S
secret squirrel
Hello All,
I’ve been a plumber now for about 4 months. So, I thought I’d write a few things down about the industry that I’ve discovered so far. I am not advocating “fast track courses” over apprenticeships. This is purely how I have found things after doing a fast track course. I hope this will give “wannabe” plumbers or people going on courses a broader view.
Being a plumber is difficult, I never expected it to be easy but there are many issues that I had not considered.
Funding jobs is one, I have had to pay for the parts for jobs before being paid. This limits your cash flow, especially when customers pay by cheque, you then have to wait for it to clear but pay for the next job. To start, you must have copper tube, 22mm, 15mm, a selection of joints etc. This is all dead money whilst it is sitting on you van. If you add in the cost of a cwst or hot water cylinder, a job could owe you about £150-200 before you kick off.
Tools, you always seem to need another tool. This again costs. You have little cash flow but you need another tool. Although the tool may only cost £15 that still affects that precious cash flow.
Jobs, they are rarely what they seem, there is always (for me) something that I’ve not considered, takes longer than I thought or I can’t complete the task because some valve or isolator fails to work. Your then looking for another way to complete the task or need to charge more to sort the issue.
Work, is sporadic, you can work really hard one week but nothing for the next week. I am sure this will improve but it is a little disheartening.
Enjoyment, yes, it is enjoyable, leaving the customer with a good job and its working. However, it is quite lonely (not sure this is the correct term) if a job is going wrong you’ve no one to ask, no help to hand, your on your own, in a customers house and the things that can go wrong are endless.
I don’t want to come across as being negative,thats not my intention because I enjoy it. However, these are issues that no one really laboured on for me. Yesterday, I started at 9.15 home by 1.30 and had been paid my days money. I was having a nice chat with my elderly customer and they also made me a bacon sandwich so there are positives.
My biggest piece of advice is; ask questions this forum is superb for that. My local plumbers merchant are also excellent for little gems of advice, try not and become blinkered, try and look at the bigger picture. If there are difficulties, explain these to the customer asap. Don’t worry about taking on all the smaller jobs, changing taps, garden taps, new ball valves. Each small job I do my confidence grows a little.
So, I hope this has helped someone................
I’ve been a plumber now for about 4 months. So, I thought I’d write a few things down about the industry that I’ve discovered so far. I am not advocating “fast track courses” over apprenticeships. This is purely how I have found things after doing a fast track course. I hope this will give “wannabe” plumbers or people going on courses a broader view.
Being a plumber is difficult, I never expected it to be easy but there are many issues that I had not considered.
Funding jobs is one, I have had to pay for the parts for jobs before being paid. This limits your cash flow, especially when customers pay by cheque, you then have to wait for it to clear but pay for the next job. To start, you must have copper tube, 22mm, 15mm, a selection of joints etc. This is all dead money whilst it is sitting on you van. If you add in the cost of a cwst or hot water cylinder, a job could owe you about £150-200 before you kick off.
Tools, you always seem to need another tool. This again costs. You have little cash flow but you need another tool. Although the tool may only cost £15 that still affects that precious cash flow.
Jobs, they are rarely what they seem, there is always (for me) something that I’ve not considered, takes longer than I thought or I can’t complete the task because some valve or isolator fails to work. Your then looking for another way to complete the task or need to charge more to sort the issue.
Work, is sporadic, you can work really hard one week but nothing for the next week. I am sure this will improve but it is a little disheartening.
Enjoyment, yes, it is enjoyable, leaving the customer with a good job and its working. However, it is quite lonely (not sure this is the correct term) if a job is going wrong you’ve no one to ask, no help to hand, your on your own, in a customers house and the things that can go wrong are endless.
I don’t want to come across as being negative,thats not my intention because I enjoy it. However, these are issues that no one really laboured on for me. Yesterday, I started at 9.15 home by 1.30 and had been paid my days money. I was having a nice chat with my elderly customer and they also made me a bacon sandwich so there are positives.
My biggest piece of advice is; ask questions this forum is superb for that. My local plumbers merchant are also excellent for little gems of advice, try not and become blinkered, try and look at the bigger picture. If there are difficulties, explain these to the customer asap. Don’t worry about taking on all the smaller jobs, changing taps, garden taps, new ball valves. Each small job I do my confidence grows a little.
So, I hope this has helped someone................
