Wash, don’t wipe, your butt.

Read article : Wash, don’t wipe, your butt.

By Sparklee A Hole.

If you can read this, you are a human, and you poop. A subject that may delight a few, and disgust many more. but opinions don’t count, because we all have to go and poop. It is what happens afterwards that is rarely discussed. People from different cultures have different ideas about what you should do next. An American or a Brit, who has only ever seen a toilet roll next to a toilet, may travel abroad and find one of the five following devices at his or her disposal.

• A porcelain bidet
• A bucket or barrel of water with a scooper
• A shower spray connected to the toilet tank water supply with a T-adaptor
• An electronic toilet seat that dispenses sprays or jets of warm water and may also air-dry the area
• A pipe that shoots water upwards.

There may be more systems than these five, but these are the common alternatives to simply using dry tissue paper to clean up.

Conversely, someone from the Arab world, or the Philippines, or parts of Asia, might visit The USA and be appalled to find out that Americans believe they can clean their anal area following defecation with nothing more than dry tissue paper. And they would be right, because it really does take more than tissue to be clean following the business.

Clearly, washing is more efficient than tissue-wiping when it comes to removing the after effects of going, especially if a lather from detergent is introduced, so what do these mysterious foreigners do in the bathroom?

The Bidet.

Often seen beside a toilet, the bidet has featured in travel jokes for decades. It is basically a little bathtub that one squats over to wash the area. These usually have hot and cold running water and can squirt, rinse and spray. Anyone who has used a bidet is probably emerging from the bathroom clean.

The electronic bidet toilet seat.

The Japanese have pioneered this field. To have one of these, your toilet needs to have electricity as well as water. These devices, controlled with the push of a button are designed to wash and then dry the area, without the user leaving the seat. Some are simple and some are full of hi-tech features.

The Tabo

Called the tabo in the Philippines but known by other names in South Asia, this system is basically a jug of water, filled in a bucket or barrel or from the tap. The user raises up slightly from the toilet seat and pours water towards the small of the back where the space between the butt cheeks is. The water naturally flows down and over the skin and washes the area.  In practice, although rarely talked about, the user usually puts soap on his or her fingers and washes the butt, just like everyone does in the shower and then rinses with the tabo. Of course this means touching the unclean substance in question (poo) but the hand is using soap and water so with practice it ends up clean when all is over. In the Philippines, bathrooms are wet, meaning there is usually a floor drain and a faucet on the wall, which is used to fill the vessel. The tabo is difficult for lifelong wipers to accept, but it does remove all traces of waste and associated bacteria, so should not be criticized. Anyone with a sink within arm’s reach of the toilet, and a plastic jug or jar, can try the tabo right now, with nothing to install. In rural areas, the tabo is also used for outdoor, full body bathing.

The bidet shower spray.

The Arabs call it a shattaf, (sounds like shit off, which is basically what it does), but this is nothing more than a handheld water shower that connects to the water inlet valve for the toilet via a T-connection. Room temperature water is sprayed on the anus after the business is done. As with the tabo, hand washing the area with soap is an unmentioned option. These sprays are often called diaper sprays or nappy sprayers, because they can also be used to wash off most of the baby poo from your baby’s diaper before tossing it in the bleach pail. The baby poo just goes right down the loo. The downside to using a handheld shower spray in a colder climate is, in winter, the tap water can be extremely cold. In some places these are called the muslim bidet and other names, because the muslim world is apparently quite particular about keeping clean down there. But if your bathroom is in Thailand or Saudi Arabia, to name a couple of places, you’ll probably have a sprayer adjacent to the toilet, and the water will not be a cold shock.

The sprayer pipe.

In Egypt you are likely to see a curved brass pipe at the back of the toilet bowl. This is water spraying at it’s most basic. Just turn on the tap and a jet of water shoots towards the butt for hands-free washing, or manually assisted soaping, as discussed under the tabo.

So here is the taboo subject of cleaning the ass being discussed in a magazine. Some will find the whole subject unthinkable and live their whole lives failing to properly remove poo and bacteria with their little pieces of tissue paper, and others will never use tissue paper instead of washing. While it may be obvious which idea is more effective,  preconceptions about what is civilized may keep most westerners in the dirt until they are buried in the dirt. But whatever you do following a poo, follow by washing your hands with soapy lather, and you’ll stay safe.

Sparklee A Hole is always ready for inspection and never has to hide his underwear deep in the laundry basket.

Editor’s note: We had almost 150 comments on this post, some quite well written and lengthy. But some comments contained less than tolerant cultural attacks etc., and so we made a decision to disable comments for this post and delete all that were here.

Word Wenches: Keeping it Clean

Read article : Word Wenches: Keeping it Clean

Joanna here, talking about Georgian and Regency bathtubs and the joys of getting clean. 
 
There is a general view that historical people were rather dirty, there being a dearth of historical folks getting up at six and grabbing a bar of soap and popping in to warble un bel dì vedremo in the shower.  I'm afraid we all feel rather smug about our acres of colored tile with the running hot and cold.

How clean were they?  The townsfolks as they merrily hung aristos from the lamposts, Ninon de l'Enclos, Voltaire, (Did you know Ninon left money in her will for the 9-year-old Voltaire to buy books?) Napoleon, Jane Austen, the kitchenmaid grinding coffee in the morning? How clean were they?

This is a case where the written historical record tends to desert us, somewhat, as folks do not record in their diary, "I got up and Mary-the-perky-maid brought me six liters of water and I washed my face, hands, underarms and, last off, various parts south of the waistband." any more than we text to our BFFs to say we've had a morning shower.

So we end up making some 'best guesses' about this whole business.

You had your everyday getting clean.  You had your getting wet for recreational purposes. And you had your washing the body to treat diseases.

This last one gets written about a lot in a 'I went to the baths to see if I could get rid of this nasty skin condition' or 'the physician prescribed a course of cold baths with sulfur powder in them and I feel much better now that I have stopped' sorta way.  Marat, you will recall, was in exactly such a medicinal bath when Charlotte Corday brought it, and him, to an abrupt end with a knife.

Medicinal Baths and Thermal Spas.  The mineral baths at Bath and other spa towns provided an immersion intended to improve the health, not so much wash the body, though it did that too.  Some places there were separate baths for men and women.  Some places, everybody bathed together.
They went into the water dressed. Wearing their periwigs and bonnets.  I should think the fumes did neither periwigs nor bonnets much good, frankly.

Up at four o’clock, being by appointment called up to the Cross Bath . . .  very fine ladies; and the manner pretty enough, only methinks it cannot be clean to go so many bodies together in the same water. Good conversation among them that are acquainted here, and stay together. Strange to see how hot the water is; and in some places, though this is the most temperate bath, the springs so hot as the feet not able to endure. . . . Carried away, wrapped in a sheet, and in a chair, home; and there one after another thus carried, I staying above two hours in the water, home to bed, sweating for an hour.
         Pepys' Diary

Let us leave the whole subject of medicinal baths very quickly, as it is generally unpleasant, even if you're not getting stabbed.

