Toilets Over Time
Many are not sure as to which group created the first toilets. Many believe that a village in Scotland dating back to 3000 B.C. used recessed drains in the walls of stone huts as the first toilets. Medieval England created essentially the first bathrooms for the royal families which sent their excrement directly into a moat surrounding a castle. The average citizen would typically use a river in order to conduct their business.
First Toilets Built For Royals and Improved
In 1596, Sir John Harrington invented a pipe which could be "flushed" down with water after a person was done using it. This invention did not catch on by the masses, as they were still content to use chamber pots for the purpose of eliminating their waste. Chamber pots were still seen as an improvement over using a river or a lake.
The Queen promptly had this invention installed at her palace. This invention was later improved with an s-shaped pipe to ensure that some of the foul odors were not allowed to rise. This essentially worked by allowing water to rise to the top of the curvature and trapping the odors to the bottom.
Toilets Improved and Become Mainstream
It wasn't until later on that the technology for using toilets was significantly improved. A prominent plumber in London named Thomas Crapper was hired by Prince Edward to install new toilets in royal palaces. Thomas Crapper was also the first to display his bathroom wares in a showroom, but did not actually invent the modern toilet.
He did work to improve the toilet by creating the ballcock system for filling the toilet's tank Some of the original toilets were made of porcelain and decorated to make them more visually appealing. In 1852, the first public restroom opened which enabled ordinary individuals to use the latrine.
Five years later, the first toilet paper was sold in sheets. Toilets were still considered luxuries until the 1900s, at which point many toilets designed just for skilled workers were installed in their homes. The modern toilet was fully developed by the 1900s, as this was the point at which tanks were placed on top of the bowls and a flush handle was added.
The toilet was still being improved as late as 1994, when the US Congress passed a law which mandated that toilets use significantly less water.
If you're ever having toilet troubles in your Fort Lauderdale home call C&D Plumbing Inc. at (954) 758-8169!