Using a toilet is not something that most people think of once they catch on around the age of two or three, however, a toilet did not used to be a standard piece of equipment in every home.
Back in the medieval times people were not concerned about hygiene and it was common in most of Europe’s cities for sewage and slops to be thrown right out of the window and onto the streets. Sometimes even the bushes and balconies of iconic palaces like Versailles were used as restrooms.
The Toilet’s Ancestor
Most likely the first identifiable ancestor of the toilet was a night vase that was made out of porcelain. Noble people that lived in Germany and France usually had a night vase. The object was quite simple and was a stool that had a hole in the middle for the excrement to drop into. It got its name since it was used frequently in the night when people had to get out of bed to go the bathroom. Instead of heading outdoors they could use their night vase.
Tank Toilets Enter the Scene
It was not until the 1800s that Thomas Crapper took the toilet sink and turned it into a bowl that had a tank on the back of it. Crapper was one of the forerunners of the plumbing world and worked as a sanitary technician in the city of Chelsea.
He soon started to add features to the tank toilet creating the flush system by using an economic and metered water flush. In the years to come he started to supply Windsor and Buckingham palaces with the new technology and started his own plumbing company.
Variations Based on Country
Like most things, there are many variations that sprung up from the creation of the flush toilet that are varied based on the country of invention. Bidets, urinals, toilet sinks, and more all started popping up around the world. For example, Americans and Germans tend to use large toilets whereas Italians make theirs into a craft by utilizing careful and deliberate molding and décor.
One thing they all tend to have in common is that they are made of porcelain due to the fact that porcelain is not very porous so its water absorption levels are low. This also means it does not absorb as much smell which is defiantly a plus in the bathroom!
If you're ever having toilet troubles in your Brenham home call Plumb Level at (979) 200-6674!