Though I should point out that folks still do this medicinal bath bit, in the way of putting baking soda in a bath for some poor sufferer from poison ivy, and modern herb baths hold anything from lavender to chamomile and thyme.  The 'it's good for you' bath is not going to disappear anytime soon.

Out in the Fresh Air.  The opposite of taking a bath because it was good for you was getting wet just for the fun of it.  Any warm day would probably see the local youths sporting in the local river.  There are a good many references to folks doing exactly this -- including a Paris ordinance forbidding nude bathing in the Seine, but only near the bridges -- to avoid the scandalizing the public.

Pepys, in his diary, notes the sad death of a young boy bathing in the Thames.
and at Somerset-stairs do understand that a boy is newly drowned, washing himself there, and they cannot find his body.

Or this Englishman travelling in America.
Early the next morning, my kind, attentive host entered into my bedroom and inquired if I should like to take a bath. I replied in the affirmative, and immediately rising, was conducted to one in an adjoining field which is filled by a small brook and is therefore always fresh.
          A summary view of America, Isaac Candler  1824

Period pictures are not an entirely reliable guide to actual practice.  Showing folks bathing in pools and rivers is a great excuse to paint nekkid people, after all.  But from an extensive personal survey,it looks like bathing -- where folks actually got wet all over as opposed to wading in the water -- tended to be young people and they were segregated into women and men.  

Bathing in the sea, for fun and medical benefit, became fashionable in the Eighteenth Century, with 'bathing machines' on offer from mid century. 

The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines,
Which it constantly carries about,
And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes-
A sentiment open to doubt.
          Lewis Carroll

Bathing machines were high-wheeled wagons, with a canvas or wood structure on top, towed from the shore into the sea. 

Image to yourself a small, snug, wooden chamber, fixed upon a wheel-carriage, having a door at each  end, and on each side a little window above, a bench below – The bather, ascending into this apartment by wooden steps, shuts himself in, and begins to undress, while the attendant yokes a horse to the end next the sea, and draws thecarriage forwards, till the surface of the water is on a level with the floor of the dressing-room, then he  moves and fixes the horse to the other end – The person within being stripped, opens the door to the sea-ward, where he finds the guide ready, and plunges headlong into the water – After having bathed, he re-ascends into the apartment, by the steps which had been shifted for that purpose, and puts on his clothes at his leisure, while the carriage is drawn back again upon the dry land; so that he has nothing further to do, but to open the door, and come down as he went up.
                                   Tobias Smollett  1771

Men plunged into the waves starkers.  Small children, of course, went into the water naked, as they do in European countries today.  Women wore a long flannel shift, sometimes with lead weights sewn into the hem to keep the skirts from floating up.

In all this bathing, women took to one end of the beach and men the other, so modesty was maintained, in any case.  Hefty and agile attendants supervised so folks didn't drown, a real possibility when wrapped in several yards of soaking flannel, I should imagine.  

But how did people wash? I hear you asking.  How did they keep clean?

Public Baths.  In France, the custom of public bath houses, cheap, respectable and widely available, never died out.  This was an amazement and joy to travelling Englishmen and women who have left us detailed records of the process since this was something they did not have at home. 

Paris baths had private rooms with hot and cold running water, big tubs, fireplaces, nicely heated robes and towels, waitresses offering coffee and drinks, and a selection of bath oils and bath herbs.  There were also bathin g pools for both men and women and, in one bath on the Seine, swimming lessons for both.
I'm surprised English folks every went home again.

Meanwhile . . . at home. In England, in this period, folks did their actual getting clean by sponging off with a pitcher of water and a little basin on their dresser, or by immersing themselves in a tub not too different from a modern bath tub, or by standing in a smallish tub on the floor and washing with a pitcher of water.

The habit of washing the body and the introduction of wash basins and portable bath tubs began to spread among wealthy households in the late 18th century.
     The Family, Sex & Marriage in England 1500-1800 Laurence Stone

You had yer bath tubs.

I think and feel that, after a day's bard riding, there is no luxury comparable with a 'warm bath—it is so grateful and refreshing, and disputes the title of "tired nature's sweet restorer" with sleep
The Inspector, literary magazine and review, Volume 2

These were not necessarily in a 'bathroom'. 

The idea of having a room devoted to washing in a tub goes right back to the Seventeenth Century.  Pepys mentions such a bath in a private home.

Thence with Mr. Povy home to dinner; where extraordinary cheer. And after dinner up and down to see his house. . . .  his grotto and vault, with his bottles of wine, and a well therein to keep them cool; his furniture of all sorts; his bath at the top of his house, good pictures, and his manner of eating and drinking; do surpass all that ever I did see of one man in all my life.

But this would have been rare.  Rooms devoted to bathing were for palaces and the grandest mansions.

Moveable tub baths were more common.
What folks of middling means did when they wanted to take a bath was fire up the hearth in their bedroom, pull a screen round to close off the drafts, and send for a tub. 

And water.  They had 'running water' of a sort.  They sent a footman to run and get it.  It came up in biggish cans, generally one hot and one cold.  A housemaid might linger nearby and keep a kettle on the fire and add more hot water from time to time as the bath cooled.
This process was what you might call, labor intensive.  Water and bath hauling was done by footmen.

Warning:  Author anecdote time.  My father grew up in a house with exactly this kind of 'running water'.  His job was to go to the well and carry in all the water used for cooking, cleaning, bathing and washing for a household of ten people.  It will come as no surprise that he ran away to sea.

How common were these tub baths?

Every house of every nobleman or gentleman, in every nation under the sun, excepting Britain, possesses one of these genial friends to cleanliness and comfort (bath tubs).
           The Mirror of Graces (1811) 

So the British may have been well behind their continental counterparts in the matter of home bath tubs, just as they were in matter of public baths.

And when there was a tub in the house, it's worth noting that its use involved a whole production.  Boiling water, carting it upstairs, and then carting it down again after use.  I wonder how many of the ordinary gentry folk would have seen this as a daily necessity when you could get just as clean with . . .

Basin and Pitcher.  This was the standard wash equipment all through the period.  

Washing with a pitcher of water would be part of the morning routine, or undertaken again after a long day of work or play.  This was what you'd expect to find waiting for you in a decent inn.  This was the normal way folks got clean. 

Pitchers held about the largest amount of water one person could easily manage to pour.  Call it one to two gallons.  (Four to eight liters.)  You wet a towel or flannel and washed yourself, using the basin to catch the used water. Or you might pour the water in and splash it on yourself. 

The towels, by the way, weren't the fluffy terry cloth we think of today when we say towel.  That's mid-nineteenth century fabric.  Our Georgian and Regency folks used woven linen to dry off. 

The soap would most likely have been spherical, about the size to fit in the palm of the hand, because that's how it would have been form -- piece by piece between the palms of the hand.  Your character might have called this a 'wash ball'.  

It would be kept in a soap ball holder on the washstand. After the 1790's the soap might have been 'Pear's Soap', which was transparent and flower scented. And . . . There might be sponges. 

Your basin and pitcher might sit on a sideboard or a dresser, or you might have a fancy, purpose-built washstand in the corner.  It was typically a maid who brought the pitcher of hot water up to you. The amount of water was limited by the amount you could lift and pour yourself.  That meant a maid could easily carry it. 

