Life without indoor Milestone Plumbing? Unthinkable!
Easy for us to say, right? But it wasn’t always this way. We didn’t always have low-flow toilets, tankless water heaters, rainfall showerheads, and under-sink water filters – just a few of the more recent plumbing innovations. But what about those innovations that shook the civilized world to the core up to a hundred years ago, and longer.
Here’s a look at just a few of our industry’s pioneers, and the inventions they brought to the party.
Samuel Oscar Blanc invented the first drain snake in the 1920’s. Believe it or not, Mr. Blanc used a motor from a washing machine, some wheels from a roller skate, and a steel cable. Before his invention became staples in plumbers’ supply chests, they had to dig up pipes to get at those stubborn clogs.
- In 1869, Halsey Taylor’s father died from typhoid fever, an illness spread mostly through contaminated drinking water. Determined to find a way to provide safe drinking water in public places, he developed the first water fountain in 1912.
- Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet (though he did improve upon the original design). Sir John Harrington is credited with the idea and the installation of a prototype in the palace of his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I.
- Edwin Ruud, a Norwegian mechanical engineer, invented the automatic storage water heater in 1889. He then moved to the United States where he pioneered the development of residential and commercial water heaters.
- Though the ancient Greeks are credited with inventing showers, the first mechanical shower was patented in England in 1767 by William Feetham. His contraption used a hand pump to force water into a vessel above the user’s head. However, the shower failed to catch on right away as early models could not generate hot water, among other limitations.
At Norhio Plumbing, we owe a lot to these and other industry pioneers. We owe an equal debt of gratitude to our many valued customers who continue to depend on us for the very best in residential and commercial plumbing. Our family owned business will continue to reward that trust with the very best we have to offer.
