10 Plumbing Facts For Your Entertainment!
Plumbing ain’t easy…
We like to have a bit of fun at ELP, and hopefully help you, our lovely customers, out at the same time. Here are ten quick fun facts for you to enjoy!
We all know Super Mario and Luigi are plumbers; however, Mario has not always been in the skilled trade. Originally, Mario appeared as a carpenter in Donkey Kong, while in other games, he is a doctor, an archaeologist, and even the tycoon of a profitable toy manufacturer. Much like Mark @ ELP, he is indeed a jack of many trades.
The word "plumber" originates from the Roman times. Plumbum is the Latin word for lead (yes, really). Lead was used throughout the Roman Empire in roofs, baths and drain pipes. This fact is not an invitation to call us 'plumbums'!
A leaking tap may seem like a mild irritant, but you might want to sort it sooner rather than later. If your valve is leaking at a rate of a drop per second, then it costs you; 180 showers, 270 laundries or over 11,000 litres of water per year. #waste
We say tap; they say faucet. So where did the American word faucet originate? Look no further. It comes from the French fausset which appeared in English texts from the 1400s. It referred to the peg or stopper in a barrel. Logical then!
Who likes separate hot and cold taps? How about a mixer? Well, you have Al Moen to thank for that. He created the dual temperature tap as recently as 1939.
Manhole covers are the friend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle but are also practical. Their circular design stops a cover from falling through the opening when turned sideways. Cowabunga!
Mario & Luigi may be fictional, but some famous living plumbers include Michael Caine, Ozzy Osbourne and Michael Flatley. We accept CVs, guys.
Don't go to NASA for your plumbing needs. They spent upwards of $20 million, creating a suction toilet for use onboard spacecraft. We can't promise that we have that toilet, but our service is out of this world… I'll get me coat.
The longest shower taken on record was 341 hours (14.2 days) in 1985. A few questions; a) how did it stay warm? b) what did the showeree look like after the marathon? And c) why would you do this?! #prune
Looking for the cleanest trap in the public toilet? Use the first one. Most people walk past it, fearing the worst. You're welcome!
Until next time!
ELP