How clean did you get, washing this way? 

I don't see any reason to believe you couldn't keep yourself just as clean as bathing in a tub.  Even today, this is 'how it's done' for most of the world's population. 

Whether our Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century folks felt the need to wash as often as we do today or righteously refrained from washing on the grounds that it 'opened the pores' and let sickness in . . . I don't think anybody will really know.

It's not a British reference, but:

Having completed it, [my work]  I went to the stream to wash myself thoroughly, and then to the sailor's chest to change my coat, that I might make a decent appearance at breakfast, and give my sons an example of that cleanliness which their mother was at all times eager to inculcate.
                   Swiss Family Robinson 1812

And Beau Brummel advocated frequent washing. 
On the other hand, he felt he had to advocate frequent washing.

Rub a dub dub.  A couple final questions remain in my mind.

Why the devil did women sometimes wear their shifts in the bathtub?  And what is with putting a sheet along the bottom of the tub?

I have cogitated upon this from time to time when I am not concerned with other great issues of the day like, 'Why does the car always break down when I have to be somewhere in twenty minutes?' and 'Why are taxes so complicated?' and 'Why would anyone name his kid Cedric? Isn't it obvious he's going to be a supporting character and come to a sticky end in a graveyard?'

I won't call this the final word on sheets in bathtubs . . . But this is what I think:
There is cloth on the bottom of the tub because these tubs were either (a) wood and full of splinters or (b) metal and cold.

  So why are women wearing a shift in the water?

I think bathing in a tub was seen not so much as washing to get clean, as it was an enjoyable interlude. 

Think of modern habit of spending an hour reading in the bathtub.  If it took a couple man-hours to prepare and clear out that tub, it seems to me you wouldn't put your household to that much trouble and then not take full advantage of it. 

Washing with a basin and pitcher was solitary, but tub bathing, by its nature, was a group effort.  It seems to have been something of a social occasion for some folks.

Marie Antoinette wrote:  I dictate from my bath, into which I have just thrown myself, to support, at least, my physical strength. I can say nothing of the state of my mind;"

If Marat had not been of the opinion that receiving visitors in the bathtub was an unexceptional practice he might have lived a while longer.

So maybe -- a shift was worn for modesty when the bedroom was apt to be crisscrossed by servants running errands and you planned to be in the tub a while? 

washstand from the Victoria and Albert. Ewer and basin, soap ball, and the Degas statue of Woman Washing Her Leg are from the Metropolitan Museum. 

What do you think?  Were they clean and sweet in Regency times, or deplorably . . . uncleanly. 
(Not Mr. Darcy.  Say it ain't so.)

the ultimate guide to deep cleaning your bathroom

Read article : the ultimate guide to deep cleaning your bathroom

There’s nothing quite like a sparkling, pristine bathroom, after all, it is where you get clean. But how exactly do you give it a professional clean? Running a squeegee down the sides of the shower does a great deal of good, but every now and then a proper deep clean is in order. Here are 15 steps to getting it spick and span.

1. Open the windows

Before you pick up a sponge, open all the windows to let the fresh air circulate.

A squeegee in the shower isn’t always enough. Photo: istock

2. Clear everything

That’s right, everything – from towels, bath mats, shower curtains and liners, to freestanding furnishings, shower caddies and anything on the countertops and shelving. Now you only have clear surfaces to work with.

3. Put on a wash

Toss your shower curtains and liners into the washing machine using regular detergent and a warm and gentle setting, along with your towel and bath mat, which act like scrubbers and prevent the plastic from crinkling. Add ½ cup of chlorine bleach and ¼ cup of detergent to help clear dirt, soap scum and mildew stains.

Photo: Shutterstock.

4. Allow things to soak

Start the deep clean process by pouring a cup of bicarb soda down the toilet bowl. Got rings around the tub? Try placing paper towels soaked with white vinegar on any stains and any hard water or mineral deposits around faucets and drains. Leave for at least 15 minutes before going in for the scrub. A piece of dental floss can help you get into those hard-to-reach crevices.

5. Get scrubbing

Stains, be gone! How you clean your bathtub depends on what it’s made from. For porcelain, you can get away with abrasive powders such as Ajax and scouring pads and pumice stones. If enamel, try bleach-free commercial cleaners. And if acrylic, use white vinegar, soft sponges and other gentle solutions.

6. Don’t forget the shower head

Your shower head can harbour infectious bacteria known as mycobacterium avium, a nasty bug linked to lung disease. To clean, pour a generous amount of white vinegar into a plastic bag and secure over your shower head using a rubber band. Leave it to soak overnight and then remove the bag and rinse in the morning.

7. Don’t forget your toilet brush

Take your toilet brush, place over the toilet bowl and pour bleach over the bristles. Allow it to stand for a few minutes before rinsing it with a cup of cold water. And don’t forget to rinse the canister out with hot, soapy water, too – pouring the dirty water down the toilet and not the sink.

Photo: Stocksy.

8. Remove the exhaust fan cover

One of the most neglected areas of the bathroom are exhaust fans, despite them being a hot spot for airborne particles. Flip the switch and remove the cover, then soak in warm water and detergent. Wipe the blades and get into the crannies with a stiff paintbrush. Leave to completely dry before reattaching it. And another tip! Always run the fan during and for 30 minutes after your shower to reduce mould and mildew.

9. Sweep the floors

Dry sweep the bathroom floors to clear dirt, dust, hair and other bits and pieces you’d rather not swish around as you clean. Make sure you clean from top to bottom so any debris that falls will be wiped away.

10. Wet wash the floors

Use a wet cloth, if your bathroom is small, or a mop if big. Work from the far corner toward the door. Leave to dry before you enter again to place everything back.

11. Steam clean the walls and ceilings

Spray walls and ceilings with all-purpose cleaner, then blast hot water in the shower and close the door, allowing the steam to build. Leave to steam clean for 20 minutes before wiping down all the surfaces with a clean, dry microfibre cloth. And don’t forget to wipe the towel bar with an all-purpose cleaner – it tends to harbour a lot of bacteria.

12. Get a shiny, fog-free mirror

To clean your mirror (and any glass surface, for that matter), use coffee filters soaked in window cleaner or white vinegar. They’re cheap – and won’t leave any streaks or lint. To keep it fog free, rub a dry bar of soap onto the surface and buff it with a clean microfibre cloth until you can no longer see any marks. 

Photo: Stocksy.

13. Wipe the windows – reaching every corner

A steam cleaner works wonders on the rubber sills and tracks of your windows. A couple of blasts with the steam, followed by a wipe down with a paper towel, will work wonders. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, try applying a paste made from bicarb soda and white vinegar, leaving it an hour, and then scrubbing it using a toothbrush.

14. Toss out any unnecessary products

Worried to see what lurks under your sink? Time to give it a good clean out! Consolidate products, toss out what you don’t need and put items back on a shelf liner.

15. Keep it up

Daily once-overs – wiping down the condensation from your shower and mopping the floors, for example, will take the pain out of your next clean, trust us!

