Why is the cold water tap always on the right side of the sink?

Answer 1

One word...and John W hit on it....STANDARDIZATION.

Answer 2

My guess is it's a convention, based on hand dominance, and started with early indoor plumbing. Here is my logic:

- Most people are right hand dominant

- Indoor plumbing dates back thousands of years, but it's more likely that people would have had cold water only (does anyone know if Ancients had hot indoor water?)

- So you have only one indoor tap, which is of course, for cold water, and almost everyone is right handed, so the opening device was always placed on the (logical) right hand side.

It's also important to do things by convention. Your hands subconsciously remember that cold is on the right. If we always follow the established convention, then there will be no surprises when we use the water, even if you're in Japan or Sweden.

Answer 3

I would think that it is on the right because we haven't always had hot running water, so the only tap needed was put on the right or middle because most people are right handed. When hot water came about the obvious place for the tap was on the left.

Answer 4

From concerning the Fifties/60s it is been prepare to place the nice and snug faucet on the left and the chilly on the main appropriate. This wasn't plenty a regulation as an settlement interior the development commerce. no longer basically are maximum individuals good-exceeded and specific to desire to apply the chilly faucet traditionally than the nice and snug ( enamel cleansing, a drink, filling the kettle), regardless of the undeniable fact that it became a handbook for blind those that the nice and snug ought to continuously be on the left and the chilly on the main appropriate, so as that they continuously knew to anticipate that association. of direction, some homes have it any incorrect way around

Answer 5

al gore invented cold water while he was waiting on the internet
everyone was trying to figure where to put cold water , and most of the people wanted it on the right
he threw a fit and wanted it on the left,,but he lost

perfectly good question- and I dont have a answer, so i substituted a story-- probably a violation--but oh well--if you are still reading ,are you as bored as i am

Answer 6

The majority of the population are left brain thinkers, and that makes them automatically reach for the handle on the right first, thus saving money ( using cold , not hot!)

Answer 7

Maybe because everyone reaches to the right when they come up to the sink.More right handed than left handed people?I have never given it too much thought.Good question.

Answer 8

Because it "WANTS" to be there!!

Seriously, you can switch them with a pipe wrench, but it is an accepted standard, people will be expecting the hot water to be the knob on the left.

Answer 9

I believe it is a standard that developed so that a person wouldn't risk burning his/herself figuring out which was which.

Answer 10

Maybe a right handed person invented it!

Answer 11

Convenience and it just makes sense. Why put it anywhere else?