The Museum Collection: Plumbers
A ceramic handle and chain for a high-level toilet cistern (left). It bears the name of the plumbers Beaven & Son. Ebenezer Beaven was listed as a decorator and glazier as well as a plumber in local directories from 1848; he was joined by his son from 1867 and they were based in Mason’s Lane until at least 1911.
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The cast iron flap from a water mains stop valve cover (right) was made by one of Bradford’s iron foundries for the plumbers J. Bigwood & Son. A plumber named Thomas Bigwood was listed in Newtown in the 1890s and another, William Bigwood, was running an ironmongery shop at 33 Market Street in 1899.
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An essential tool of a plumber was his blow lamp, which was used for melting lead and solder for making joints in pipes. This brass lamp was made in Stockholm, Sweden and burned paraffin (kerosene). The pressure in the fuel container was increased by a pump that doubles as a handle. The paraffin ignited when it was released into the steel burner, which had been heated by burning scraps of rags. It was used by Bradford plumber Percy Greenland.
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Unlike those used by an electrician, plumber’s soldering irons had to be large for welding lead sheet and pipe joints. These two were made by a blacksmith from wrought iron, with a large wedge of solid copper as a point. Copper was used because of being a good conductor of heat. The soldering iron would have been heated in a coal brazier or gas flame to get it to operating temperature (lead melts at 327 C).