Gas or Electric route

[Plumber Luke]

Hi all,
Just looking for some advice on whether to start my gas training or to train as an electrician. As we all know the gas industry is a bit of a mess at the moment, with the government proposing to remove gas from home heating. I've been working as a plumber with property maintenance companies over the past few years and finally saved enough money to pay for a gas course. I was planning for this to be my next step in my career in the plumbing industry. Just having second thoughts on whether the gas course is the correct decision.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What does your area need eg see how many gas / sparkies are in the area ?

 

[snowhead]

Gas will be around for a long time yet.
There is no viable alternative for older properties.
The next change will be Nat Gas / Hydrogen mix, currently under trial I believe, then ultimately probably all Hydrogen.
It had been suggested that maybe MDPE / HDPE would be adversley affected by Hydrogen but Denmark have done long term trials on previously used and new pipe from various manufacturers and as yet, after 10 years found no issues.

 

[Murdoch]

I would suggest you google search your area to see how many sparks and gas safe engineers there are - around me there is a definite shortage of gas safe engineers

 

[Knappers]

Gas phase-out is only for Newbuild estates, I don't see any issues with domestic gas and even if there was, think of all that easy decommissioning work that would need doing!

 

[Aquarius]

Have you dabbled with either of them yet? If so pick which one you’d enjoy the most.

 

[Aquarius]

Also I’d work out if you can hack it, I have struggled and still currently struggling with it because I’ve been in the same place for 16 years (started as a plumber), and didn’t get taught very well or put a load of it into practice like ventilation, flues, pipe sizing, rad calcs, et al and I don’t understand a lot of it. Seriously contemplating a different career path or just change to something that requires less responsibility and knowledge.

 

[king of pipes]

Renewables train to both install and wire.your own jobs 👍. Kop

 

[gmartine]

If you've been working as a plumber anyway you have some experience and that is half the battle for those getting newly qualified as gas engineers, Gas isn't going away soon.

 

[Plumber Luke]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate the responses. I think I'm going to take the gas route. Wish me luck 😀