just been made redundant and ime thinking of doing a plumbing course the ones ive looked at are about £3500 for a 8 week course has anyone done one and was it worth it,or should i spend the money on lottery tickets cheers pete
plumbing course
- Thread starter strongbowpeter
- Start date
Depends on what sort of person you are...!
Some diy'ers are slow but OK, some are quickish and good,
some "pro's" are lightning fast but awful, some plodders but excellent, all with or without any formal training.
Some diy'ers are slow but OK, some are quickish and good,
some "pro's" are lightning fast but awful, some plodders but excellent, all with or without any formal training.
i can do most jobs learn quickly done an engineering apprentiship didnt like working in a factory got an hgv and drove around europe but fancy working for myself now just got to bite the bullet
C
compheat
If you just stick to the basic's you should be ok. I wouldn't spend the money untill you've tried the work. Refitting bathrooms can be ok you just need patience and to be prepared. I've worked with tradesmen for the last 35 years and ther'se good and bad so its up to you to do the job to the best of your ability and be careful. 
if it doesnt work out i can allways go back to driving again but it drives you mad crazy people out on the roads
I`d spend more and go for one with a franchise attached.assuming you`ve got more to spend 
If you can handle engineering, you can grasp plumbing 
and the old adage.....muck+brass applies.......drainclearing is lucrative 
If you can get into the Smoke it`s good too.......no good 2 me takes 2 hours to get to the bleedin M25
If you can handle engineering, you can grasp plumbing and the old adage.....muck+brass applies.......drainclearing is lucrative If you can get into the Smoke it`s good too.......no good 2 me takes 2 hours to get to the bleedin M25 Nige F said:I`d spend more and go for one with a franchise attached.assuming you`ve got more to spend
et to the bleedin M25
i live in watford so only 15 miles from big ben is that where the money is clearing drains?or should i pay the extra and get corgi i dont mind spending the redundancy if it pays off thanks for reply
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edited to correct quote
There are several ways to start, and some ways wont suit you. I started doing bits and pieces that people asked for. Most plumbers don't bother ringing back when they get an enquiry, so getting the work is straightforward.
I would spend the money on tools and materials to start with, if you have the practical ability, you can get answers to most problems on this forum.
NEVER take on a job that looks too big or too involved. You can do these when they don't look so daunting later. Don't "help someone out". You need to evaluate the liability you are undertaking, and price accordingly.
Given that nowadays people perceive they cannot find tradesmen, if you do a good job and are seen as reliable and honest, people will recommend you to their friends.
You should have some public liability insurance.
If you are expecting to get rich, this is the same as any business, and you will probably fail. If you want to do a good job and earn a reasonable living, you will probably be ok.
I would spend the money on tools and materials to start with, if you have the practical ability, you can get answers to most problems on this forum.
NEVER take on a job that looks too big or too involved. You can do these when they don't look so daunting later. Don't "help someone out". You need to evaluate the liability you are undertaking, and price accordingly.
Given that nowadays people perceive they cannot find tradesmen, if you do a good job and are seen as reliable and honest, people will recommend you to their friends.
You should have some public liability insurance.
If you are expecting to get rich, this is the same as any business, and you will probably fail. If you want to do a good job and earn a reasonable living, you will probably be ok.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions for people coming from other jobs is that you just turn up with a couple of tools and get payed.
Plumbing is very very hard graft. It is a lot harder than sitting behind the wheel of a lorry, or than sitting in an office abusing company time.
You only get payed for results, to get results you have to work very hard. You have to focus on the job in hand all the time. Any time not spent concentrating on the job will keep you in poor street.
Plumbing is very very hard graft. It is a lot harder than sitting behind the wheel of a lorry, or than sitting in an office abusing company time.
You only get payed for results, to get results you have to work very hard. You have to focus on the job in hand all the time. Any time not spent concentrating on the job will keep you in poor street.
Think about becoming an electrician. Pay is as good and the job is a lot simpler. Now you can do the qualifications in a couple of weeks (including defined scope part A which allows you to rewire houses). If you find the physical side a bit of a grunt you can employ a monkey to run cables - harder to do in plumbing.
But if you say stick to bathrooms, and do some plastering, tiling, woodwork as necessary, you'll find that pays well too.
But if you say stick to bathrooms, and do some plastering, tiling, woodwork as necessary, you'll find that pays well too.
