Around 1700 B.C., faucets and plumbing were used in Rome to move and control water from mountains to private homes, public baths, and fountains. Almost from the very beginning, these faucets had two handles — one for hot water, the other for cold.
After burning himself with hot water in 1937, American Al Moen invented the single-handle mixing faucet so people could adjust the temperature from a single stream of water. It took him 10 years to perfect his invention and find a manufacturer to produce it. Three years later, his version of the faucet was becoming increasingly popular; he sold an average of 5,000 faucets a year and was soon the top faucet option on the market.
While he never was an owner of the company that bore his name, Moen continued doing behind-the-scenes research on his faucet designs for years. His replacement cartridge eliminated washers, drips, and leaks, and his pressure balancing valve prevented shower shock, the result of a toilet flush driving a rush of cold water through the showerhead water flow.
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