Since food is one of the necessities of life, it is no wonder that there is always a new invention in the kitchen. These advances became evident in the mid-19th century with urban sprawl. Cities soon developed and built water distribution pipes and sewers to remove sewage. Not long after this, the first electric stove made its appearance in Chicago at the Columbia World’s Fair. However, this technology did not become popular until electricity became widely available in homes during the 1930s. With the introduction of running water, gas heating, and electric lighting, homes were forever changed. Take a look at your kitchen today and compare it to the kitchen of your youth, there are big differences. The easiest to locate is the kitchen sink faucet.
The oldest known form of griffins appears in 1700 BC. C. in the Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete. These terracotta pipes provided water for marble, gold, or silver taps. It wasn’t until 1913 that the type of faucet we are familiar with today emerged. Copper tubing, which is the number one material used today for plumbing, was first used by the Egyptians nearly three thousand years ago. Albert Brown invented a faucet that starts and stops with just a quarter turn of the handle, rather than multiple turns. Brown’s new invention greatly increases the life of washing machines on the faucets. About thirty years later, Al Moen invented the mixer tap design. This new design made it possible to control and mix hot and cold water in a more exact quantity. Some of the faucet technologies that we consider fairly new are actually older than you might think.
Several design features that are now common in most residential and commercial fixtures first appeared in the 1980s. A ceramic disc was first used during this time and is now found in almost all faucets, allowing for more precise control. The detachable spray head was released by Delta during this time, marking the first time it was available to the consumer market. The first electronic faucet was also introduced in the early 1980s and was designed to save water by turning the water on and off through a sensor.
Water conservation has become a primary factor over the years due to increased social awareness of environmental needs. Considering that one drip per second can accumulate up to three thousand gallons of water per year, many companies consider stopping leaks as the first line of action. Recent innovations have even led to the now popular touch faucet system. If you simply touch the faucet anywhere with skin, it stops and the water flow begins. Technology has come a long way in a short time, but it is clearly showing no signs of slowing down.