Bathtub

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For the foundations of the World Trade Center, see The Bathtub.

A bathtub

A bathtub (or simply bath) is a plumbing fixture used for bathing. Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in the form of porcelain-coated steel or increasingly wood. Older western bathtubs are usually made of galvanized steel or porcelain over cast iron.

Until recently, most bathtubs were roughly rectangular in shape but with the advent of acrylic thermoformed baths, more and more shapes are becoming available. Bathtubs are typically white in colour although many other colours can be found.

Modern bathtubs encompass an overflow and waste and may or may not have taps mounted on them. They may be built-in or free standing or sometimes sunken.

Two main styles of bathtub are common:

Western-style bathtubs in which the bather lies down. These baths are typically shallow and long.
Eastern style bathtubs in which the bather sits up. These are known as ofuro in Japan and are typically short and deep.

The issue of intended use is what separates a bathtub from a hot tub or other recreational bathing facilities. A bathtub is usually placed in a bathroom either as a stand-alone fixture or in conjunction with a shower. Any historical view of bathtubs should be aware of the 1917 Bathtub hoax.

The process for enamelling cast iron bathtubs was invented by the Scottish-American David Dunbar Buick, who later went on to invent the OHV engine, and founded the Buick Motor Company.

1 Firestopping a Bathtub Drain
2 Tub bathing
3 Clawfoot Tub
4 A Short History of Bathing
5 See also
6 Bibliography
7 External links

[edit] Firestopping a Bathtub Drain

Bathtub Drain Firestop, as shown, top and bottom. This firestop consists of a bounded firestop mortar on top and rockwool packing on the bottom. The drain pipe is made of copper.

If the bathtub is located in a building with multiple stories, where the floors are required to have a fire-resistance rating, the drain from the bathtub causes a service penetration firestop to be required, which must be built and bounded in accordance with the provisions of the local building code. In the case of this picture, the drain pipe is made of copper, which is non-combustible. Since the pipe itself will not give way in the event of a fire, the firestop can be made of conventional means, such as firestop mortar or silicone sealant, each topping off a bounded packing material. If the pipe were made of plastic, however, the firestop would likely involve intumescent materials, which would expand in the event of a fire, in order to choke off and seal the melting and disappearing plastic pipe.

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[edit] Tub bathing

When bathing in a bathtub one usually removes all clothing and lies down in the bathtub. Soap and salt may be used when bathing. A bath is often used as a technique to temporarily reduce the symptoms of illness or pain of drug withdrawal.

[edit] Clawfoot Tub

The Clawfoot Tub or Claw Foot Tub is typically made of cast iron, but there are also acrylic clawfoot tub models. Modern technology has recently dropped the price of new clawfoot tubs down to around $1000 including shipping. Hence, while true antique clawfoot tubs are still collected, restored, and coveted by some, new reproduction clawfoot tubs are chosen by some remodellers and new home builders today.

Clawfoot tubs come in 5 major styles:

Classic Roll Rim, Roll Top, or Flat Rim tubs as seen in the picture above.
Slipper tubs - where one end is raised and sloped creating a more comfortable lounging position.
Double Slipper Tubs - where both ends are raised and sloped
Double Ended Tubs- where both ends of the tub are rounded. Notice how one end of the classic tub is rounded and one is fairly flat.
Pedestal Tub - Pedestal tubs, unlike all the style listed above, do not have claw feet. The tub rests on a pedestal in what most would term an art deco style. Evidence of pedestal tubs date back to the Isle of Crete in 1000 B.C.

[edit] A Short History of Bathing

Documented early plumbing systems go back as far as around 3300 B.C. with the discovery of copper water pipes beneath a palace in the Indus River Valley in India. Evidence of the first personal sized bath tub was found on the Isle of Crete where a 5 foot long pedestal tub was found built from hardened pottery. This tub is the most likely forefather of the classic 19th century clawfoot tub.

The Roman Empire is most widely known as the early champions of bathing. Around 500 B.C. Roman citizens were encouraged to bathe daily in one of the many public baths. Private bathing rooms were far more ornate and typically would resemble shallow swimming pools that encompassed the entire room. The Romans used marble for the tubs, lead and bronze for pipes, and created a complex sewage system for sanitation purposes. The Roman empire set the early bar for personal hygiene as we know it today.

With the collapse of the Roman Empire, bathing and sanitation were a lost practice. During the Dark Ages, bathing was replaced by the use of perfume. Chamberpots were disposed of out the window and into streets and rivers that served as water supplies. This decline of sanitation in general provided fertile ground for vermin that would eventually help transmit the Bubonic Plague and encouraged the spread of other diseases and disorders. The Plague devastated cities in Europe, many losing 1/3 to 1/2 of their population. While the Plague did move some governments to make improvements in sewage systems and water supplies, modern sanitation as we know it was not widely adapted until the 19th century.

The bathtub's modern spouse, the toilet, had its own problems gaining acceptance. Sir John Harrington invented the first flushing toilets for himself and for his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I. When Harrington published a book describing his invention, he was roundly chided by peers, embarrassing him to the point of retirement from plumbing. His two toilets were the only ones he ever produced. The next water closet would not be seen for 200 years when it was introduced by Alexander Cummings in 1775. This event would mark the very beginnings of the modern bathroom.

It was now time for the piping to catch up with the fixtures. Until the 19th century, most water pipes in the US were made from hollow trees. In the early 1800's, cast-iron production began reducing American reliance on England for this material. Finally, in 1848, The National Public Health Act was passed in the US, creating a plumbing code for the first time.

In 1883, Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company and Kohler Company began producing cast-iron bathtubs. Far from the ornate feet and luxury most associated with clawfoot tubs, an early Kohler example was advertised as a "horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." It is almost humorous to note that the item's use as hog scalder was considered a more important marketing point than its ability to function as a bathtub. Everyone knew what a hog scalder or horse trough was, but many people at that time had never bathed in a tub. In truth, these tubs caught on because of the sanitary and easy-to-clean surfaces that prevent the spread of disease then from any purchaser's desire to smell nice for his neighbors.

A few years later, Thomas Twyford created the first valveless toilet constructed from china. Before this time, toilets were normally made from metal and wood. Thomas Crapper would gain infamy as the inventor of the modern toilet when he bought the rights to a patent for a "Silent Valveless Water Waste Preventer", but he did not invent the toilet.

The bathing world was rocked by controversy when a completely inaccurate account of bathing and bathtub history was published by H.L. Mencken in 1917. What began as a light attempt at humor ended up being adopted as the truth by the public and even reputable publications. While perhaps good reading, Mencken's account of laws prohibiting bathing, and much more, is not true.

The end of World War I resulted in a housing construction boom in the United States and a new conception of the purpose-built modern bathroom. Bathrooms prior to World War I were typically a converted bedrooms or spare rooms, not rooms built originally to contain bathroom fixtures. Complete with toilet, sink, and tub, the modern bathroom was a feature of 100% of new homes by the end of the 20th century, whereas only 1% of homes had had bathrooms in 1921.

In the latter half of the 20th century, the once popular clawfoot tub morphed into a built-in tub with a small apron front. This enclosed style afforded easier maintenance and, with the emergence of colored sanitary ware, more design options for the homeowner. The Crane Company introduced colored bathroom fixtures to the US market in 1928, and slowly this influx of design options and easier cleaning and care led to the near demise of clawfoot-style tubs.