Any Ex Army (RE) plumbers here?

[armyash]

Have posted on here a few times now and looking for some advice, as the title suggests not everyone will be able to help.

Ok my current situation is that i am still currently serving and am unable to sign off until September due to a trade restriction. I want to leave the army asap so will be signing off first opportunity i get and attempt to make my way in the plumbing world.

I have the 6129 (i am aware this isn't held in high regard) and i also have my gas qualifications. Preferably i will go self employed but would also be more than happy working for someone else. As anyone else who has got their quals through the army will know getting any experience on the trade is pretty much impossible - it just doesn't happen.

As i am still in the army it's pretty much impossible to go self employed now as my current work commitments could destroy my reputation before i have one due to not being available 24/7.

I already have the majority of tools needed to make a start, the rest i will acquire as and when so i am already planning well ahead.

If anyone on here has been in a similar position to me i would appreciate any advice you can pass on.

How did you get started in the business and how did you gain the relevant experience to put yourself in a position to apply for work?

Thanks for reading and any feedback will be taken on board.

 

[thereisawizza]

Best bet is get experience working with a firm otherwise you could make a few costly mistakes. There is a firm I know that was started by an ex RM, got a couple of vans etc and has a name as ripping people of; not through fault of his own, just not having the experience to diagnose things correctly first time. Good luck either way, as on the other hand if you can carry across a few of the good habits to a civvie job, customers really notice it. Smart appearance, clean boots etc

 

[armyash]

Thanks for the reply, i think going with a firm to begin with is the best way to go for the experience as you say. I'm going to try and get some work with a firm while im still in when time permits but i know that wont be ideal for companies as i will not be available all the time.

I notice you are in Kent same as me are there any firms you can recommend i try?

 

[thereisawizza]

Any of the larger companies like Swale heating will give you experience of maintainance and repair; for house bashing you could go with any of the nationwide construction companies. If you do go self employed you could register with an agency to gain experience. It may seem slow but the "good ole days" are apparently well behind us!

 

[armyash]

Great thanks for that

 

[tackleburger]

Find out who has the contract to BG in the area where you intend to settle. You'll soon learn the ropes on a heating squad. Boiler, 6 rads & full re-pipe done in a day. That will get you heating work and if you have CCN1 & Cen1 and you can do it for them, chances are you'll get in as turnover of blokes is high just now on that type of work, the rates are tight and it's a backbreaking pace you need to go at to make decent cash. It will help you understand other things like tanks & cylinders. The plumbing side will take practise too but you can pick up small jobs to start with, working with another plumber is essential to get the tips and build experience before you can set out and take on bigger jobs.

Good luck to you.

 

[armyash]

Find out who has the contract to BG in the area where you intend to settle. You'll soon learn the ropes on a heating squad. Boiler, 6 rads & full re-pipe done in a day. That will get you heating work and if you have CCN1 & Cen1 and you can do it for them, chances are you'll get in as turnover of blokes is high just now on that type of work, the rates are tight and it's a backbreaking pace you need to go at to make decent cash. It will help you understand other things like tanks & cylinders. The plumbing side will take practise too but you can pick up small jobs to start with, working with another plumber is essential to get the tips and build experience before you can set out and take on bigger jobs.

Good luck to you.

Good advice again thanks

 

[Derrick229]

Hah, as you are in Kent, you have got to be in Chatham, same place where I got my papers

Lets get things in perspective, when you leave, you are going to wonder how ANYTHING gets done, its a whole new world out here

I came out and didnt have a clue, I went back to Chatham and did a refresher course

I joined a couple of companies, it was a chance to work (and stand on my own, any decisions were mine)

Some of the companies ripped me off along with the customers, I then got a job putting in stainless pipe for a anodizing company, it lasted as long as my boots did, 2 days, the acid ate through them

Worst company I worked for, charged by the quarter hour, charged travelling time, never took checks and if the customer couldnt pay, they either turned off the water or took pension books, or things of value (TV, usually) I was there just over a month

Worked for a railway company, putting in water spray system in carriges and built cranes, that was a great job, 30 hour week but I got made redundant from there when the crane contract finished

