If you have a creative mind, you may have dreamed up inventions that sounded like a good idea. Maybe you’ve fiddled with electronics, cookware, or software apps. Maybe you dream about gadgets that will make your life easier.
If so, you’re not alone!
Over time, great minds – and some not so great ones, but just slightly crazy ones – have come up with interesting ideas, including in the area of plumbing. Check out these patented, quirky plumbing inventions, some useful. Some not so much!
Ancient Inspiration: Leonardo da Vinci’s Hydraulic Whimsy (c. 1500s)
Long before modern plumbing, Leonardo da Vinci was already sketching complex waterworks that would make any homeowner’s head spin—with delight. In his notebooks, Leonardo conceptualized canal locks featuring vacuum-tight miter gates (V-shaped) to allow boats to traverse water-level changes—concepts echoing the Panama and Suez Canals today.
He also delved into centrifugal pumping mechanisms, envisioning dams, marsh drainage systems, and screw-driven pumps that harnessed rotating forces to lift water—ideas centuries ahead of their time. And for those fascinated by valves, da Vinci even drew one-way breathing-valves in diving mask concepts, ensuring fresh air in and exhaled air out—early plumbing-meets-life-support artistry.
These designs never circulated through patent offices, but they remind us that plumbing creativity is as ancient as it is imaginative.
18th Century Oddities: The Dawn of Toilet Tech
In 1775, Alexander Cumming tackled the stench problem head-on by patenting the S-trap—a water-filled bend that cleverly blocked sewer gases from wafting back into homes. Thanks to his fix, the modern flush toilet was born (smell included, smell solved).
Just a few years later, Joseph Bramah refined the system further. His 1778 patent replaced the slide valve with a hinged flap to seal the bottom of the bowl—an improved water closet design that made toilets more reliable in freezing weather.
It was a HUGE improvement over the ancient toilets of Rome where bathrooming was communal and everyone sat on a long concrete slab with holes carved into it!
Late 19th to Early 20th Century: Crazy Names and Funky Fixtures
Fast forward: Thomas Crapper—yes, that’s his real name—made significant improvements to the flush toilet. His patents included the U-bend trap and innovations like the floating ballcock. While much of his fame is mythologized, he DID create the first bathroom-fixture showroom, enabling people to see what could be purchased for their home. The word “crap” was in existence long before Thomas Crapper was born, however, Thomas Crapper’s sanitary companies were so common in England and France that the soldiers in WWI started calling toilets, “Crappers.”
Around the same time, 1911, Kohler introduced the first one-piece recess bathtub—no seams, fewer grotty crevices, much cleaner vibes. Then in 1926, they created a wild idea: the electric sink—a combo of sink and dishwasher, big, bulky, expensive, and a generation early for mass adoption.
Even though the electric sink didn’t catch on, Kohler became a household name. Founded in 1873, the company has been in business more than 150 years and is now known for its kitchen and bathroom plumbing fixtures. (Everthing BUT the electric kitchen sink!)
Mid-Century Marvels & Makeshift Genius
In 1943, Greek engineer Elie Aghnides, gazing at a waterfall, thought—“Why not recreate that in your faucet?” The result? The faucet aerator—invented to deliver a gentle, splash-free, aerated stream of water. Now, the humble aerator is found in nearly every tap.
Then in 1952, Lloyd Cherne had a plumbing crisis—his mechanical plug didn’t fit the pipe he was working on. His solution? He grabbed a rubber playground ball, added a stem, and invented what became the pneumatic test ball plug.
A pneumatic test ball is a heavy-duty rubber ball that can be inflated inside a pipe to create a tight seal. Plumbers use it to temporarily block a drain or pipe so they can test for leaks, perform repairs, or isolate sections of plumbing. Think of it as a plumber’s inflatable cork, versatile enough to fit pipes of varying sizes. Cherne’s playground-ball hack eventually turned into a whole line of professional tools still used today—proof that “Necessity is the Mother of Invention!” Sometimes the simplest idea ends up being the most ingenious.
A Truly Strange Safety Invention: The Toilet Siphon Lungsaver (1982)
Okay, buckle up. I bet you’ve never heard of this one!
In 1982, inventor William Holmes filed a patent for a device that, if you were trapped in a smoke-filled hotel room, would let you breathe through the toilet!
A tube snaked through the water trap into the sewer line—complete with a charcoal filter to (theoretically) make that sewer air…breathable.
Any takers?
Weird? Definitely. Practical? Arguably—if you’re in dire straits. And cartoonish? Absolutely.
Why These Quirky Patents Still Matter to Homeowners
These inventions span centuries—from da Vinci’s rational fantasies to mid-century DIY brilliance to patent-office oddities. What ties them together? A real problem, met with imagination, eccentricity—and in most cases, a story worth sharing. They remind homeowners that sometimes the weirdest ideas are the ones that fix the weirdest problems—or at least make you chuckle while fixing them.
Closing Splash: From Quirky to Qualified
While not every invention belongs in your bathroom, one truth has never changed: reliable plumbing keeps homes safe, clean, and comfortable. At ServiceOne Air Conditioning & Plumbing, our experienced technicians may not be sketching Renaissance water locks or inventing toilet snorkels—but they are equipped with the latest tools and know-how to solve your real-world plumbing needs.
From leaky faucets to clogged drains, new water heaters to whole-home repiping, we’ve got the skill (and thankfully, none of the oddball patents) to get the job done right. Call ServiceOne today and let our team bring professional solutions—without the quirk factor—to your home’s plumbing.