Make sure to keep it up! Photo: istock

Copper pipe electrolysis from touching galvanized steel?

Read article : Copper pipe electrolysis from touching galvanized steel?

topic 24664

An ongoing discussion from 2003 through 2016 . . .

(2003)

Q.I recently had a 1/2" TYPE L HMP flexible copper pipe that sprung a leak, unfortunately it was inside the wall going up to the second floor. After splicing the pipe where it was leaking another spot started leaking. I noticed inside the pipe a bunch of green "blobs" & the outside of this (HOT) water pipe a lot cleaner than the other pipe (COLD) that would have been put in at the same time, 20-25 years ago I'm guessing. I did notice one spot where the copper pipe was touching an old galvanized pipe seemed to be wet and green. Could there have been some electrolysis going on that caused this pipe to start getting finer than pin hole leaks & how much damage might have been done to the rest of the plumbing if that is the case?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP,

Alex H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
do-it-myself-er - Cedar Rapids , Iowa

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(2003)

A.Copper pipes can corrode in at least three different ways, but the differences are quite technical. I would suggest that the corrosion could be induced by a galvanic couple caused by contact with the galvanised pipe and this results in an induced local anodic polarisation of the copper pipe. I would normally expect such a failure to occur where the two pipes come into contact, but if this point is dry, no corrosion will occur and the effects of the galvanised pipe will be transmitted onto the copper pipe where it will react in a more favourable wet environment. Your photograph clearly shows the green copper salts on the inside of the failed straight pipe, so it must have been in an area where the copper is oxidised and failed. The propensity for copper pipes to fail is related to how the pipe was made, the local water composition and the environment it is used in. I would suggest there may be other not be other problems with your copper pipes, as there has already been a failure of an induced polarity, but if there are other non-compatible pipes in contact with each other, there could be a repeat of this. It may be wise to ask a plumber to check your system out.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK

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(2004)

Q.I was told by a local plumber that electrolysis can occur in copper pipes when the hot water heating system is part of a forced hot water boiler system. The solution is to put nylon fittings between the copper connections and the galvanized boiler system so as to prevent any electrolysis action from taking place in the copper pipes running throughout the building. I would like to get other opinions since this is an expensive fix and it takes a long time to determine whether the fix in fact works.

Dan W [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
property management - Juneau, Alaska

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(2004)

A.It is the right advise, Dan. For galvanic corrosion to occur you need a metallic circuit and an electrolyte circuit. If you break the conductive metal circuit between the copper and galvanized pipe, galvanic corrosion ("electrolysis")" does not occur. This is not to say that no form of corrosion will ever occur though.

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey

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(2004)

A.Copper pipe failure began to occur approximately eight years after completion of a new home in Brewster Co. Texas. The leaks were always in the cold line.

A split-core ammeter revealed a slight current flow between the steel gas pipe and the hot side of the copper system. No current could be detected between the cold copper pipe and the hot, or the steel gas line. This led me to conclude that the cold line was acting as a sacrificial anode between the other two while absorbing all voltage drop.

No electrical bonding could be found.

My solution was to isolate the steel line (which included some galvanized parts), from the copper system with a PVC adapter.

Current flow cannot now be detected unless a jumper is placed between the steel and copper.

Is the problem solved? I don't know! What can be said is that there is no further measurable evidence of electrolytic activity in this particular system.

Sam D [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Alpine, Texas

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(2004)

A.As others have mentioned, there are three different ways for holes to develop in a copper line, and I have seen all three.

A typical trade mark of electrolysis is pit on the inside of the pipe where the electrical current has actually eaten away at the piping, this doesn't sound like what is going on.

Another way is corrosion from the outside, normally when the piping in in a damp location with high acid soils, or even in an unsealed sleeve (copper run inside another pipe, usually PVC, and normally from the meter to the house). This is evidenced by pitting on the outside of the pipe.

The last one I have come across, and am still researching, is what it sounds like this gentleman has. It typically will have build-up on the inside of the piping and will often times leave large "blobs" of build up. I don't know what this is for sure, but I do know it isn't electrolysis, and it has nothing to do with water that is too clean (mentioned on another website as a possible answer). I think it has to do with the water quality to a certain degree, but I think it may be the molecular structure not the chemicals used. I think the buildup is a protectant for a "micro-atmosphere" high in maybe hydrogen. But I could be wrong, I am still researching this. I will post any further findings.

Jereme Grisenti
plumbing - Blountville, Tennessee

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(2005)

Q.If we were to rivet or otherwise attach a copper sleeve to galvanized chimney pipe, would this cause the galvanized pipe to fail? We have fireplace chimneys on the beach. we have several copper clad chimneys that are doing well, but the maker went out of business. Now we have only galvanized pipe to work with and the outside of it corroding causes an eye sore.

Bryan Malt
- San Diego, California

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(2006)

Q.This is a piggy back question.

Three 1/2 inch copper pipes running from my basement to the Laundry room one floor above show the same kind of erosion as the picture accompanying the original question. In each case the green copper salts and pin holes developed where the pipes pass through the floor. You can see the leaking water from below but not from the laundry room level.

After one of two plumbers to replace one of the leaky pipes stated that at one point he felt a very mild electrically shock, I had an electrician check the system. The electrician said he could not find a problem. The electrician checked the system before and after the plumber felt the shock. We could not duplicate the shock with the plumber or the electrician.

The plumber reinstalled the three pipes and wrapped the new pipes in electrical tape at the point where the pipes go through the floor.

Since we have not yet found a source of electrical charge would it be prudent to ground the copper line to an unused galvanized pipe so any current would flow to the unused galvanized pipe? Any help would be appreciated.

Greg Butts
- Stafford, Virginia

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(2007)

Q.When copper pipes are plastered over into walls do they need to be protected from corrosion either by cement or plaster?

Mrs M Bridger
Homeowner - Steyning, West Sussex, England

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(2007)

Q.I have a brick wall in my bathroom and want to cut a groove in the brick run the copper pipe inside and cement it back up. Will this have a long term effect on the pipe
thanks daz

Dario Ruberto
designer - Toronto, Canada

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(2007)

Q.I have some questions regarding electrolysis, or galvanic corrosion between the copper and galvanized water pipes in my house. The house in on a municipal system and it is my understanding that acidic or soft water is not a problem in my area.

I have extremely low pressure in the upstairs bathrooms, and moderately low on the main floor kitchen. In my basement I have galvanized pipes coming in from the street, they supply the hot water heater, and they run the hot water for a few feet beyond the tank. At one point they are connected directly to copper pipes which take the hot and cold supply upstairs to the bathrooms.

I intend to replace the galvanized pipe, but I am trying to decide whether or not to replace the copper pipes going upstairs, and as well the hot water heater.