I then got a job at LHR,the money was crap, the work a peice of ?, it was all bog seats and taps, it was in the center area, I had a plumbers mate, never knew what to do with him, he was 58 and knew nothing apart from where everything was, he slept a lot, he had been there when they built the place

I went to T2, was there for years, did an awful lot of OT and call out, there used to be 4 and a sewer man, in the end there was just me, others either died or retired

I then looked after all the houses, in was great, it stood me in good stead for anything outside (if I ever left) over 300 houses, you name it, I did it (i never did leave, I retired from there)

Then I ended up Northside, it got interesting then, no more taps or bog seats, all big stuff, fire mains, pit cleaning, firemain bursts, fresh water bursts, sewage blockages, jetting, lake pollution, tunnel cleaning, emergency water supplies, frozen pipes, clearing up after contractors, repairing contractors cock ups, it was a great time, I was there 26 years, got shed loads of papers and permits, licences

(all screwed up by poor managers, who never had an interest in the job, just a tick on a CV, then screw up everything, then bugger off)

But enough of me, I would say to you, get out and get with a company as much as possible, you have married quarters, put your name around, do a few jobs in there, shove a couple of ad's in Tesco or whatever superstore they have down there, get a few cards printed up, leave them when you do a job,
I wouldnt bother with a leaflet drop, people just bin them, maybe get a few and ask to leave em in shop windows

If you have a wife, get her to tell her friends, tell your neighbours (when you get out of the married quarters)

Dont turn down ANY job, no matter how stinky or smellie it is or even if you havent an idea how to do it, you can ask anyone, anything in here, these people in here are always willing to help out a new lad (especially those getting started in the trade, but be prepared for a bit of ? taking) and it may take a day or so to get an answer

Have the phone number of an 'old boy' and if you get really stuck, you can phone a 'friend'

When you are with other plumbers or anyother tradesmen dontr be afraid of asking questions (they all like bragging about a job they have done)

Trust me, things will be difficult for a few years, you will have time when you have shedloads and times when you got sod all, bills will stack up, no holidays,the wife will moan, the kids will be on your back, the dog wont even greet you when you come home, but stick with it, as long as people have water coming in and waste going out, they will need a plumber at some point, you just have to make sure its you

(I would say be a maintainece bloke, that way you can do nigh on anything, so maybe back to school to pick up some electrical papers, a short course on bricking, plastering) and get tools, lots of tools, a decent tool box and a box of fittings (look for job lots) a few lengths of pipe, jubilee clips and rubber, a few emergency clamps, a set of rods, a plunger, a drill and a snake a box of spare 'O' rings (taps and traps and descaler, a couple of 'push' fit fittings (you can use these on a burst pipe, when a chippie has put a nail through a pipe or when the pipe is just too wet to solder) a couple of stop ends are handy as well

I was told one thing and I have always gone by it and it works for me, If I dont have crap work in my house, why would I do it in yours ? cheapest isnt always best, put in quality fittings

Anyway, good luck to you I hope you have the success I have had (but I knowI have been VERY, VERY lucky)

 

[thereisawizza]

Hear hear

 

[armyash]

Derrick229, Great reply thanks for the effort! A lot of good pointers there and i am soaking up as much info as i can for when i make the leap!

 

[tiling spread]

oi oi im a kent boy too lol what about me lol
iv hade 3 small jobs since iv sold up plastering and im starting with jtl soon cant wait

 

[Derrick229]

oi oi im a kent boy too lol what about me lol

Ah, that maybe so, but you aint a Royal Engineer

 

[thereisawizza]

What about ex-grunts?

 

[Derrick229]

What about ex-grunts?

I suppose that depends on the colour beret you wear ?

But you have to have originated from the Royal Engineers's


I started in the Royal Engineers, then went into 9 Pare RE, still a Royal Engineer, but with more pay

But I have always said, civvies get better service from ex squaddies, irrespective of regiment or corps

I bet that is going to get this thread warmed up a bit now

 

[tackleburger]

I agree with you the problem is too many ex squaddies are out there doing stuff they can't do. I had a call from an ex RAF guy who was changing a boiler he got my number off my van when I was up doing a course at the training centre I got chatting to him. He wanted a hand to swap a back boiler out because although he had a gas ticket and a 6129 he didn't know what to do. I reluctantly agreed just once and I got paid what I asked for no problem there and showed him the ropes. He was brilliant will the client, bent over backwards wasn't going to let them down at any cost. If it hadn't been for me he'd still be there now. i still get calls from him wanting a hand because he's go the job duration wrong. There are a good few round here he knows of four guys all the sam working until 8pm struggling with a 6129 and going straight out.

