Plumber who wants to become Gas Safe

Paul Cockhill · Dec 31, 2010

HI

I have been a plumber for the last 2 years and really enjoying it however I would really like to study for my gas qualifications and go on the Gas safe register. However I do not know where to start, there are plenty of companies keen to take my money but I really want to do a course where I can still carry on my plumbing but study part time. I could also take weeks off to do the Gas practical qualification and exams.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I live in Bath so anywhere close would be useful.

Also this is a second career for me as I am in my 40's

Any help would be useful

Happy New Year

Paul

Blake · Dec 31, 2010

just do a search on here mate, it's been asked and replied thousands of times

SafeGasInstall · Jan 1, 2011

I will recommend you to do the gas training in one go !
As if you do just weekends is less likely to sink in all the Information wich you have to remember to understand !!
I did it fast track full time is hard as is too much I mean relly to much for three weeks !!!
I thought I stragelled cos I am foreigner but no it was hard for all the other boys too !!!
So be prep for lots of reading !!

obseen16 · Jan 1, 2011

also make sure you know an engineer who is willing to help you complete your gas portfolio. we had 2 brothers who didnt know about the portfolio requirement and they Really struggled to get their portfolio done. they managed to just about scrape it. ill have to see if they are still in the game or not, its been a long time since i last spoke to them.

Reg Man · Jan 2, 2011

Have you achieved NVQ in plumbing? Progress through to NVQ level 3.

Paul Cockhill · Jan 2, 2011

Hi Bronzino, safegasinstall, obseen16 and reg man

really useful information.

I am currently working on my NVQ 2 so maybe I should finish that before going any further

Paul

Blake · Jan 2, 2011

Get yourself down to college mate and find out what they require for your portfolio. Then over the next year or so do as many gas jobs alongside a gas engineer as you can taking pics etc. Then, before you know it, you will have plenty of jobs in your portfolio, hopefully finished your NVQ and then you can apply to do the practical exams for your gas.

P.S. I lived in Bath for 4 years, lovely place, just a little too expensive for me

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

SAFEGASINSTALL , can i ask and i mean no offence by you been a foreigner but did you really do a fast track into gas in a 3 week course ?

thanks

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

yes,i start doing the 8 weeks 6129 to get understanding of plumbing and c heating ,then i did 3 weeks Gas then ,UHWSS,then water regs,then part L energy efficiently then i went out to build up my portfolio,some guys from my class came back in few weeks for assessment i took my time it took me 1 year,i did not rush to get assets to me it was more important to become confident with what i was doing !
First i wanted to become service engineer but my destiny throw me in to doing installs ! During my training got my self full kit of all proper power tools,hand tools new van!then i went back in college for my assessment past it all got all appliances on my ticket !
last December i did my commercial gas assessment,and start on my own in the domestic said !Now i am waiting for my paper to go trough and to get a job with company doing service and brake downs !
every day i gain more and more info in my had through different sources !!
it can be all done if any one has the drive and will to prove him self !

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

so far i helped 3 man to do there portfolio !!! willing to take someone one to help but will see how much install work i will be able to generate my self in 2011......who knows might be lucky and get going and never go in to commercial

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

right am with you now i thought you meant you did the lot in 3 weeks, am doing my commercial in a few month when things ease off.

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

I had Audi , what's with it !!!

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

i dont know where should i start , indicators , speed limits , braking distances etc etc etc

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

What do you drive ?

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

landie 110 and a vauxhall vivaro

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

Never heard of this before landie 110 !

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

mines the blue one , been cleaned up a bit more since this was taken

Billy Bob Bob · Jan 2, 2011

as bods picture shows he is talking about the iconic land rover defender,could have done with one of them in the snow,got stuck on a steep hill in my astra and a guy in a diesel freelander went up no sweat

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

my best so far is a hgv john smith wagon up a steep hill only about 150 meters but it was good looking at everones open mouths , done a few buses near the school did leave a woman in her merc or bmw or something cos she had a sticker that said "NO TO 4X4`s" she was a bit open mouth when she asked and i said no.

got loads of pics

kirkgas · Jan 2, 2011

SafeGasInstall said:
I will recommend you to do the gas training in one go !
As if you do just weekends is less likely to sink in all the Information wich you have to remember to understand !!
I did it fast track full time is hard as is too much I mean relly to much for three weeks !!!
I thought I stragelled cos I am foreigner but no it was hard for all the other boys too !!!
So be prep for lots of reading !!

im not sure how anyone gets through basic gas training in 3 weeks, we do the foundation course and it is 26 weeks plus 2 weeks at the end for everyones assessments, by the end of week 3 we have barely covered basic gas overview and legislation

Billy Bob Bob · Jan 2, 2011

its funny my car a diesel rover 75 has the same engine as the freelander great at going uphill,unlike a freelander not good at coming down LOL,the astra and transit crap in the snow if we keep having winters like this i will get a defender more usable than the freelander IMHO

Barry98 · Jan 2, 2011

had this one 2 year now , it did have an old aspiared engine in but i put the defender 200 tdi in , shes now called sandy as in grease lightining , love the landie

SafeGasInstall · Jan 2, 2011

kirkgas said:
im not sure how anyone gets through basic gas training in 3 weeks, we do the foundation course and it is 26 weeks plus 2 weeks at the end for everyones assessments, by the end of week 3 we have barely covered basic gas overview and legislation

well this is how it is ,full time 3 weeks in training centre and then portfolio !!!