To make this decision I need to understand a little more about what is going on with the electrolysis. Before discussing the ramifications with the hot water heater, I have the following questions:

1. Where the galvanized and copper connect in the basement, does the electrolysis happen only locally? It seems that the electrons would travel only within the magnetic field created by the metals and therefore only affect the pipes within about a foot or so of the connection. Or, since the water exists through all the pipes, does the electrolysis affect the copper all the way to the upstairs bathrooms?
2. Once the galvanized pipe is removed, will the electrolysis cease? (I understand that new copper and old copper will also create electrolysis but I assume this condition is not as severe.)
3. I understand why galvanized pipe corrodes when coupled with copper but I don't understand why it is that the galvanized pipe becomes filled with gunk on the inside and restricts flow, I would think the corroding would make it get slightly wider on the inside, not more narrow.
4. If I remove the galvanized pipe, can I clean out the remaining copper pipe to make sure there is no corrosive material setting in them? How is this performed?

As far as the hot water heater is concerned, galvanized pipe feeds it and takes the water out of it, however, there is copper flexible tubing that actually connects directly to it. I assume this means the heater has corrosive material in it and will likely not last as long. If I leave the existing heater in place and wait for it to fail, will it contaminate any new piping that I put in?

Also, if I run the new copper water service through the front yard within a few feet of the gas line will this cause electrolysis? If yes, will it affect the pipes inside the house or just in the front yard? Which pipe will get holes and which will narrow? Can I insulate the copper to prevent this?

Justin Zavislak
buyer, hobbyist - Seattle, Washington

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July 13, 2008

Q.I have type k copper coming from the main to the shutoff in the house. after reporting a leak it was dug up to be repaired and all was found was a pipe with walls that have thinned considerably and covered in grooves resembling termite damage on wood. it was also riddled with pinholes.

the ground for my electrical is connected to this pipe. could that be a possible cause. please help. there other houses in the area that have had there lines replaced twice in the last 20 years.

thanks, cy

cyrus lambert
hobbyist - conne river, Newfoundland, Canada

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July 20, 2008

A.Where I work they were having problems with the copper pipes. The anode rods in the water storage tanks had been all wore down. Plumbers found the electrical system grounding rod had been disconnected & everything was grounding through the plumbing, causing the problems. You might want to check but I think it is a code violation now to ground through your plumbing only.

Alex Hatfield
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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August 30, 2008

Q.I have a problem identical to to the lead in this thread. Green spots on rigid type L 1/2 in copper pipe with water seepage. This 14+ ft run of pipe is leading from my gas fired hot water heater (after a few short copper fittings) across the drywall finished basement ceiling to a T that feeds hot water to most of the house. I noticed a small spot of mold on the ceiling, cut it open and found this pipe with green spots like the picture above and two of the spots (at different ends of this one section of pipe) have water seepage. There are several other copper pipes , cold water and feeds for hot water heating that have no green spots,(only this one length of hot water has the spots) and also a flexible gas line in the same bay. My fix is to replace this entire length. A difficult job for me, tight spaces overhead, and hope there are no other bad pipe in the house. Please confirm the cause of this. Is it likely to be elsewhere or reoccur?

David Goldman
- W Milford, New Jersey

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September 3, 2008

A.In response to the gentleman who experienced a leak on a 1/2 copper pipe and then he split it exposing this thick green blob running on the inside for some unknown length. well from dealing with similar repairs and from years of experience in the field this green corrosion that you are talking about stands far from electrolysis. this green gunk/blob is what we use to solder/sweat our copper pipes with better known as FLUX this product is applied to the outside of the copper pipe once it has been cleaned and reamed. putting too much flux on the pipe and fitting will cause the excess to flow into the pipe and will settle on the inside of the pipe until the system gets energized and water flows flushing out the excess flux. if it was not flushed out and was left as is; guess what? call your plumber.....thanks.

Armando Olvera
- Costa Mesa, California

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September 14, 2008

Q.Within the last 9 weeks we have called the plumber 3 times regarding a 4 ft. section of hot water copper piping. Each time a pinhole sealing leak about 4-6 feet away from a recently replaced(5 months ago that our plumber installed) electric hot water heater. After replacing 2 inch copper pipe sections at a time we finely asked him to change a length of pipe but, only last night we developed another leak, a foot over from the new pipe, closer to the water heater. Our house is 15 years old and we use city water. The leaky pipe had green discoloration at the leak points. The plumber says this problem could be expected in this area in homes using well water after about 20 years due to the highly acidic soil but we use city water and our pipes are in the sealing. He's suggesting we may need to replace all of our pipes but it seems strange that the leaks are all near the water heater. Could the water heater be faulty or it's installation be the problem?

Chris McQuillen
homeowner - Crescent City, California

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September 14, 2008

A.Hi, Chris. I'd be pretty confident that is has to do with something electrical rather than well water. I think I'd call an electrician rather than calling the plumber again.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey

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(2005)September 30, 2008

Q.can a copper water line be spliced to an existing galvanized water pipe line?

Keith Medved
- Dyer, Indiana

---

A.Hi, Keith. When you transition from one kind of metal pipe to another, the correct thing to do is to use dielectric unions =>

These are unions that include a plastic insulator so there is no metal-to-metal contact. I'm not saying that this is always done, but it is the right way to insure that there can be no galvanic corrosion.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey

---

October 24, 2008

Q.How can one determine the cause of frequent deterioration of a 3/4" copper water supply line? The section going bad is located underground at the block wall of the foundation. The home owner had to replace this line two times within the past year. The deterioration seems to occur on the outside of the pipe. There were no problems prior to the first replacement of this pipe section 9 months ago. The home has city water and uses a sump pump due to a high level of ground water. I don't know the pH level of the water. The basement is dry, but uses on a "floating slab" to channel away the ground water. I conducted load tests of the electric panel to verify the electric wiring. All tests proved satisfactory with only about .2 amps or less flowing to the ground wire. This is when a 35 amp load is applied to each 120 volt leg. This proves that practically all current is flowing back through the neutral conductor. The electric service is lacking the required two, 8 foot ground rods. There is only one ground rod, and it appears to have been installed as a ground for the telephone system. At this point I'm thinking the corrosion and deterioration was not caused by excessive current flowing top ground via this water supply line.

Dave Baylor
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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May 22, 2009

Q.Hi, Our house is 6 years old and from the time we moved in we have had this "green" problem. It has ruined my hair and has left stains in the sinks and toilets. We have had 2 different water softeners and 2 water heaters. We discussed this with the last water softener person and I guess they didn't have a clue about this problem. No one has until I
talked to some nerd at the company that tests the water for the city. He said that it was probably because of the fittings that the water softener company put on the copper pipes and if we didn't rectify the problem, we would eventually have pin size holes in the pipes and leaks! What do we do, who do we call and how do we go about fixing this problem! I want long hair again! Thanks!

Kathy L. Maxwell
- Grover Beach, California

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December 8, 2009

A.While replacing the copper piping in a 150 year old home, I was puzzled by the green buildup inside of the pipe. Tracing the pipe I discovered that a ground clamp and wire from the circuit breaker box was connected to the cold water line 15' from the water meter where a jumper wire was also connected to the pipe from the street. In the circuit breaker box the Neutral buss was bonded to the Ground buss. That was okay. I also checked the sub panel to make sure the Ground buss and Neutral buss were not connected.

