Imagine the excitement of waking up early in the morning to walk down to the nearest well or river to collect the water for the day, or even just the morning. Without running water, it would have to be collected for drinking, cooking and washing. You can imagine how many trips you’d have to make if the average UK household used 400 litres of water per day. The plumbing system is a godsend and the tap that delivers it is a bonus. Most of us enjoy a good tap, especially since we wash our hands so much each day. When things go wrong, however, we need a Plumber Cheltenham. Visit https://www.hprservicesltd.com/emergency-plumber-cheltenham/ for more information.
It is not as modern as you might think. Evidence of their use dates back to 1700 BC. Gravity fed plumbing was well understood by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Rome had public and private bathrooms, as well as fountains and cisterns scattered throughout the city. The faucet was also invented by them. The pressure-based release system enabled users to control the flow of water from the aqueduct into the container to be used, such as a bucket.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, water management was put on hold. It wasn’t till the late 1700s that taps and plumbing were used again. In most homes, there are two taps in the bathroom/washroom. One tap was for hot water and the other for cold. In the early twentieth century, home owners were very good at balancing the water to get a nice middle temperature.
Al Moen burnt his hand in 1937 when the water from the faucet was very hot. He thought that a way had to exist to combine both hot and cold water. It was then that the Single Tap was created. Now homeowners could adjust the tap to deliver a mixture of hot and cold water without burning, and get the balance right immediately.
Throughout the 20th century, there have been many improvements to the tap. The electronic sensor tap is one of the most popular. The sensor is used to operate the tap, so no handle contact is needed. It is easier to use for people with disabilities, offers a more hygienic approach as it requires no contact and the water doesn’t waste, so it’s a greener option too.