oldplumber · Jan 3, 2011

isthat 26 weeks of day release or 26 weeks of 5 x 8 hours, which would seem to be taking rather a long time to cover the basics

REDSAW · Jan 3, 2011

gas man said:
its funny my car a diesel rover 75 has the same engine as the freelander great at going uphill,unlike a freelander not good at coming down LOL,the astra and transit crap in the snow if we keep having winters like this i will get a defender more usable than the freelander IMHO

well i am not quite sure there?.

i have all my gear (almost) loaded into the freelander and been using it since mid december. it has the benefit of the two rear doors to gain access to tools etc without climbing through the tail gate.

i am concidering the 110 in the future but like to ask bod if it is practicle for day to day use?.
i used to have a mate who used a 90' and was happy doing install and break downs but found it thirsty slow and noisey?##

Barry98 · Jan 3, 2011

thirsty hmm ish depends what you compare it to , however last year when we had the bad snow i was turning work down for weeks if not months because other gas men in there weeeee vans couldn't get no where near them ,so the extra fuel cost was covered it is very practical mine personally is not noisy or slow hence why ive been using it since mid November and i do get allot of repeat bossiness cos they know i will get there and if not then no one else defo wont be able to . also i have mi lpg so do get to go down a lot of dirt tracks etc

Billy Bob Bob · Jan 3, 2011

REDSAW said:
well i am not quite sure there?.

i have all my gear (almost) loaded into the freelander and been using it since mid december. it has the benefit of the two rear doors to gain access to tools etc without climbing through the tail gate.

i am concidering the 110 in the future but like to ask bod if it is practicle for day to day use?.
i used to have a mate who used a 90' and was happy doing install and break downs but found it thirsty slow and noisey?##

have you got the freelander van redsaw or the lwb?as i have the rover i know the bmw diesel engine is a cracker and it has been 100% reliable so if possible i would stay with what i know

kirkgas · Jan 3, 2011

oldplumber said:
isthat 26 weeks of day release or 26 weeks of 5 x 8 hours, which would seem to be taking rather a long time to cover the basics

26 weeks full time, (35hrs per week) everything is taken slow and steady 16 weeks, theory and 10 weeks on the tools building portfolio, placement is spread out throughout course to allow a mix of both rather than all theory then placement, remember this is the foundation course for people who havent done gas before, its an unusual comment to hear they are getting extra training, rather than being rushed through, which TBH i think 3 weeks is, i cannot imagine getting people through all gas basics in 3 weeks,

SafeGasInstall · Jan 3, 2011

26 weeks full time lol,how do they do there portfolio in college ???taking old one out and putting new one in (boiler and parts)???/
can you give us more info as it is very interesting to me about the portfolio,and the theory 16 weeks???lol

and who can afford to do 26 weeks training,i mean what age are the people doing it ??

and how is it possible to people who are not cat 2 to do gas ?

kirkgas please tell us more !!!

regards stan

oldplumber · Jan 3, 2011

My experience of the full time courses compared to day release is that the full timers were the lads who had no aprenticeships and spent 4/5 days a week covering what the day release trainees did in 1 day. I have ranted about some of the short course providers in the past but only because they were seemingly to profit orientated. The 6129s and nvq courses I did as a day release could easily have been completed in one 2 years and not the 4 it took, mainly because he tutors often just said read this and went off for 1-2 hours. At least 5 days each year were spent on admin or waiting for term to end. The actual knowledge involved or required for the gas side is easily learnt in 3 weeks if the pupils and lecturers are willing to buckle down and get on with it. Too much time on these courses is spent fannying around with the youngsters pratting about, so if the short course providers can do it in 3 weeks I cant see any reason why a mature and willing student cant get it all done an dusted and get more out of it. What the lea/local colleges etc need to do is relook at how hey provide the training and take on he profit orientated providers and beat them at therir own game. If they dont they wont have any students in the long term as the government aint going to carryon picking up he tab, theyll just privatise it all!.

kirkgas · Jan 4, 2011

SafeGasInstall said:
26 weeks full time lol,how do they do there portfolio in college ???taking old one out and putting new one in (boiler and parts)???/
can you give us more info as it is very interesting to me about the portfolio,and the theory 16 weeks???lol

and who can afford to do 26 weeks training,i mean what age are the people doing it ??

and how is it possible to people who are not cat 2 to do gas ?

kirkgas please tell us more !!!

regards stan

they dont do their portfolio in college or training centre, as i said they do 10 weeks on placement with a gas contractor, building up their portfolio during the 26 weeks, cooker installs are the only thing done in the training centre as a lot of contractors dont fit cookers,
age of candidates rangre from early 20's to late 50's, some pay privately, and some are funded by the DWP, a lot of them do a 2nd job to assist their income, not sure how they can do the course but it is run by bpec and fully authenticated, what else do you want to know, not knocking you personally, but to cover all gas foundation in 3 weeks doesnt leave a lot of time to go through things, i would love to sit in on a couple of classes, what sort of workshop time do you do in the 3 weeks

SafeGasInstall · Jan 4, 2011

if i remember correct it was 1/3 in work shop 2/3 in class !!!!

training center called able skills ,you can google it ,what is the name of your college?

SafeGasInstall · Jan 4, 2011

it took me 1 year to do my portfolio ,and become fully confident to go back for assessment i took my time,cos i wanted when get reg with gas safe to be confident to work on my own !

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