Combi Question from a Level 2 Plumber...

[bobthebender]

I used to have one working with me who kept drilling straight through the wall when hanging rads

 

[2520years]

Where abouts in Cheshire are you ?
I have to price for a woodburner with 28mm pipes to the cylinder + f&e tank to put in.
It won't be much experience but you are quite welcome to help out for you petrol money and £50 ?
The job is 50 miles west of Chester in mid/north wales if i get it or should say want it.

That would be fantastic! I'm in north Warrington, but I'd be happy to travel to get the experience. (By the way, I'm not a teenager - I'm 38!)

 

[EliteHeat]

I love a happy ending me

 

[bobthebender]

Pm me your email address and i will contact you in the next few days if i decide to do it.
It's near Dolgellau up a mountain

 

[2520years]

Dolgellau? Wow, you travel pretty far! I'm still willing to do it, but I can't PM you as this forum doesn't have that facility. I've changed my profile so that you can click on the email icon to email me.

I hope it works out (and you're not an axe-weilding maniac! )

 

[bobthebender]

I have mailed you.
Do you have a 28mm bending spring

 

[2520years]

I have mailed you.
Do you have a 28mm bending spring

I keep it in the shed with my aluminium angle iron, long weight and tartan paint.

 

[corgiman]

You cant continue to NVQ3 without being employed in the industry

Experiance in the industry doesnt even come close as a requirement

sorry mate your stuffed, mebbe its time to think "mmmm maybe there isnt enough work for plumbers as there maybe too many, hence why noone seems to be biting my hand off to train me"

if there was more work than plumbers then no re trainer would have a moments problem in finding someone to take them on

hard fact to swallow is that there just isnt enough work to go round I am sorry

corgiman, I bow to your superior experience and knowledge. I really do. But you're wrong about the amount of work out there and you're wrong about being employed in the industry. My wife's a property developer and we've dealt with lots of plumbers over the years. It's like trying to get blood out of a stone round our way. Everyone has the same problem, plumbers (and plasterers) have got so much work they let you down for fun. I've placed one small ad in the local paper, it's been there for two days and I've already given out 5 quotes for work (bathrooms and moving pipes in the main). Also, by word of mouth, I've already got two jobs booked in for this week coming. It must be different where you are. You can also go to level three as being self-employed, which I am.

No-one's biting off my hand to train me because they get grants for school-leavers, which I'm not (which I've already said). I'm more than capable of being a plumber, I'm simply unsure at this stage about combis.

What grants

The government does not give the trainer (plumber) money to train they may give it to the training center but not the plumber who has someone next to him.

As for your scarky comment about my superior knowledge unless you have ESP how do you know I am not a beginner with delusions of grandoir? (I know its spelt wrong lads but I have fallen of the wagon and dont care )

Most chaps that I know will not work for property developers down my way (goal post moving every five minutes "we have changed our mind and would like the boiler to be in the outhouse now", and failure to pay on time) so I would humbly sugeest that your partner may not be getting the whole picture.

Lets be honest if these lads had more work than they could cover and they would be looking to grow their business and seeing most qualified lads would be self employed they would have to look at the likes of you to plug the gap wouldnt they.

as seeing as we get loads and loads of posts asking for placements and my guvnor gets at least 20 to 25 letters per week asking for placements there must be more of you than there is work?? ipso facto and tempus fugit

I honestrly wish you like but you have picked a very very very tough time to become a plumber sorry but there it is

Good luck though I am sure your partner must know someone they can persuade to take you on what with all the property developing work she must have.

 

[corgiman]

also have they change the requirement for NVQ3 now?????? you can do it self employed??? how are you going to prove that you have undertaken work you should not be doing yourself but under the supervision of a competant person (all gas G3 etc)??

sheesh thats going to be as worthless as NVQ2 now

what a shame

 

[Softus]

sorry to be so harsh but i am fed up going in after these people and sorting it out and then labeled a rip off merchant because the other fella only charged them xxx amount,get some proper experience with a qualified person.

Really? Going in after someone has made a mess, and when the client knows it, such that you can't fail to satisfy them simply by doing it right?

All power to the unqualified - I luv 'em.

 

[gas4you]

Good night on the cider Corgi?

 

[bripl]

also have they change the requirement for NVQ3 now?????? you can do it self employed??? how are you going to prove that you have undertaken work you should not be doing yourself but under the supervision of a competant person (all gas G3 etc)??

sheesh thats going to be as worthless as NVQ2 now

what a shame

corgiman you have no idea what these nvq trainees get,out of the ones i know of three have the unvented and energy eff,one has his ccn1 + four appliances one is doing his oftec.
yet not one of these people has fitted a boiler or unvented yet,as for the oftec all that lad has done is change taps/ballvalves/toilet seats.the people to blame are the training centres who take the money, bums on seats and dish out the toilet paper when they have ticked the right boxes
and tell them they are competent

 

[2520years]

As for your scarky comment about my superior knowledge unless you have ESP how do you know I am not a beginner with delusions of grandoir? (I know its spelt wrong lads but I have fallen of the wagon and dont care )

Most chaps that I know will not work for property developers down my way (goal post moving every five minutes "we have changed our mind and would like the boiler to be in the outhouse now", and failure to pay on time) so I would humbly sugeest that your partner may not be getting the whole picture.

I honestrly wish you like but you have picked a very very very tough time to become a plumber sorry but there it is

Actually, I was taking you at your word and not being either scarky or sarky (that's sarky!) I'm of the age where I do genuinely respect knowledge and experience.

As I'm sure you know, it's not only Property Developers who have trouble with plumbers. On two quotes I've already done, they've asked if I'll let them down. (I might flood their house, but I'll turn up! )

I don't know, perhaps you need to sober up corgi. You're talking nonsense and you know it. I'm not daft enough to fall for your weak attempt to keep the industry under-staffed. No offence mate.

 

[Paul Barker]

whats this grants for school leavers stuff? I pay myd now 17year old apprentice £100 a week, he was a 16 yr old school leaver, nobody gave me a nats towards his pay.

Hes's worth about -£200 a week and is geting a top class free education from me, and begrudges every moment. His eyes light up on ay day and that;s your lot. Doesn't really communicate rest of week.

 

[2520years]

corgiman you have no idea what these nvq trainees get,out of the ones i know of three have the unvented and energy eff,one has his ccn1 + four appliances one is doing his oftec.
yet not one of these people has fitted a boiler or unvented yet,as for the oftec all that lad has done is change taps/ballvalves/toilet seats.the people to blame are the training centres who take the money, bums on seats and dish out the toilet paper when they have ticked the right boxes
and tell them they are competent

You're right. Our college isn't up to the mark either. It's all about budgets.

Our class was made up of the 'mature' candidates and we complained all year, week in week out. We even told OFSTED when they came and the department still got a decent rating. All we could do is work hard, read up and be conscientious.

However, some of the work that got signed off was a disgrace, some lads were passing other people's work off as their own to get it signed off, some work simply wasn't done because the college didn't have the equipment...

I was the oldest in the class and hopefully more conscientious. To be honest, there were only two others in my class I'd have in my house to change a washer, and I know some of them will knowingly get in out of their depth and do a runner. Like the colleges, they're only interested in the money in their pockets.