Where would we be without plumbing? That’s an easy one to answer. We would dig a massive pit for a toilet in the garden, wash our clothes by hand, get drinking water by hand from the nearest river or well, and possibly walk miles to do that or collect rainwater like there was no tomorrow. We need plumbing more than any other utility that comes into the home. We can survive without electricity, and if you get cold, put on a jumper, but water is essential. To that end, if you need to get some plumbing done, a Plumber Cheltenham can be a lifeline and get you back up and running.
Plumbing is derived from the word ‘plumbum’ which is the Latin word for the metal lead. So, as with many things in our modern life, we can thank the Romans for coming up with the idea. As their influence spread, the towns and cities that the local populace flocked to, began to see a rise in health issues and disease.
Many waterborne diseases, such as typhoid and diphtheria, spread like wildfire in a condensed community of humans. Where it was a village, this was not such a problem as the proximity of people was less, but when they all got crammed together, there were issues. The Roman engineers created a gravity-fed system of lead pipes directly to springs and communal fountains so everyone could access water. For inland areas, they used aqueducts to channel water into built reservoirs for storage and distribution. For today’s plumbing problems, try a Plumber Cheltenham at HPR Services.
All this knowledge was lost when the empire collapsed, and as with many other institutions and engineering systems, the system fell into disrepair. The Dark Ages and Mediaeval periods saw a shrink in populace and knowledge until the Renaissance, when Greek and Roman ideas were rediscovered and renewed—the first known pipes in London were wooden and sealed with animal fat. Lead was eschewed as there were chances that lead poisoning could occur. So corrugated iron, clay and stone were used to provide a more permanent piping source as this was cheaper than copper, which was used more for the piping in housing.
The main issue with these pipes is that the water can become tainted by the pipes, and the development of plastic tubing has become the universal way that type of piping is now used. Plastic does not degrade and is not subject to rotting as it can last for hundreds of years without being replaced. It can be moulded to transfer large capacity and is smooth so as not to affect water quality.