One of the most lucrative careers, plumbing has gained considerable important in the last few years. With the definite lack of skilled workers, a number of institutes have come up that provide comprehensive plumbing courses. Of course, simple quick-fixes can be done without undergoing any training. However, those looking at plumbing as a full-time career option would be better placed with formal training.
What Do The Courses In Plumbing Include?
To become a licensed plumber, you would probably need to join an institute to get the basic know-how. Work your way as an apprentice and move on to gain complete experience. Subsequently, you may even start your own plumbing company. There are several training centers that provide a number of courses, depending on what your requirement is. Most courses do not require you to have any previous training, since you would be taught the basics as well as advanced details regarding plumbing.
Most of the courses that teach plumbing do not require any special skill sets except the ability to understand and the willingness to work hard. The courses are not very expensive and fees generally depend on the depth of the subject as well as the areas that you wish to specialize in. The plumbing courses offered by the institutes cover all aspects of the task, including theories as well as practical assignments for a hands-on experience. The courses are mostly held Monday to Friday for about 6-7 hours.
Some of the common aspects of plumbing that the courses cover are:
– Plumbing health and safety
– Fittings and systems
– How to solder
– Plumbing of pipe work
– Copper pipe work
– Fitting and changing valves, taps, cisterns, and cylinders
– Installing plastic tubes
– Simple plumbing
– Installing bathroom fixtures
– Dealing with soil and waste pipes
– Radiators installation
– Identifying problem areas
– Apprenticeship under a senior plumber
Once you complete the course successfully, the next step is to get a certification of plumbing. To become a certified plumber, you would be required to take a practical test, following which a diploma in plumbing would be provided to you. The certification program is a part of the plumbing course and requires that you fulfill the following criteria:
– You must be at least 18 years old and must have done at least 3 years of apprenticeship. Couple this with sufficient relevant experience under a senior plumber.
– You must be able to work unsupervised. Proper understanding of documents and technical diagrams is a must. At the same time, you must have a fair idea of how much a certain plumbing job is likely to cost. As such, knowledge of mathematics is an added advantage.
– Clear communication with customers is a must. This is especially important when you need to explain to clients the exact nature of your problem.
– Physical fitness is a must. You must be able to lift and move around heavy weights.
Of course, even with the growing importance of skilled plumbers, the entire process might appear complex. While junior level plumbers earn less, once you establish yourself, payments turn extremely lucrative. With proper guidance and training through plumbing courses, you can even build your own business and work towards achieving a permanent customer base.