Can someone help me please?

[Joshua]

Right, I wasn't sure what category to place this thread in, so of someone wants to move it to a more appropriate position, feel free. In the attached picture is my own notes, I was hoping if someone could assess them and tell me if it makes sense and seems correct. I would like to impress my tutor with a bit of knowledge before next week (lol I'm definitely a nerd/try hard haha). Basically from the off go I want to stand out, so when an employer comes to the college, I stand out massively, it starts with small things. But really I need it "proof-read" before I take it to him.

Bear with me though, it's early days for me still lol, it's only a simple diagram.

Cheers all

 

[gmartine]

If you really want to stand out make sure the system diagram and text are clear so it can actually be analysed and proof read to begin with. Get yourself a pad of squared or grid paper for layout, a blue, red and black pen using red for HW circuit and blue for CW circuit and black for your line diagram. Find out what the symbols are for a gate valve, pump etc and use them and as your writing isn't particularly tidy use upper case.

 

[Darren Jackson]

For a start you have all your hot tap outlets on the wrong side, hot is always piped to the left hand taps in England and the rest of Europe so the blind and partially sighted know which is the hot tap. Also you have no zone valves on the diagram so no means of time / temperature control to the heating. There is also no means of isolation at each outlet. Learn all the correct symbols for the various ancillaries. Use correct colours for the line diagram. That's just for a start.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Harsh but true.

 

[Last Plumber]

The comment you made at the start isn't quite true. Not 'all' wet systems will have a separate F&E tank.

Darren commented on the DHW and Cold being the wrong way around, that's an important thing to take note of.

You said that 'all' cold taps and WC's are fed from the CWS tank. That is not always the case, in fact where I live, it's normally all from the mains. I do not know if it's different where you are or what you have been taught in School? or whether you're just referring to your own drawing?

You have drawn an old Gravity hot water system. Is that what you were asked to draw? Fully pumped systems are not piped as per your drawing.

As Gmartine said at the very start, it would help if you used a ruler and graph paper to draw things out.

Where have you got the information you have used from? is it from School/College or have you looked it up yourself?

 

[Joshua]

Thanks everyone for all the replies. Seems I have a lot of work to do lol, but bear with me, it's early days for me. In response to where I got my information, it was this one particular book I got from the library - "Plumbing and central heating" by Mike Lawrence.

I wasn't asked to draw anything, I suppose I'm just so eager to start learning that I might have jumped to gun and bit off more than I could chew.

What I'll do is probably scrap what I have and then wait till I start properly learning in college and soak up that information over everything else.

All in all, thanks everyone, this plumbing deal is quite the experience haha

 

[Last Plumber]

Thanks everyone for all the replies. Seems I have a lot of work to do lol, but bear with me, it's early days for me. In response to where I got my information, it was this one particular book I got from the library - "Plumbing and central heating" by Mike Lawrence.

I wasn't asked to draw anything, I suppose I'm just so eager to start learning that I might have jumped to gun and bit off more than I could chew.

What I'll do is probably scrap what I have and then wait till I start properly learning in college and soak up that information over everything else.

All in all, thanks everyone, this plumbing deal is quite the experience haha

Take your time. Don't try to run before you can walk and it will sink in a lot better. If you try to learn it back to front, you may misunderstand things.

Good luck!
No harm being keen but learn to use it to your own advantage.

 

[CHRISX]

Thanks everyone for all the replies. Seems I have a lot of work to do lol, but bear with me, it's early days for me. In response to where I got my information, it was this one particular book I got from the library - "Plumbing and central heating" by Mike Lawrence.

I wasn't asked to draw anything, I suppose I'm just so eager to start learning that I might have jumped to gun and bit off more than I could chew.

What I'll do is probably scrap what I have and then wait till I start properly learning in college and soak up that information over everything else.

All in all, thanks everyone, this plumbing deal is quite the experience haha

Hello Joshua,

Mike Lawrence was a very prolific Author [possibly started in the 1970`s ?] in the 1980`s - 1990`s and probably into the early 2000`s.

He apparently also wrote on other subjects such as Carpentry, Plastering, Tiling, Roofing and more Construction related subjects. - if all of `his books` were written by him he was obviously an `All round Builder` who knew a lot about many trades.

He was also credited as having written a few Books on various Card games.

I remember a Plumbing Apprentice asking me whether that Book [and a couple of others] would be any good for him to study back in the early 1990`s for information on learning about both Plumbing and Heating - having looked through it at that time my answer was "NO".

Although I think that most of the Plumbing details would have been correct for that time period - BUT - nowhere near detailed enough to educate on full installation processes.

If I am remembering correctly the Book was first printed in about 1990 [?] with seemingly 1970`s knowledge / attitude to Domestic Heating design and very few details on Heating systems that would be applicable Today.

For example although Heating systems were being installed with Zone valves from at least the early 1980`s I don`t think that there was any mention of them in that Book ?

Again from memory I think that it seemed to be trying to show people how to install the most basic Central Heating and Gravity Hot Water system in their own Home`s ?

Ask your College Tutors if they can recommend any current publications that would supplement what they are teaching you - however in theory you should be learning from the best / clearest written information already selected by the College.

Good Luck with your studies - You have a good attitude in wanting to `Be the best that you can` although I would advise against announcing at College that `You want to stand out above everyone else` / `Be seen to be better than everyone else`.

It is admirable to want to `Be the best` in any aspect of Life but keep it as a `Mental attitude` as You don`t want to alienate yourself from your Classmates.

I may well get some contradictory comments about that but lets see ?

Regards,

Chris

 

[Joshua]

Hello Joshua,

Mike Lawrence was a very prolific Author [possibly started in the 1970`s ?] in the 1980`s - 1990`s and probably into the early 2000`s.

