Guttering and gas work

[850Rick]

Do any of you do guttering work.Ive heard some plumbers try and stay clear of it the same as blocked toilets lol.The other thing is do any of you just do the plumbing and not do gas.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

How can a man with the yellow badge make you a plumber in the eyes of the world lol.You mention your not a time served plumber what work do you touch and what would you call time served in your opinion

To be honest - Justgot back from the pub - Time served used to mean Indentured to another plumber but in these modern times I think that at least 7 years might equate to being 'Time Served' at least you'd have some knowledge of what you're doing and not have to reference things in an ebook or whatever.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I will do anything I can get my hands on if I think I can do it done loads of guttering don't mind it I laugh when builders do it tho as its usually a fudge job

 

[850Rick]

A time served plumber in my mind is 4 years of collage and graft plus 2 years gas being under some ones wing.

I'm disappointed with what a lot of collages churn out as time served plumbers nowadays. No experience or application. Know theory - can repeat it but don't understand.

If your gas safe a lot of punters assume you are a plumber. Also some people assume that a plumber can do gas coal and oil too.

I generally touch other peoples messes and or problem installs. I do some installs to a lot of servicing and repair but nothing that remotely looks smells or is like a bathroom or kitchen.

I agree with what you say about people coming up to you because your gas safe and assume you do plumbing lol.In my opinion its two different jobs or trades.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

I agree with what you say about people coming up to you because your gas safe and assume you do plumbing lol.In my opinion its two different jobs or trades.

No it's not - what's wrong with you guys? Or is it just that I'm older and things have changed? Yes you can train to be a heating engineer, and specialise in service and breakdown but you should still have a knowledge of plumbing - that's what it's all about isn't it? How the water makes its' journey. From mains to drain or around a heating circuit, you still need to know how it all fits together.
A Gas Safe engineer should have the knowledge even if they choose not to do the work.

 

[solutions]

I will do anything I can get my hands on if I think I can do it done loads of guttering don't mind it I laugh when builders do it tho as its usually a fudge job

My neighbours are tennants and had their guttering redone this summer. I dont know if the fitter was a plumber or not but the gutter is realy only a semi directed waterfall and its not been in a year yet.
The water is now getting through to the inside of the property as its a solid brick victorian wall with lots of cracked and unpointed lime mortar.

 

[solutions]

No it's not - what's wrong with you guys? Or is it just that I'm older and things have changed? Yes you can train to be a heating engineer, and specialise in service and breakdown but you should still have a knowledge of plumbing - that's what it's all about isn't it? How the water makes its' journey. From mains to drain or around a heating circuit, you still need to know how it all fits together.
A Gas Safe engineer should have the knowledge even if they choose not to do the work.

:agreed:
Could not have said it better myself. Unfortunately plenty of gas/heating engineers dont appear to have good plumbing fundamentals which is a problem and just makes it all the more ironic that some customers wont trust a plumber to fit a toilet unless they are gas safe.

 

[Ermintrude]

Ay toilet fitting and gas safe? I have a very sound understanding of plumbing drainage and electrical systems just choose to focus on central heating. But have no formal qualifications in plumbing. Have a few in other disciplines.

 

[solutions]

Ay toilet fitting and gas safe?.

Some customers assume a plumber is better qualified to carry out any and all plumbing because of the gas safe badge. Stupid I know but then most consumers of products and services are stupid. How many times have you had to educate a customer that the dial on the wall is not just a switch but a thermostat and then explain what a thermostat is.

 

[kirkgas]

Was it not the case that plumbers and gas fitters never did each other's work? As both felt their own job too specialised
I'm sure I've heard people say that the old gas board had plumbers and gas guys

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Was it not the case that plumbers and gas fitters never did each other's work? As both felt their own job too specialised
I'm sure I've heard people say that the old gas board had plumbers and gas guys

A plumber is just someone who hasn't got a gas safe badge that's all. Most plumbers could be registered as gas safe, if they wanted to be. It just takes a bit more studying that's all - oh and some extra cash

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

Toddler smashed tiles with cast iron pan mrs let him play with. Doh!!!

better buy copper ones..

 

[Ermintrude]

They would still do the trick.

 

[village idiot]

Im just a plumbing engineer then lol

why a plumbing engineer? why not just call yourself a plumber? what is wrong with being called a plumber?

 

[Best]

why a plumbing engineer? why not just call yourself a plumber? what is wrong with being called a plumber?

A plumber is only a semi skilled manual job, & usually plumbers had few, if any school qualifications.
At least, that's the way it was & what some people think. :smile:
Ask yourself this - If your neighbour is completely stupid, uneducated etc, but does a job as a salesman in a nice smart suit & an expensive company car, - who looks like they have an important job? Him, or you in overalls driving a van?

 

[village idiot]

A plumber is only a semi skilled manual job, & usually plumbers had few, if any school qualifications.
At least, that's the way it was & what some people think. :smile:
Ask yourself this - If your neighbour is completely stupid, uneducated etc, but does a job as a salesman in a nice smart suit & an expensive company car, - who looks like they have an important job? Him, or you in overalls driving a van?

well, I call myself a plumber and take offence if someone or my customers call me by any other name. But now you mention I am uneducated, it all makes sence.

 

[Best]

well, I call myself a plumber and take offence if someone or my customers call me by any other name. But now you mention I am uneducated, it all makes sence.

