For a long time, our ancestors did not care much about sanitary and hygiene issues: in European cities, sewage and sewage was thrown out of the windows directly into the street, and even on the balconies of palaces 18th century and neighboring bushes often served Versailles as a place to relax.
It is possible to consider that the ancestor of the washbasin is a porcelain bedside vase, given to noble people in France or a usual stool with the hole, used for the same purposes in Germany. But a traditional toilet, like a bowl with a flash tank, was invented by the Englishman Thomas Crapper. American “crapper” which means that a toilet comes from the last name of its inventor. This professional Englishman, first being an ordinary sanitary technician in Chelsea, recently created the company and in some years supplied the Buckingham and Windsor palaces with sanitary equipment and water dispensers.
Its inexpensive metered tank flush system secured Crapper’s place in sanitary engineering history. Since the first sample was created, a variety of sanitary equipment such as sinks, urinals, bidets and sinks of different types appeared on different continents and in different countries. And at first glance, they all look similar, regardless of the country of origin.
However, national priorities are remarkable: Scandinavians, for example, concentrated on improving water supply and flushing systems, Americans and Germans traditionally make oversized toilets, and Italian production is distinguished by a original decoration and moldings. Japanese made from a toilet sink, a mini laboratory that performs analysis.
The sinks became colorful, painted, gold and decorated with moldings. However, still most buyers prefer the traditional white color and classic forms of sanitary equipment. All the sanitary equipment is still made of porcelain and earthenware. Distinguishing from each other at first glance is often difficult even for an expert because the products are covered with enamels or colored glazes. From the point of view of operational characteristics, porcelain is considered to be less porous, has a lower water absorption factor and, consequently, absorbs dirt and smells less.
Structurally, the sinks differ by their connection with the water discharge (and it is important when choosing a washbasin model for your floor): there are sinks with vertical discharge (towards the floor) and horizontal or inclined (towards a wall). The washbasins with cisterns, as well as the baths, can be separated when a tank and a washbasin are mounted separately, and they are combined, being the monobloc. Monoblocks are easier to mount and lower in height (if the economy of a location is important), but are considerably more expensive than “insulated” models.
A characteristic of a flush tank can be its operation in one mode when all the water is discharged at once, and in two modes, allowing all the water to be discharged at once and half. This tank has two discharge buttons and saves water considerably. The classic toilet sink was always mounted on the floor, but now there are wall-mounted models. They are mounted together with a concealed tank, so the whole system looks very light and even stylish.
In sanitary equipment, as well as in furniture, the design of a model and its decoration is an important point. What could be changed in the form of a sink? And yet, there are a variety of styles in sanitary ware such as classic, avant-garde, retro, and there are also fashion trends. Among them are the trend towards maximum roundness of shapes, smooth lines and the popularity of white as a symbol of cleanliness.
The national traditions of the country of origin also play a certain role in the creation of fashion collections of sanitary equipment. It is also true about the “small details”, creating the atmosphere of retro style such as various inscriptions, fastening details, chains. Thus, on the porcelain handle of the cistern that reproduces one of the first sinks of the Victorian Crapper toilet there is the following inscription: “pull and go”.
“Examining” the market for modern sanitary equipment and devices, we can only feel sorry for our ancestors, having to go out in the frost and rain to get to the blown up hut or the naked night vases with their contents in a house until morning .
