experience

[stevetheplumber]

ive seen some realy dodgy advice given on this forum from posters who you later find have only been in the trade a short while maybe we should have a line under our name when posting to show how long weve been in the game to allow diyer the chance to choose the advice they accept

 

[dontknowitall]

dkia <-- a few hours ...

 

[SimonJohns]

5 years for me

 

[GQuigley67]

6 years for me, hope your not referrring to me though haha, that would be a major shot in the confidence

 

[SimonG]

Comingt up 14 years.

 

[fuzzy]

how do you subtract 2011 from 1989?

 

[fuzzy]

i think its a good point you make steve, i have seen posts on here that are niave at best. this is fine if the poster starts with something like "Im led to believe" or "as far as i am aware" which is what i try to do if im not 100% sure. But when people state it as fact it can be quite misleading or possibly even dangerous.

can mods do anything to help?

 

[Hardy1]

how do you subtract 2011 from 1989?

22 years

 

[GQuigley67]

yep fuzzy thats 22 years since its my birth year lol

 

[Deleted member 25704]

I've been a plumber for 1 year repeated 30 times. Point I am making is that for maybe 15 years of that time I wasn't expanding my 'abstract' technical knowledge (regs, rules and principles) so much as I was getting better at technique and diagnostic skills (tacit work knowledge).

I think attitudes are more important than length of time served. I find it interesting why qualifications and professional status do not demark experience. Nor do qualifications really help the public in choosing a plumber.

 

[REDSAW]

left school and spent the first 6 months hustling at pool in the city center pool halls an pubs for around £40 a week,

then i started with my uncles firm in 1977 (situated next to the pool hall?) as an apprentice............got sacked in 1978 for going to canada for 6-8 weeks instead of 2.

worked for a pub/hotel chain as a maintenance plumber/joiner 1979-81.
worked for family business on shops staff rooms pubs etc for 10 years.

went to uni for 3 years doing computer programming as was.

then did work in other family business's. and a multitude of parc work.
oh yes..2 years as a postie for the pension?/?/?

decided to take formal qualifications at dudley college
spent 2-3 years subbing doing & learning about heating & installs.
did my acs.
not worked for anyone on the books for 20 years.

cenial dementia dont help
and i hav'nt a clue. no excuse, simples?

take my answers with a pinch cause i have a warped s.o.h.

 

[fuzzy]

I've been a plumber for 1 year repeated 30 times. Point I am making is that for maybe 15 years of that time I wasn't expanding my 'abstract' technical knowledge (regs, rules and principles) so much as I was getting better at technique and diagnostic skills (tacit work knowledge).

I think attitudes are more important than length of time served. I find it interesting why qualifications and professional status do not demark experience. Nor do qualifications really help the public in choosing a plumber.

at wehich point do additional years experience become less valuable, my first 5 years i probably gained more than my second 5 years and so on

 

[fuzzy]

anyway admin what do you think?

 

[quality]

left school and spent the first 6 months hustling at pool in the city center pool halls an pubs for around £40 a week,

then i started with my uncles firm in 1977 (situated next to the pool hall?) as an apprentice............got sacked in 1978 for going to canada for 6-8 weeks instead of 2.

worked for a pub/hotel chain as a maintenance plumber/joiner 1979-81.
worked for family business on shops staff rooms pubs etc for 10 years.

went to uni for 3 years doing computer programming as was

then did work in other family business's. and a multitude of parc work.
oh yes..2 years as a postie for the pension?/?/?

decided to take formal qualifications at dudley college
spent 2-3 years subbing doing & learning about heating & installs.
did my acs.
not worked for anyone on the books for 20 years.

cenial dementia dont help
and i hav'nt a clue. no excuse, simples?


take my answers with a pinch cause i have a warped s.o.h.

If is is warped then warped is funny a at times
Ps same years as fuzzy

 

[Deleted member 25704]

at wehich point do additional years experience become less valuable, my first 5 years i probably gained more than my second 5 years and so on

Fuzzy, I don't know if the years become 'less valuable', the market demands. But they can be much the same if your a jobbing plumber. We get comfortable, which aint bad, its also called having a life and a good time.

I hope this generation of plumbers can tap into a bit of a run, with the renewables.

 

[REDSAW]

fuzzy sounds older than me.lol.
i have a mental age of 15.

 

[quality]

Fuzzy, I don't know if the years become 'less valuable', the market demands. But they can be much the same if your a jobbing plumber. We get comfortable, which aint bad, its also called having a life and a good time.

I hope this generation of plumbers can tap into a bit of a run, with the renewables.

I can understand what your saying about living and working
I have spent my whole life living and working but experience it gained over many years not just after your qualified, which I think is what you mean.
Could be wrong or right though.
You are spot on with renewable sector its been my bread and butter since the 1990ies
And its even better nowadays since I have been living and working in this industry for nearly 20 years

Experience vs qualification = lets start a debate

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

18 years for me everyones turned green,great i asked for this months ago i guess things take time to implement

 

[REDSAW]

happy now steve

 

[kirkgas]

ive seen some realy dodgy advice given on this forum from posters who you later find have only been in the trade a short while maybe we should have a line under our name when posting to show how long weve been in the game to allow diyer the chance to choose the advice they accept

sounds like you just want to find out what age we are so you can choose who to groom

 

[kirkgas]

started as a plumbing apprentice in feb 1978, having been doing it ever since, started doing gas about 17yrs (i think)

 

[REDSAW]

started as a plumbing apprentice in feb 1978, having been doing it ever since, started doing gas about 17yrs (i think)

wow thats a while, when do you think you will finish it?.
good job you get the lessons for free.lol.

 

[Dannypipe]

Trouble is, you end up making the forum competative. Who's got the longest one scenario.

People who give out dodgy advice tend to get put straight pretty quickly. Plus some of the people who have been plumbing 30+ years will still disagree on certain subjects.

I'm a qualified and experienced plumber/gas engineer. I've been doing this for over ten years.....but for all you know I could say I've been doing it for 40.

 

[Blackcatgas]

ive seen some realy dodgy advice given on this forum from posters who you later find have only been in the trade a short while maybe we should have a line under our name when posting to show how long weve been in the game to allow diyer the chance to choose the advice they accept

Yes Steve i agree, I cant be arsed to argue or put people right to the errors of thier ways... It would be really easy to shoot people down in flames quite often. As a general rule I try not to make a post on somthing unless iam 90% certain and even then somone who is more knowlegable on the subject can com along make you look a fool.

 

[fuzzy]

why are we green? whats happened since ive been away?