Sorry Paul B. but it`s **** easy compared to what it used to be...have you threaded 1/half iron by hand......caulked lead joints to iron soil.......rawlplug jumper into concrete, before sds was invented......hand drilled galv. gisterns.........cut overflow holes 2 floors up outside on ladder with hammer and chisel.........I wish I was 20 now not 50 and ****ed Corgi, in my opinion is involved with stuff that`s too technical now(boilers) for a starter type person..........Drains will always block.... OR Carry a small toolkit on a motorbike.and offer the fastest response in London once you`re @ the job using your satnav....you can then suss out the problem and get parts, or get your mate to make his way to you in the van 
That`s how I would play it if I could get to the smoke....Good luck to you anyways That would be me in the van with the old "blue badge" ( no not a scam) Consider giving someone with one ,a job driving for you beats looking @ these forums all day long
Corgi, in my opinion is involved with stuff that`s too technical now(boilers) for a starter type person..........Drains will always block.... OR Carry a small toolkit on a motorbike.and offer the fastest response in London once you`re @ the job using your satnav....you can then suss out the problem and get parts, or get your mate to make his way to you in the van That`s how I would play it if I could get to the smoke....Good luck to you anyways That would be me in the van with the old "blue badge" ( no not a scam) Consider giving someone with one ,a job driving for you beats looking @ these forums all day long who said the dinosaurs were extint we have a proper plumber used to thread two inch by hand and yes what a loverly tool the rawlplug jumper was.the people comming into the trade now do not know how much simpler it has got battery sds,working at heights,chemical handling,inline electric pipe threaders jeez it is now so simple.we used to put a lot of castiron soils up with copper wastes all bent by hand nowadays they just throw a plastic pipe in and call it plumbing but hey thats life,i personnally agree wiyh chris r get involved as a sparks similar money lot less stress/effort also less tools to buy
we have a proper plumber used to thread two inch by hand and yes what a loverly tool the rawlplug jumper was.the people comming into the trade now do not know how much simpler it has got battery sds,working at heights,chemical handling,inline electric pipe threaders jeez it is now so simple.we used to put a lot of castiron soils up with copper wastes all bent by hand nowadays they just throw a plastic pipe in and call it plumbing but hey thats life,i personnally agree wiyh chris r get involved as a sparks similar money lot less stress/effort also less tools to buy
OK you guys I apreciate how soft I am, but the point is that people in other jobs are a lot softer than me, and I still believe there is a misconception in the public's mind as to what plumbing involves. I hold to my guns, compared to what they expect it is hard graft.
I take the point about fast response on a bike.
I could maybe do that actually, I was a despatch rider in central London for many years 95 at A-Z city office before the Dally brothers sold to Securicor then Alpha 54 at Express.
These days when I go to look at a boiler I just take the few tools I can get in a tool belt, the dewalt hoover a Kane 400 and a multimeter. If parts required (other than the universal tc which you obviously have on you) you could shoot off on the bike to the spares place double quick time, must be loads of stockists all over London.
Watch out Tony I might be heading down weekdays....
I take the point about fast response on a bike.
I could maybe do that actually, I was a despatch rider in central London for many years 95 at A-Z city office before the Dally brothers sold to Securicor then Alpha 54 at Express.
These days when I go to look at a boiler I just take the few tools I can get in a tool belt, the dewalt hoover a Kane 400 and a multimeter. If parts required (other than the universal tc which you obviously have on you) you could shoot off on the bike to the spares place double quick time, must be loads of stockists all over London.
Watch out Tony I might be heading down weekdays....
No problem Paul, I could send you to some of our jobs in Central London!
As to HGV 3, my advice would be to think very carefully. I dont think the streets are paved with gold. In the London area there are about 90,000 East Europeans willing to turn their hands to anything for £50-£60 per day. Most of their plumbers do a much neater pipework fitting that the home grown!
I recently saw a skip driver job advertised in NW10 at £35,000 p.a. You would be stretched to make that as taxible income after five years from starting in plumbing. Remember many people posting above have been doing it for 20-30 years.
The other problem is getting enough work, advertising is very cost ineffective and it takes a while of perfect work to build up a customer base.
But HGV 3 if you realy are masochistic and want to persue plumbing then I could offer you unpaid work experience fitting heating at Chester Road. You would learn for more than on an expensive course. It might also make you see that driving is a well paid and much easier job, at least you dont get non paying customers!
Tony
As to HGV 3, my advice would be to think very carefully. I dont think the streets are paved with gold. In the London area there are about 90,000 East Europeans willing to turn their hands to anything for £50-£60 per day. Most of their plumbers do a much neater pipework fitting that the home grown!
I recently saw a skip driver job advertised in NW10 at £35,000 p.a. You would be stretched to make that as taxible income after five years from starting in plumbing. Remember many people posting above have been doing it for 20-30 years.
The other problem is getting enough work, advertising is very cost ineffective and it takes a while of perfect work to build up a customer base.
But HGV 3 if you realy are masochistic and want to persue plumbing then I could offer you unpaid work experience fitting heating at Chester Road. You would learn for more than on an expensive course. It might also make you see that driving is a well paid and much easier job, at least you dont get non paying customers!
Tony
I would go the sparky route aswell. To be earning a comfortable living in plumbing I think you need to specialize in underfloor, solar, gas, aircon etc. There are newly qualified and immigrant plumbers everywhere and the money has dropped through the floor in the last 2 years for basic plumbing and the saturation of the market shows no sign of stopping.
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