The wire mains from the electrical meter are aluminum. Current will find the least path of resistance, therefore current leakage to the piping is occurring. The remedy for this is to drive a conductive rod into the ground as deep as local code requires and connect a ground wire. Additionally I moved the ground clamp to the incoming side of the water meter, and removed the grounding jumper. As the water meter has dielectric connections the leakage can not return into the water piping since it is no longer grounded.

Bert Cooper
Equipment Designer - Williamsport, Pennsylvania

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June 11, 2010

Q.Type K soft copper pinholes. We are having numerous issues with 3/4" and 1" and even a couple 2" services running from the mainline in the street to the property. 10 years ago or so we started having pinhole leaks appear on the copper always next to a flaired fitting so naturally everyone blamed it on a bad flair, then the specs changed and we were allowed to use compression fittings. This is now happening with the compression fittings as well, now everyone is blaming it on not de-burring the copper properly.

We just had to dig up a leak and found the pinhole leak in the middle of the 1" copper run (no fittings even close) and the copper was in a 4" sleeve under a major street which would eliminate the corrosive soil theory which the supplier will want to use, also the leak was on the top of the copper so a rubbing situation is not the answer. I have a question, is it possible for the copper at the time of production to have impurities introduced causing an electrolysis situation? Do you know of any other town having this problem. The suppliers here have no idea and have never even heard of this problem before which I find hard to believe. Thank you for your time and opinion

Bill Williams
water company - Tucson, Arizona

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September 9, 2010

Q.I have recently installed and new water softener with an aerater in my home. My home is 26 years old and several weeks after the installation I noticed a blueish/green tint. I have had the water tested and the copper level is high, can the new system cause this?

Rachele Cancia
home owner -Sunrise, Florida

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November 26, 2010

Q.I had an odd situation and was wondering if there is a known reason.
Last evening we noticed water dripping from the ceiling. Upon cutting open the ceiling, I noticed that the 3/4 hot water heating pipe (not sure if supply or return) was pressing firmly against the 1/2 hot water supply pipe, and that a leak had developed in the (smaller) hot water pipe where they touched. Fortunately, the heating pipe was connected to flexible copper to go up through the floor, and I was able to push the pipes apart and repair the supply line easily, but I am concerned what might have caused this leak.

Mike Paulson
former kitchen contractor, retired -falls church, Virginia

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December 17, 2010

Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia's "Tap Water" page at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_water

"Pin-hole leaks can occur anytime copper piping is improperly grounded and/or bonded; nonmetal piping, such as Pex or PVC, does not suffer from this problem. The phenomenon is known technically as stray current corrosion or electrolytic pitting. Pin-holing due to poor grounding or poor bonding occurs typically in homes where the original plumbing has been modified; homeowners may find a new plastic water filtration device or plastic repair union has interrupted the water pipe's electrical continuity to ground when they start seeing pinhole water leaks after a recent install. Damage occurs rapidly, usually being seen about six months after the ground interruption."

Q.So if I understand this correctly, adding a union may cause this problem? How does one connect copper pipe to galvanized steel then, or how to bond from copper pipe (cold water line, for example) to iron pipe (gas line, for example)? What materials is the bond conductor made of?

Andy Roberts
-Maynard, Massachusetts

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May 13, 2011

A.I have seen electrolysis occur with galv. steel straps, hangers and supports, with copper. It usually occurs at the point.
Pin Hole leaks are mostly caused by incorrect installation of plumbing pipes.
For example, If a plumber uses a pipe cutter, to cut a pipe, it leaves a ridge on the inside of the pipe. This causes a ripple in the flow of water going through the pipe, and will eventually start eating away at the pipe, from the inside out. This was a common occurrence back when track homes were booming, and the track rats were doing high volume production, and not installing correctly.
You can verify this, by separating the pipes at the soldered joint, and stick you finger in the pipe and feel the edge. If you feel a sharp edge, then the fitter never filed the inside edge to remove this. Which this is why it will happen in multiple places in your home. Also the reason it happens more to cold water lines, is because you use your cold water more that your hot.

Keith Van Aalst

-Anaheim California

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February 3, 2012 -- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread

Q.I need to run natural gas to an outside heater. I have a 3/4" gal water line which is no longer used, am hoping to run type 'L' flex 1/2" copper line thru this line to supply gas to out side heater, is that possible or is there something I could wrap the copper with to make it work?

Bob Hendrickson
-Pontiac, Illinois, USA

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February 25, 2012

Q.I have a bunch of copper fittings. 1/2", 3/4" & 1"; I had the fittings for a year or more. Some of the fittings are starting to get corrosion on them, a greenish thick coating. What is causing this and how do I control/stop it. All the fittings are new and never used.

Ken Kramlich
-Sacramento, California, USA

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February 27, 2012

A.Hi, Ken.

Copper corrodes, but usually not that quickly. The simplest fix is probably to put them in a plastic bag with desiccant. Sodium benzotriazole is a copper preservative. You can use brass lacquer if you are trying to protect them for artistic rather than functional use. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey

---

December 18, 2012

A. After reading all of the postings about plumbing -
There are a lot of factors to touch on.

Any type of pipe can be connected to a different type of pipe with the right connectors that can be found at big box or good hardware store.

The green spots inside or outside of a copper pipe is cause by Flux.
Flux is an acid that is used by plumbers when the copper piped is fitted together and soldered.
When a plumber puts too much flux on the copper fittings or pipe - It stays inside the pipe and causes the pipe and or fittings to corrode because the water does not get hot enough to melt flux in order to get it flushed out of the pipe or fittings.
Even if you air pressure out the lines, all of the flux will not move out of the copper pipe because flux is a paste, and what little amount of flux that does move will stick to any joining type of Copper or Plastic or PVC or Galvanized pipe or fittings.
Green spots on the outside of a copper pipe or fittings usually means the plumber did not wipe off any left over flux on the out side of the copper pipe or fittings, or the copper pipe has started to corrode from the inside out from using too much flux inside the pipe and the flux has made its way to the outside of the copper pipe or fittings and needs to be replaced.

As far as electric or electric ground going through copper - Electricity will slowly soften up the excess flux that was used on the copper pipe or fittings.
As the flux softens, and because Flux is an acid, it will slowly break down the copper pipe or fittings and needs to be replaced.

NOTE:
Most electric or electric ground going through a copper pipe is not a high enough voltage to melt flux -- it will only soften the flux.

NOTE:
If your phone line is grounded to the copper line then this alone is enough to soften the flux.
If you put some flux on both the neg. and pos. post of a small charged 9 volt battery you will find that the flux will soften.
If you leave the flux on the battery the flux will corrode the battery because flux is an acid.

NOTE:
If your phone or cable is grounded to your copper pipe this is enough electric for a person to get a small shock when touching the copper pipe.
After a person touches the pipe and gets a small shock, it takes quite a while for the electric to build back up because the voltage is quite low.
It is because the voltage is so low that when a person touches a copper pipe and gets a small shock you have depleted the electric in the copper pipe and a shock will not happen again until the electric builds back up in the copper pipe.

