Considering A Career in Plumbing?
By Tal Potishman
Plumbers should not be undervalued as they play an essential role in our day to day lives. They are the first point of call if we are having problems with hot water or our central heating.
There is no doubt in mind that everyone at some point or another has needed to call a plumber into their homes. If you wish to be part of a rewarding industry and want to contribute to the comfortable and safe environments we live in, then this could be the right career path for you.
A person considering plumbing as a career choice needs to have particular attributes in order to succeed. For example, you should enjoy working with your hands, and not mind getting dirty. Plumbing is an industry that pays well and offers great long term prospects. You should also bear in mind, that unlike some other industry areas, there is little risk in some form of technology taking over the role of a plumber. A plumber plays an essential role in any house and is vital to ensuring the well being of our basic domestic needs.
There are numerous tasks that you will be involved in as a plumber. The following are just some of the many you will be doing:
- Repairing hot and cold water systems.
- Fitting tanks and pipework.
- Being involved in installing and maintaining gas, oil and solid fuel appliances.
- Installing and repairing domestic appliances such as showers.
The types of qualities and attributes a plumber will need.
You need to be prepared to get your hands dirty, and have the attitude of wanting to do the job right. An aptitude for math will be necessary as you will be dealing with numbers and you need to be good with using your hands. Of course as with any job there will be some drawbacks, as in plumbing you will need to be prepared to work in cramped conditions at times, and have the stamina to do physical work day after day. You will have to be a quick learner as you will be using tools and other forms of equipment on a daily basis. As well as having the essential physical skills, you will need to have good people skills too, as your profession requires you to be communicating with people on a regular basis. You will have to be respectful of other people's properties and uphold good standards of work. All of this will lead to incredible job satisfaction and rewarding long-term prospects for your future career.
What qualifications do you need?
It is advisable that you follow the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) route or the (SNVQ in Scotland). This route will mostly involve theory and practical work in the classroom/purpose built training facility and work based experience with a working plumber. Most colleges will help students organise work placements, although many students organise it themselves.
There are a range of programs out there for your offering, and it is up to you to decide which course will be most suited to you. You may simply wish to take a short plumbing course to learn some skills. On the other hand, you may be interested in making a long term career out of it, therefore a longer program would suit you more.
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles on boilers, central heating, Hove plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
Plumbing has been a career since the dawn of time when man first started to live in something other an cave. Plumbing makes a ho...
The first thing that you will need to consider when undertaking any DIY plumbing and drainage are the regulations issued by your...
If you need to employ a plumber to carry out work in your home, it is important to make sure they are professional, competent, r...
This article on oil hot water heaters has tips about oil-fired water heaters as well as other plumbing systems....
Not often understood as the profession within a profession that it is, plumbing consulting is a task that is only undertaken by ...