 

[Derrick229]

I know what you mean, about blokes doing a job they know a 'bit' about, great in a classroom, no bloody good on the tools, or enough to get by

We give a great service, never let a customer down, some just over estimate their skills and under estimate the time a job will take

But that is better than telling a customer you will do the job and never go back

Maybe he picked up a bit by watching you (and you got a few quid from it) best thing you could have given him, knowledge or 'how to'

I have been lucky with the teachers and instructors I have had, I have never had to call on anyone to do a job that I cant do, I have called on a mate because the job would have taken too long on my own (Boiler and 8 rads) or I had something heavy to move, put in or out

Used to take the kids on jobs with me to earn their pocket money, but they just swept up and got stuff from the van or put stuff away, I dont think that would be allowed now though

I got a lot of expeirience from various jobs and companys, but looking after 300 houses on my own was the best training I had, no one to call on, stand on your own and as thepeople rented the houses from the same company we both worked at, I couldnt exactly leave it

I have posted questions in here though, because I have had a problem that stumped me (and quite a few in here and the water board) does that count ?

 

[swifty]

Hi, My first post but you are not on your own bud, served 22yrs with the Army 9/12L. Went to college whilst i was still serving and did my level 2 (6129). Did my ACS as my resettlement with water regs and unvented, worked with a few friends (heating egineers) whilst still on garden leave. No takers with the CV - Lack of experience i assume from prospective employers (very little feedback). So set up on my own, Not easy and a steep learning curve, but when you are on your own you soon learn. I was lucky i had a few phone a friend numbers and a few local engineers i could ask advice off. My main advice would be to try and learn on someone else time and money if you can secure a job, current climate not great. But if you do go it alone do not take on Jobs that are out of your league, start slowly slowly and be as professional as you can be (work to a high standard, take pride in your work and always be tidy and neat) this will lead to repeat business. And just like in the Army remember what you were always told as a crow, IF you don't know how to do something ,then ASK someone who does. No one engineer can say he knows it all, we are always learning something new.

 

[Derrick229]

I hope armyash takes a bit of notice with this thread, there is some good advice in here

Its a whole new ball game in civvie street and it can be a hard learning curve

I know quite a few lads who left and just couldnt hack it, they ended up on a security job (but even that isnt a bad thing, LHR is full of ex soldiers, all bragging about deeds done, but no real proof)

 

[mikeygas]

I'm an ex Sapper too, do what I did. Write to all the GSR eng's in your area with a CV offering to work for them for free when you are at home on leave or on weekends. You have the time to do it now as you won't be out of the mob for another year or so. You will get a lot of knockbacks, (that's if anyone bothers replying) as time's are tough for everyone but remember you only need to be lucky once and get your foot in the door with one gas fitter.
That's how I got started two years ago and haven't looked back, always keep up with training and research.

Do you have any other trade skills to give you something to stand out a little? I was lucky that before I was in the Army I did my time as a civil engineer on the roads (hole-digger!) so I knew how to do drainage, concreteing, basic bricklaying etc as well as work hard day in day out.

I would think that having an Army background your enthusiasm would make up for lack of experience. Good luck mate.

 

[armyash]

Plenty of great replies on this thread and i can take something from each reply so thanks to everyone!

With a tour coming up in 10months and my troop seeming to be unwilling to listen to me when it comes to signing off it does get a bit disheartening knowing that i still have to make the army my priority when i am already thinking about my next career move. Like i said when time allows and i can commit a bit more to dedicating myself to getting myself in the plumbing trade there are a lot of good things i can use from the advice given and i already feel i have been given a head start. The day i sign off i will be doing everything possible to get my foot in the door and if i am lucky enough to be taken on in order to gain experience i will work as hard as possible so that all involved get the most out of it.