Lol! Trouble is if you call yourself a plumber, then you will hear some of your customers someday informing you they are getting somebody else for their heating because the guy is a heating engineer & you are just a plumber.
I love it when a customer who assumes I am fairly uneducated, suddenly discovers I know more than they think! :smile:

 

[Ermintrude]

I'm fairly well educated and I call myself a plumber

 

[Ray Stafford]

I find that if I describe myself as a plumber's merchant, most people can't get past the word plumber, and assume that I am a turd-strangler or pipe-monkey. Like I could make a living wrangling poo!

I therefore usually describe myself as a toilet salesman. People can understand that. It still sounds a bit downmarket, but hey - who cares?

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Plumber, Plumbing Engineer; who cares really? All one has to do is do the job properly and take the time to talk to one's customers. That way they'll know if you're educated or not. I have degree & a Post Graduate degree but I class myself as a plumbing and heating engineer because that's what I do. I actually do understand some, not all, of the engineering concepts of plumbing and heating. My customers like to be treated in an'educate' way and I firmly believe that they also like the fact that they have an educated person working in their house as it gives them the peace of mind that I will endeavour to do the job properly. This may just be a perceived notion but it does generate business.

 

[Best]

Other professions generally have job titles that are designed to make the person appear more important, so if they do it, then why shouldn't plumbers who have particular qualifications or experience call themselves engineers etc? First impressions & all that.

 

[850Rick]

I don't think Plumbing is a semi skilled job not everyone can do it.Its not just lets throw some pipe together and hey presto its done.There is theory and practical to learn and technology changes all the time.And as said above before Gas engineers that have never done plumbing I bet a lot wouldn't have a clue or maybe an idea and a lot would **** them selfs because they have never done it.Its different if you are a plumber then became the gas engineer because then you have done both sides of the job with I think in my opinon is the right way of learning.Alot of people and ive heard this first hand say"Im just gonna do gas because that's where the money is " which is annoying to they they get on the gas side of things and realise its not as easy as it seems.The other thing that annoys me is Builders with signs on the side of the van saying" extentions,loft conversions,Electrics,Plumbing"when most builders don't hold Plumbing quals and just throw abit of pipe together and that's it

 

[850Rick]

Other professions generally have job titles that are designed to make the person appear more important, so if they do it, then why shouldn't plumbers who have particular qualifications or experience call themselves engineers etc? First impressions & all that.

Ive noticed that a lot of big firms are doing Facilitys management with about 5 trades under one company roof I don't quiet no why this is

 

[Ray Stafford]

It semi skilled, right up to the point where you realise that you can't do the next bit. Then it's skilled all of a sudden.

 

[850Rick]

It semi skilled, right up to the point where you realise that you can't do the next bit. Then it's skilled all of a sudden.

That to me sounds like you are and you aint skilled lol.To me plumbing is a skill and gas is like surgery.Its like the plumbers are the doctors and the gas engineers are the surgeons lol

 

[village idiot]

That to me sounds like you are and you aint skilled lol.To me plumbing is a skill and gas is like surgery.Its like the plumbers are the doctors and the gas engineers are the surgeons lol

Rick, I'd be careful what you say to Ray S. not everything in life is Black & White, honest. Don't judge a book by its cover.

 

[Killy Bing]

That to me sounds like you are and you aint skilled lol.To me plumbing is a skill and gas is like surgery.Its like the plumbers are the doctors and the gas engineers are the surgeons lol

Ray has a different skill set, which he has used to great effect.
not to mention as he says plumbing is semi skilled untill you hit a problem, then it becomes a skilled job.

bashing in all new systems vs sorting issues out.

putting in the new system you wont have any issues if done correctly.

fault finding and sorting system issues is a different ball game.

plenty of site plumbers who are thick as two short planks which shows the semi skilled side.

then again you have to be fairly sharp to do fault finding on a boiler without just swapping parts willy nilly.


p.s ray can do plumbing *grins*

 

[kirkgas]

A plumber is only a semi skilled manual job, & usually plumbers had few, if any school qualifications.
At least, that's the way it was & what some people think. :smile:
Ask yourself this - If your neighbour is completely stupid, uneducated etc, but does a job as a salesman in a nice smart suit & an expensive company car, - who looks like they have an important job? Him, or you in overalls driving a van?

But which takes his kids to Florida every other year, and which one eats spam on their piece

 

[kirkgas]

Ray has a different skill set, which he has used to great effect.
not to mention as he says plumbing is semi skilled untill you hit a problem, then it becomes a skilled job.

bashing in all new systems vs sorting issues out.

putting in the new system you wont have any issues if done correctly.

fault finding and sorting system issues is a different ball game.

plenty of site plumbers who are thick as two short planks which shows the semi skilled side.

then again you have to be fairly sharp to do fault finding on a boiler without just swapping parts willy nilly.


p.s ray can do plumbing *grins*

But parts swapping to get a boiler going is semi skilled,

 

[Best]

But which takes his kids to Florida every other year, and which one eats spam on their piece

I was expecting someone to think that way! :smile: It should be the plumber who earns more & gets the rewards of their hard labour & risks, but the guy in a steady 9 to 5 job maybe does okay & has an easier life.
Maybe the money for Florida is borrowed!

 

[AWheating]

Plumber, heating engineer, service engineer............

just labels really. A good plumber is as skilled or more so than a good heating engineer. I tend to find that a good plumber makes a good heating engineer but a good heating engineer don't always make a good plumber. This all depends on your idea of what good equals. Many companies think speed makes you good. Maybe, then they tend to call the better slower engineer in when there's a technical or important job. I think if your really good at one trade your probably going to be good at most trades.