NOTE:
Anytime you have to run a copper pipe behind a wall that will be closed in, only use HARD copper pipe (NOT ROLLED TUBING OR SOFT TUBING). Place the copper pipe inside of a piece of PVC pipe and do not have any fittings or couplings that have been soldered inside the PVC pipe.
If you need to soldier on fittings - Solder the fittings on after you have cleared the wall that will be closed in. It will also be helpful to use liquid foam between the copper pipe and the PVC pipe to stop any pipes from clanking when the water is turned on or off. You can pre make up the pipe with the foam in order to let the liquid foam set up.

I hope this information is helpful.

Jim Drake
- Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA

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April 20, 2013

A.To those dismissing the "green blobs" as residual flux are not understanding what I think are the inquisitors' issues. We built our home in 2004 and within a couple of years we started experiencing problems in our master shower. Initially, I was able to disassemble the hot water supply in the manifolds and clear out the green "blobbish" crystals. Our master shower is large and has multiple shower heads and two shower manifolds. Since then the problem appear to only exist in the master bath "hot" water lines. I have never had any issue with the cold water lines.

To give a little more detail. The green blobs I am experiencing a hard crystals and not any type of pasty or flux consistency. I have found galvanized steel nipples between the copper supply lines and the brass shower fittings. Two years ago the galvanized nipple on the shower with the most serious blockage, had nearly corroded away completely. Fortunately I had decided inspect the inside of the shower wall after suspecting some sort of "electronic" cause. This morning I found the same union on the second shower head that is now almost completely blocked.

I should have recognized something was wrong in the construction of our plumbing lines during the build simply because of the sloppy solder joints. I have a rudimentary knowledge of plumbing as my father was a plumber. Unfortunately, I was traveling extensively and didn't have time to address the bootleg plumbers my builder contracted.
I guess I was depending on the inspectors to alert us of any issues, but I have learned that lesson.

In summary, I would conclude that the green crystals are formed from kind electric current activity in addition to the hardness of your water. Our municipal water is very hard and my water softener is worthless so we are going to rip out the bathroom walls to see what other surprises we have in store and get a new water softening system.

Vaughn Broadnax
- Carmel, Indiana, USA

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May 21, 2013

Q.During a bathroom remodel, the plumber used some metal strapping (likely galvanized steel)to further secure the copper piping from the shower valve to the shower outlet. (see photo) Days later, my contractor had secured a loose toilet supply valve with a plastic part and explained that a metal material could negatively interact with the copper and eventually cause a leak. (I think he himself had just come upon this info when he went to home depot to pick-up the part.)
I then remembered seeing how the plumber used the metal strapping to basically tie back the copper piping. The wall has since been scratch coated and is about to be floated. I've alerted my contractor about this and am awaiting a reply. I really do not want the float to happen until I know for sure that there is definitely no problem with the set-up, or, until it is corrected. Any input on this would greatly be appreciated.

Jack Goldstein
- Mission Viejo, California, USA

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May 22, 2013

A.Hi Jack. You need 3 things for galvanic corrosion:
- dissimilar metals so there is an inherent voltage between them,
- metallic contact path between the two metals so that electrons can flow from one metal to the other,
- a moist and conductive ionic path so that positively charged ions can follow the electrons, transporting atoms of metal from one point to another.

You certainly have the first two, but whether the third condition is met well enough for serious concern is always the question, and sometimes hard to define. When such a condition is sealed behind a wall, it sounds to me like poor practice -- then again, I'm not a plumber. You might see if you can find anything in the plumbing code about it. The problem would have been easy to avoid with any kind of plastic between the pipe and strap; you can hopefully get a scrap of Visqueen in between them without much damage to the wall. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey

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June 3, 2013

Q.Having pin hole issues on the cold water line repeatedly over approx. 8 years -- same area.
The house used to have copper pipe coming in from the street and we did not have a ground strap on it. I can see how the pin holes would happen then. Then the copper pipe was replaced with PVC out to the street so there seemed to be no need for the ground on the street side of the meter, but I left the ground connected on the house side (still copper here). Was this wrong? Still another pin hole problem this year.
Tired of water leaks, Tom

Tom Canarecci
- Mishawaka, Indiana, USA

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July 11, 2013

Q.We have an apartment building that keeps getting leaks in the first apartment. I have read everything and understand the problem, but we don't have money to replace all the pipes, so every few months there is a leak. The last time we had to replace all the carpet because it was leaking over a full weekend.

I have been told by one plumber that he heard of a product that can be put in the pipes that would coat the insides and help prevent the pinholes from developing.
Is there any such product?

Also someone told me of a product that can be painted on the pipes like a silicone or latex component that might be able to help.

If you know of any products like this that I can try, please let me know.

Thank you.

Lisa Keylon
- Fountain Valley, California, USA

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February 11, 2016

Q. I just noticed there is corrosion at the elbo 90 connector of hot water copper pipe going out of water heater. Both are copper pipes - so wondering what's causing the corrosion. Otherwise I'm planning to
Simply planning to use fix-it stick/Keeny pipe wrap tape as temporary fix until I get time to call plumber to cut the pipe and rejoin.
Please advise:
1) is it ok to fix temporarily
2) if I need to dig in further to find the cause before I fix it.
3) are there any other things I need to check / replace while I'm fixing it.
Btw- this is house is 10 yrs old.

Venu Reddy
- Waukee, Iowa

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April 8, 2016

A. You can also use a brass nipple between copper and galvanize .

Rodolfo ruiz
- Pasadena California usa

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April 2016

Thanks, Rudolfo. Yes, you can use a brass nipple between them ... but I don't think it will do much towards stopping galvanic corrosion.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Pine Beach, New Jersey
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Disclaimer: It's not possible to diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations may be deliberately harmful.

A History of Baths and Showers

Read article : A History of Baths and Showers

A History of Baths and Showers

By Tim Lambert

Baths and Showers in the Ancient World

The Egyptians are known for their cleanliness (they bathed frequently) and they used many cosmetics. Meanwhile in Babylon before 2,000 BC a form of soap was made. The Greeks knew that diet and exercise and keeping clean were important for health. The Greeks even invented a form of shower, which sprayed bathers with water.

Most Greeks washed in a bowl on a pedestal called a louterion though the rich sometimes had bathrooms. People rubbed themselves with olive oil then rubbed it off with a tool called a strigil.

The Romans also knew that dirt encourages disease and they appreciated the importance of cleanliness. They built aqueducts to bring clean water into towns. In Roman towns an important building was the public baths. In Roman times people went to the baths not just to get clean but also to socialize. Roman Baths consisted of a frigidarium or cold room, a Tepidarium or warm room and a caldarium or hot room. You usually finished with a dip in a cold pool. To clean themselves Romans rubbed their skin with oil and scraped it off with a tool called a strigil. (The Romans also made soap).

Roman women also used razors, pumice stone, tweezers and depilatory creams to remove unwanted body hair.

Baths in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages there were bathhouses in many towns were people could pay to have a bath. Furthermore in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages people took sweat baths.

In the 14th century Edward III installed a bathroom in the Palace of Westminster. Other people made do with wooden tubs in their bedrooms.

