J
jase158
I noticed there is more and more people wanting to be plumbers and wanted to share my experience to point people to this and see how hard it really is.......
I started at 21 and found it hard to get an apprenticeship, I went alone and struggle very much, not only do I have to learn every day but also have to do accounts, advertising, ordering, tax and a whole lot more.
I get up at 7.30am and finnish work at 5-6pm (on a good day) then am sat on a computer for 2-3 hours.
I get a lot of call backs and do not get paid for these, I do my best but there is no way I am as good as many in my area.
Plumbers always complain that "Fast track Plumber" are ruining this business but it is true, every good plumber I know spent 5 years learning the basics from another plumber, this includes how to get yourself out of the poop when the poop hits the fan, the sort of things that are asked on here every day like using paste, using plumbers mait, using ptfe, sealing iron fittings etc, soldering pipes with water in them, soldering upright pipes and so so much more.
Now recently I started working for a bloke and have seen the difference between there work and mine and there soldering is a work of art, no snots, no leaks, done in seconds. there language is so much better, I look at a valve and can not remember what it is called or how it works, they instantly know the name and how to adjust it or wether you have to replace it.
These are all things that can not be self taught, can not be bought for money or taught at training centres.
If I knew what I know now, I would never of become a plumber without the full apprenticeship.
So My advice for Anybody wanting to become a plumber, change job or learn a new trade is "GET AN APPRENTICESHIP" spend a minimum of 3 years getting paid very little for training before you even touch a pipe, learn peoperly. anybody thinking that they will be rich the day after they pass will be wrong, amazingly wrong.
Do not think that you are better then most, quicker learner then most, will be better then most, because there is so much to learn you will never know everything and it is not a case of being better then everyone else, it is a case of spending time learning techniques and predicting what will happen before it does.
And if you think it will be great money it wont, £30,000 (buckinghamshire area, less if further from london) a year is a rough plumbers wage, which sounds great but this is for crawling through little spaces, being on your knees all day, burning down customers houses, flooding customers houses, getting wet, getting covered in carp, long hours, too many jobs in one day, no time for family and even less if you have to do 24 hour call outs.
And consider the biggest thing of all, if you mess up on gas/ unvented, you will kill someone.
Money is better if you go self emploed but then you have to take out van, insurance, advertising etc and further more, you will spend 3-5 years making a lot less then that.
It can be a very rewarding job, especially when doing family jobs as it can really get you talking to in-laws and family to help them out and do them favours, but can also cause problems with family who want something for nothing. It can also be very rewarding when things look good and customer is happy.
But if you are in a job earning a good wage and the chance of promotion and a family that rely on your money then stick with it, it aint worth the grief.
however if you are 16-18, living with parents, single, able to earn nothing for 5 years then apply to plumbers and get the experience before going to college/ training centre, get the experience before the training and the training will be easy for you.
Hope this helps
I started at 21 and found it hard to get an apprenticeship, I went alone and struggle very much, not only do I have to learn every day but also have to do accounts, advertising, ordering, tax and a whole lot more.
I get up at 7.30am and finnish work at 5-6pm (on a good day) then am sat on a computer for 2-3 hours.
I get a lot of call backs and do not get paid for these, I do my best but there is no way I am as good as many in my area.
Plumbers always complain that "Fast track Plumber" are ruining this business but it is true, every good plumber I know spent 5 years learning the basics from another plumber, this includes how to get yourself out of the poop when the poop hits the fan, the sort of things that are asked on here every day like using paste, using plumbers mait, using ptfe, sealing iron fittings etc, soldering pipes with water in them, soldering upright pipes and so so much more.
Now recently I started working for a bloke and have seen the difference between there work and mine and there soldering is a work of art, no snots, no leaks, done in seconds. there language is so much better, I look at a valve and can not remember what it is called or how it works, they instantly know the name and how to adjust it or wether you have to replace it.
These are all things that can not be self taught, can not be bought for money or taught at training centres.
If I knew what I know now, I would never of become a plumber without the full apprenticeship.
So My advice for Anybody wanting to become a plumber, change job or learn a new trade is "GET AN APPRENTICESHIP" spend a minimum of 3 years getting paid very little for training before you even touch a pipe, learn peoperly. anybody thinking that they will be rich the day after they pass will be wrong, amazingly wrong.
Do not think that you are better then most, quicker learner then most, will be better then most, because there is so much to learn you will never know everything and it is not a case of being better then everyone else, it is a case of spending time learning techniques and predicting what will happen before it does.
And if you think it will be great money it wont, £30,000 (buckinghamshire area, less if further from london) a year is a rough plumbers wage, which sounds great but this is for crawling through little spaces, being on your knees all day, burning down customers houses, flooding customers houses, getting wet, getting covered in carp, long hours, too many jobs in one day, no time for family and even less if you have to do 24 hour call outs.
And consider the biggest thing of all, if you mess up on gas/ unvented, you will kill someone.
Money is better if you go self emploed but then you have to take out van, insurance, advertising etc and further more, you will spend 3-5 years making a lot less then that.
It can be a very rewarding job, especially when doing family jobs as it can really get you talking to in-laws and family to help them out and do them favours, but can also cause problems with family who want something for nothing. It can also be very rewarding when things look good and customer is happy.
But if you are in a job earning a good wage and the chance of promotion and a family that rely on your money then stick with it, it aint worth the grief.
however if you are 16-18, living with parents, single, able to earn nothing for 5 years then apply to plumbers and get the experience before going to college/ training centre, get the experience before the training and the training will be easy for you.
Hope this helps
