toilet about six to seven times a day.
- In Japan, toilets have heated seats, relaxing music, and even T.V.s for entertainment.
- In 1760, King George II of Great Britain died after falling off a toilet.
- Over the years, people have given different names to the toilets. For instance, the Egyptians used to call it a "house of horror." On the other hand, Tudor England referred to it as the "house of privacy." In contrast, it's called "la chamber sent (room smells) in French."
- You can find the world’s oldest toilet in China, around two thousand years old.
- The world’s most expensive toilet is located on the International Space Station. Its price is $19 million. Besides strapping astronauts in place, this expensive toilet also converts toilet waste into drinking water.
Final Words
From toilets to water heaters, plumbing plays a vital role in our daily lives. However, there's much more to plumbing than just typical pipelines and home appliances. There are several facts about plumbing that you might not know. These facts are fascinating, and we've compiled some of them for you.