The problem of sewage disposal is as old as the history of mankind. Thousands of years ago, the inhabitants of the first cities are already rudimentary sewer networks were formed, and the more advanced civilizations created individual lounging chairs and bathing rooms within the living quarters. The remains of some lines can still be visited today in the Middle East thanks to archaeological work.
But who were those professionals?, who these, they created and maintained canal networks that are impressive even to modern eyes? Answering the question in our post, we present the history of plumbing and one of the earliest, the device used to clear blockages.
Who were the first plumbers??
Plumbing, as a profession it developed sometime in ancient times. The English name plumber also refers to this, whose etymological origin is Latin plumbum, i.e. it can be traced back to the word lead. Because lead was the preferred material for water pipes built in the territory of the Roman Empire, can be assumed, that the first plumbers were tinsmiths specializing in metalworking. But later, due to the variety and complexity of the tasks, plumbing could become an independent profession.
Bar, in the early Middle Ages, continuous wars and insecurities did not favor the development of the craft, the profession did not disappear completely. If not in poorer homes, in the royal courts there was a constant need for the introduction of clean drinking water and the elimination of waste water.
Plumbers in Hungary
In Hungary, not all residents are close to a potable spring, and the wells were also often infected. Whoever could, he drank wine, which had a lower alcohol content compared to today, at the same time, it was cleaner, like natural drinking water. It was not in vain that King Matthias called the 15. masters from Italian soil in the second half of the century, who are breaking out on the Swabian Mountains, The water of the spring, deemed to be of adequate quality, was led to the Buda Castle. The total length of the network is close 6 kilometers, its material is mainly lead, it was tar and wood.
A water pipe it followed the physical principle of moving vessels, between the source and the constructed well 100 meter difference in level ensured an abundant water supply in the castle. That, why the foreign plumbers could judge the spring water to be clean, it's hard to see in hindsight. That much is certain, that in the 1400s there were even fewer people living in the area around the spring on Swabian Mountain, so the water quality was probably better. The first, indeed, Hungarian masters had to wait until the industrial revolution. The mechanics are new, a modern network was built to ensure the capital's water supply and sewage drainage.
One of the oldest anti-clogging devices
Today, plumbers usually perform the following tasks: pipe network installation and maintenance, sewage drainage, dewatering and pressurizing buildings, installation of garden irrigation systems.
For these, they need a variety of tools and toolkits. A very old one, however, the pipe ferret is their effective helper. Although its origin is lost in obscurity, according to legends a 17. In the 19th century, an inventive gentleman solved the cleaning of London's canals by deploying rats and ferrets. The animals were simply sent to the sewers, then lighting a fire behind them, they were forced to flee. Rats and ferrets also chewed their way through the blockages. Some say it may have actually worked with rats, the ferret, on the other hand, is just a proverb. Anyway, the name is traced back to this story. A modern pipe ferret an elongated and flexible metal rod, the hooked end of which must be led into the drain. The hook, just like the rodent, mechanically able to break a path in front of him, thus removing blockages.
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