He apparently also wrote on other subjects such as Carpentry, Plastering, Tiling, Roofing and more Construction related subjects. - if all of `his books` were written by him he was obviously an `All round Builder` who knew a lot about many trades.

He was also credited as having written a few Books on various Card games.

I remember a Plumbing Apprentice asking me whether that Book [and a couple of others] would be any good for him to study back in the early 1990`s for information on learning about both Plumbing and Heating - having looked through it at that time my answer was "NO".

Although I think that most of the Plumbing details would have been correct for that time period - BUT - nowhere near detailed enough to educate on full installation processes.

If I am remembering correctly the Book was first printed in about 1990 [?] with seemingly 1970`s knowledge / attitude to Domestic Heating design and very few details on Heating systems that would be applicable Today.

For example although Heating systems were being installed with Zone valves from at least the early 1980`s I don`t think that there was any mention of them in that Book ?

Again from memory I think that it seemed to be trying to show people how to install the most basic Central Heating and Gravity Hot Water system in their own Home`s ?

Ask your College Tutors if they can recommend any current publications that would supplement what they are teaching you - however in theory you should be learning from the best / clearest written information already selected by the College.

Good Luck with your studies - You have a good attitude in wanting to `Be the best that you can` although I would advise against announcing at College that `You want to stand out above everyone else` / `Be seen to be better than everyone else`.

It is admirable to want to `Be the best` in any aspect of Life but keep it as a `Mental attitude` as You don`t want to alienate yourself from your Classmates.

I may well get some contradictory comments about that but lets see ?

Regards,

Chris

Cheers Chris, this is so far the most helpful comment I've had, along with finding that cold taps go on the right haha (in my defense my mothers home AND my own flat have the cold on the right in the bathroom, so I think that's where I went along with it lol)
You are spot on with not announcing my "be the best" mindset, I think I should also maintain humility throughout my course.

As well, thanks for taking your time with me, and I want to extend that to everyone else. This forum seems to contain people with much patience, a lot of internet forum users would have berated me for making any mistakes (but that's how we learn, right?), so I commend you for that.

Thanks

 

[Welder]

Firstly Joshua, genuine congratulations. It takes both balls and good old fashioned common sense to seek advice from old buggers like us (no names mentioned...)

Many people talk lots and make statements they cannot then back up. It is my belief that it's far better to say less and DO more. Let your actions speak for you, let what you achieve speak for you.

Never 'try' because that implies there is room for improvement. DO the best you can possible do at every turn.

Lastly, understand now that plumbing is a profession where every person will have their favourite way of doing something. A million & one ways of skinning that cat. That said, there can be no 'discussion' around what is safe from a regulations perspective. Doing it right is doing it right - period. Then you'll develop your own ways over time.

Being open minded means every day is a day worth getting out of bed for cos you're learning...

Very best of luck and come back often...

 

[Joshua]

Firstly Joshua, genuine congratulations. It takes both balls and good old fashioned common sense to seek advice from old buggers like us (no names mentioned...)

Many people talk lots and make statements they cannot then back up. It is my belief that it's far better to say less and DO more. Let your actions speak for you, let what you achieve speak for you.

Never 'try' because that implies there is room for improvement. DO the best you can possible do at every turn.

Lastly, understand now that plumbing is a profession where every person will have their favourite way of doing something. A million & one ways of skinning that cat. That said, there can be no 'discussion' around what is safe from a regulations perspective. Doing it right is doing it right - period. Then you'll develop your own ways over time.

Being open minded means every day is a day worth getting out of bed for cos you're learning...

Very best of luck and come back often...

Ah mate, couldn't have heard it better than this. And mate I agree with you, actions definitely speak louder than words.
I'm playing my hand at being proactive and decided that an apprenticeship on the days I don't attend college (so in my own spare time might I add lol) will be beneficial. Tomorrow I'm going to ring nearby plumbers and ask if I can pop round and simply ask if they'll take me on, cut straight and tell them what I feel I can offer them, what I'll do (basically that's something they'll be telling me, after all, I work for them, not vice versa), such as - need coffee making? done. need the van organised? done. need your toolbox? Already had it by your side, didn't even need to ask. All I ask in return is that you give me the opportunity to learn, let me ask questions, show me how to do things and perhaps when I can, let me do things too and have the plumber sign it off.
My tutor has already said if I go about the way I am (it's not concrete but if I am lucky, there's a chance), that I could just jump straight onto the level 2 course. He said he will see how my trial goes and take it from there.

But yeah, sorry mate, that's a long winded way of saying thanks haha cheers bud!

 

[Ric2013]

Even if you are starting by reading an out-of date textbook, there is no harm in that. I have read many out-of-date textbooks and often find myself on jobs thinking 'I bet very few people of my age would have a clue about plumbing of this age'. That said, gravity systems are covered in most courses, and some specialist applications still use gravity.
What you'll find in plumbing is that there rarely is ONE way of approaching a task and, if you bear that in mind, you'll be a much better, and happier, plumber for it.

 

[Welder]

E. G. Gravity only solid fuel backboilers... Old school sustainable. Done a few now in remote builings in woods so no electrics

 

[Jamie Liffen]

Keep up the good work mate , also when you get an apprenticeship, do the same make drawing of systems your not sure about.

I struggled to get my head around y plans and s plans , so I made diagrams of each system and it sunk in a lot better being able to look at the drawings .

Also if you get onto new build sites write down all your sizings and spacings so you remember , pipe centres on boilers, pipe centres on baths and basins , and also waste pipes it makes everything a lot easier until it’s ingrained in your brain lol