You may be considering a career as a plumber. It can be hard to get the truth about life as a plumber without good contacts. But a little research online is a great way to learn more.
This Skills Training Group guide gives you the inside scoop on a typical day of a plumber. As we go along, we will touch on important issues like the daily tasks that plumbers do and the environments they might find themselves in. This will give you an insight into different types of plumbing jobs.
A Day In The Life A Plumber
There are many different careers in plumbing. One plumber's experience will be very different from another. Depending on your role and employer, you may find yourself doing many jobs in different settings, both commercial and domestic.
You might also want to check out our dedicated blog on plumbing vs. heating engineers for a better understanding of these two workstreams. In the same way, as in the above case, plumbers may also work as heating engineers.
Day To Day Domestic Plumbing Tasks
Gas Safe registered plumbers can perform both domestic plumbing work and work on gas heating systems. It is the variety of work that draws people to this field.
You could start the day by inspecting any property about to be sold. This would include checking all plumbing, heating, and drainage systems for any problems. You might also use a CCTV Drain Survey to check the drainage. This will require you to prepare a complete pre-purchase plumbing report detailing any potential problems and costs.
You might next need to install a dishwasher in a nearby house. While this may seem trivial to many, it is often done by plumbers to save time and prevent any mishaps. For some plumbers, the time it takes to install, maintain, and repair household appliances can be a significant portion of their working day.
You can then go to your local student housing and do some boiler maintenance, provided you are Gas Safe certified. After you've verified that all parts of the boiler are working properly, you can go to a local student housing to perform some maintenance on the boiler.
Perhaps you'll finish your day by responding to a domestic call-out. If a resident calls you or your company in an emergency, they might need a Campbelltown plumber to fix their plumbing problems such as a leaky pipe. Locate the main valve, turn it off, and then cover the hole with a C-clamp.
One day a plumber might be in one location installing a completely new plumbing system. No matter how well your team does, it could take five days to install a new plumbing system depending on the size of your house. However, this type of job pays a lot and you'll likely be working alongside other contractors. This can make it more enjoyable.
Working In Diverse Environments: Commercial Plumbing
We have only talked so far about domestic plumbing jobs. Some commercial roles only require you to perform regular domestic tasks on new properties. However, your role responsibilities can be expanded if the company offers commercial work.
Many commercial plumbers work in places such as offices, shopping malls, and schools. Installation or maintenance of water supply or waste removal systems is a common job in these settings. Installation of drinking fountains or sprinklers to protect against fires might be a smaller task in public spaces.
Your local water supplier might have you working on public property. The inspection and repair of water mains under roads is the responsibility of commercial plumbers. All pipes carrying water up to the stop tap are also maintained by supply companies.
Most commercial plumber job ads will refer to "static work". Although plumbers often move around from one job to the next, there are still positions for plumbers who will stay at one spot to do regular maintenance and fix any problems that arise. Resident maintenance plumbers are often required by large companies. These positions have many benefits.