Furthermore in the Middle Ages there was an important soap making industry in England (although many people made their own soap at home). In the Middle Ages people used combs and tweezers. They also used toothpicks and mouthwashes.

In the Middle Ages in monasteries streams provided clean water. Dirty water was used to clear toilets, which were in a separate room. Monks also had a room called a laver where they washed their hands before meals.

Baths and Showers 1500-1800

Most Tudors cared about their appearance. People carried mirrors made of glass or steel. They also carried combs and used tweezers, ear scoops and bone manicure sets. In the Summer people sometimes had a bath in the local river. Sometimes they heated a cauldron of water and had a strip wash. Or they could have a 'dry wash' by rubbing themselves with clean linen.

In the 16th century bathrooms were very rare but Henry VIII had a bathroom in Hampton Court Palace. It had a simple boiler for hot water.

In the 17th century people used toothpicks but in the latter part of the century toothbrushes were introduced. (Toothbrushes came from China. They were first mentioned in 1498). People also made scented soaps. Then in 1767 Englishman William Feetham invented the first modern shower. However in Britain showers did not become common until the late 20th century.

Baths and Showers in the 19th Century and 20th Century

In the mid 19th century middle class homes began to have bathrooms. Having a bath was also made much easier when Benjamin Waddy Maughan invented the gas water heater in 1868. The electric water heater was invented in 1889 by Edwin Ruud. Working class houses with bathrooms were first built around 1900 and in the 1920s council houses were built with bathrooms. However at that time bathrooms were still a luxury. As late as the early 1960s many homes in Britain did not have a bathroom.

From about 1800 portable metal bathtubs gradually replaced wooden ones and in the 19th century some people used hand-pumped showers.

In the 19th century toothpaste was sold in jars until 1892 when Washington Sheffield invented the collapsible toothpaste tube. Meanwhile in 1888 the first modern deodorant was invented. It was called Mum.

The first safety razors for men were sold in 1901. Women first began to shave under their arms in the 1910s. The first razor for women was introduced in 1915.

In the 19th century most homes also had a scullery. In it was a 'copper', a metal container for heating water for washing clothes. The copper was filled with water and soap powder was added. To wash the clothes they were turned with a wooden tool called a dolly. Or you used a metal plunger with holes in it to push clothes up and down. Wet clothes were wrung through a device called a wringer or mangle to dry them. The clothes wringer or mangle was invented by Robert Tasker in 1850.

Simple hand operated washing machines were invented in the 18th century. The first electric washing machine was made in 1907. In Britain washing machines first became common in the late 1950s and 1960s. Meanwhile The electric clothes dryer was invented in 1935 by a man named J. Ross Moore. The first laundromat opened in Fort Worth, Texas in 1934. The first laundrette in Britain opened in 1949.

Joel Houghton invented the first dishwasher in 1850. However it was not a success. Josephine Cochrane invented the first successful dishwasher in 1886. By 2009 36% of households in Britain had a dishwasher. Steel wool cleaning pads were invented in 1913.

Meanwhile soap was rationed in Britain from 1942 to 1950.

People used to wash their clothes with soap flakes. The first synthetic detergent was invented in Germany during the First World War. In the following decades detergents were gradually improved and became more common. Today washing is much easier than it was in the past.

A brief history of Cosmetics

A brief history of Housework

A brief history of Public Health

A brief history of Toilets

A brief history of Electric appliances

Home

Last revised 2017

How To Easily Replace Basin Taps Step-by-Step

Read article : How To Easily Replace Basin Taps Step-by-Step

Step 1. Turn Off Your Water
Step 2. Remove Your Old Tap
Step 3. Install Your New Tap
Step 4. Connect Your Plumbing
Step 5. Switch Your Water Supply Back On

Jump to a section of this post by clicking a link above.

[embedded content]Video: How To Replace A Basin Tap

Beautiful taps and basin wastes are important assets to a good looking bathroom; chrome reflects light and draws the eye to your important features, while the bright, clean look of new fixtures gives your bathroom a hygienic, fresh appearance. So when your basin taps start to dull and scratch, your once beautiful bathroom is reduced to looking grimy and worn-out.

Milan Modern Mono Basin Mixer Tap

In this handy step-by-step guide from Victorian Plumbing will teach you how to quickly replace an old basin tap with a nice new one, and once again restore your bathroom to its former glory.

This is a beginner difficulty job, you will need some confidence in your ability, a couple of free hours, and some good-old-fashioned elbow grease!

Breakdown of what's going on underneath your basin tap

Your basin should look something like the image above. You will also notice a large, plastic pipe. This is your waste, and it is connected to your plug hole. The other two small, copper pipes are your hot and cold water pipes. On the underside of the basin itself, the tap is screwed into the basin; you should be able to see the bottom of the screws, and the nuts that lock them in place. (NB: in between the nut and the basin, there may be one or two washers. These are the barriers between your sink and your tap, they help protect your ceramic and seal your everything together.

Please Note: You may need a compression fitting - this is a part that connects your water pipe to the flexible tap tail, although you may have one fitted on your old pipes, not all pipes are the same size, so make sure to check if you need a new size.

Step 1. Turn Off Your Water

First, you need to turn off the water supply for both hot and cold taps from the mains supply. Then, run the hot and cold taps in your house a short while to drain any excess water and ensure the mains is definitely switched off. Make sure all your taps remain ‘open’.

Step 2. Remove Your Old Tap

Get under your basin and unscrew the nut that locks the basin to your old tap. This can be awkward and fiddly, but once it is loose it should come off easier.

Cruze Contemporary Mono Basin Mixer Tap

Once this is removed, lift the old tap away from the basin and remove your old tap from your domestic pipe work.

Step 3. Install Your New Tap

Connect the threaded post to your tap, then feed into the basin hole, so your tap sits on top of your basin, with the thread poking out below. Again, there may be a washer included or needed to make sure the tap sits snugly. Screw the nut tightly onto the threaded post, your tap is now gripped on to your basin.

Step 4. Connect Your Plumbing

Screw the flexible connectors into your tap, then, connect them to the copper domestic pipes, with a compression fitting in between - this keeps the pressure between the two pipes regulated and safe.

Lancaster Traditional Basin Taps

Your tap should now be gripped onto your basin, and the hot and cold pipes should feed directly from your wall to your new pipes. Do a last check to make sure that there are no loose or leaky connections.

Step 5. Switch Your Water Supply Back On

Turn your water supply on from the mains. Any air that has backed up into the taps or pipes will be forced through, followed by the water. If your new tap is set to ‘closed’ when the air rushes through, it could potentially damage the tap, so we recommend all taps be set to ‘open’ for the moment the water supply is switched back on. Remember the other taps in your property may still be set to open, so remember to switch them off once water comes through again.

Neo Modern Basin Tap

Your new tap should now have a nice steady stream of water flowing through, and turn from hot to cold depending on your particular mechanism.

Congratulations! Your shiny new tap will now make your basin sparkle and bring the finishing touch to your fittings. Thank you for reading, we hope you have found this step-by-step DIY guide to replacing a basin tap helpful. If you would like to know how to replace a bath tap then take a look at How To Replace A Bath Tap.

Alex, Victorian Plumbing