How the Plumbing Industry Has Evolved Over the Years

The plastic industry is known as the industry associated with plumbing, the history of plumbing development is said to be born very early and increasingly developed and raised the best quality. From the underground veins in the rocky ground in the plateau, mountains and forests, fresh water flows into nature through rivers and streams, rapids flow to the plains before flowing into the sea. Thousands of years ago, people knew how to store or lead fresh water to where they live with available materials such as bamboo pipes, wooden pipes..., for daily life.

The modern plumbing system originated around 3000 BC, from the irrigation system at Babylon, or the Minoan palace. Initial designs and installations included mains, ventilation, ductwork, and toilets.

Historic Development

Around 4000 BC, the Mesopotamians invented pipes out of baked clay. These pipes are used to carry rainwater and fresh water to water areas. The pipe is connected to each other, and easy to disassemble and replace each segment. By 2400 BC, copper pipes appeared in the Egyptian pyramid complex and became popular. Lead pipes also appeared very early in the Roman Empire, the word "Plumbing" also dates from that time ("Lead" in Latin is "Plumbum"). The use of lead for water supply pipes then became very popular because of its flexibility and high durability. However, later, due to awareness of the dangers of Lead poisoning, a number of other materials were used instead.

From the ancient civilizations of Greece, Persia… plumbing systems for irrigation, bathing or sewage drainage were formed. The first is the plumbing system made from burnt clay by ancient Egypt. Then comes the Greek shower application and the underground water channel created by the Romans.

Over the past 5000 years, mankind has been looking for better and better materials for this basic function. Water pipes originally used stone, cement and earthenware pipes. Other materials such as yard fiber, iron, steel, lead, copper, even wood are also used. However, over the past five decades, plastic pipes have ushered in a new revolution in the water industry.

A new turning point for the plumbing industry

Along with the brilliant development of the Euro-American economies, a series of changes in living habits, the level of comfort in families improved: private toilets, water-based toilet facilities were born. In parallel with the use of metal pipes such as copper, zinc coated steel, stainless steel (stainless steel) for buildings and apartments, many new inventions bring more modern solutions to shorten construction time, reduce toxicity during use, save investment costs and reduce system load.

In 1932, the first water pipe made from synthetic plastic material was born in Germany (PVC-Polyvinyl Chloride pipe) marking a new era for the water industry. By the 1940s, other plastic pipe products were also born, such as PE (Polyethylene) – often used for water supply and drainage networks. However, it wasn't until a new invention brought about the PP-R (polypropylene) plastic pipe line, which was capable of solving most of the problems of previous generations of plumbing, that the revolution in plumbing was truly marked.

Leading in the field of research and development of PP-R plastic pipes are some large corporations in European countries with leading science and technology such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands... In particular, Ke Kelit Kunststoffwerk GmbH – Republic of Austria is one of the leading corporations. Born in 1945 in Linz (Austria), with hundreds of patents, quality certificates and green certificates, Ke Kelit's plumbing products are popular and appreciated in many advanced countries around the world.

Plastic Industry After World War II

The 1950s marked a new milestone in the plastic fabrication industry as the engineering of extruding PVC into pipes first became successful. This new technique led to the use of PVC pipes as a replacement for older materials (e.g. copper) in water supply and drainage systems. PVC has better corrosion resistance and bearing capacity, gradually proving to be the optimal material. The tube has a smooth surface that is resistant to bacterial growth. What's more, the price of copper is higher, leading to more thefts.

Plastic pipes have become the best choice in most applications. For water supplyand drainage, PVC pipes are still the most popular choice, the second is HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) pipes. When the system uses hot water, PPR (Polypropulene) pipes are preferred.

New Applications

Newapplications for plastic pipes are still under research and development all over the world: strong chemical conduction, oxygen supply, gas conduction, floor heating, wall heating, cooling ...

Solar hot waterpipes for households, swimming pools are the most thriving market in the construction industry. Due to poor thermal conductivity, plastic pipes avoid the loss of heat energy.

Environmental Concerns

This is a widely misunderstood topic among the general public, claiming that plastic pipes are not environmentally friendly. In fact, the opposite is true, Professor Kaufer of the University of Berlin studied the impact on the environment of different pipe systems (1995). The evaluation criteria are the amount of emissions to the ground , the amount of emissions through water and air, and the total energy consumed.

The results of the study show that the total energy consumption of plastic piping systems is 30-50% lower than that of metal pipes.

Conclusion

After 5,000 years, humans have finally developed modern water systems using increasingly advanced plastics, insteadof rocks and metals. Now, plastic pipes are the crystallization, inheritance, and promotion of all resources as well as outstanding features to give the best quality plastic pipe products as well as contribute to the history of the development of the current plumbing industry great today.

About Local Rooter Corporation.

Local Rooter Corporation has been working hard to satisfy the plumbing system needs of home and business owners in San Jose and surrounding areas. Integrity and skills are served as our top priorities Whether it is a service, repair, or installation job, our licensed technicians are here to heed the call of duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to a wide range of standard services, we also provide a number of specialty plumbing solutions to homeowners in the area. Contact us at 408-641-9245