Hello, and a question :)

[MattWeth]

Hi All,
First post here and as well as saying hi, I'm afraid I'm starting with a question too...

First me:
For 20 years I've worked in industry as an HVAC / Building Services design engineer with a few years as a commissioning supervisor for refrigeration and building services in the nuclear industry. Given my background, I've always done my own and families / friends plumbing (apart from gas obviously) and consider myself to be a pretty competent DIY plumber. I've got two good mates who are heating engineers (oil and gas) and over the years have helped them out on big jobs and sat on their shoulders asking daft questions

Early next year, I'm getting made redundant.

Unfortunately it's not a big payout but would be just about enough to set myself up in business as a plumber (van, a few more tools, insurances etc).

So (and this might not be a popular question!): what, if any, qualifications are essential or mandatory to work as a self employed plumber (not gas)? I'd like to start out on the water side and work towards getting Gas Safe registration in the future.

Any advice would be much appreciated and feel free to flame away

cheers
Matt

 

[SimonJohns]

No qualifications needed. But insurance may ask for some

Water regs is one
Unvented water ticket

The rest is experience

 

[MattWeth]

No qualifications needed. But insurance may ask for some

Water regs is one
Unvented water ticket

The rest is experience

Thanks SimonJohns.

 

[REDSAW]

hi,
you must be mad or may need educating here.
forget plumbing, there is more work and money in refrigeration and maintenance.
please research that market well.
i dont do it but i have been offered numerous contracts in that sector from installation to maintenance work on 12 month rotas.

 

[MattWeth]

hi,
you must be mad or may need educating here.
forget plumbing, there is more work and money in refrigeration and maintenance.
please research that market well.
i dont do it but i have been offered numerous contracts in that sector from installation to maintenance work on 12 month rotas.

Thanks for the reply Redsaw.
I know what you're saying but after a lifetime spent in a design office and sorting cr*p out on site, I want the opportunity to be my own boss and not a contractor at someone else's beck and call. Also, because all my experience and qualifications are design based, it would be prohibitive to train up to work hands on in fridge / HVAC. And I'd probably end up working for / answering to people like me who are under load of pressure to close jobs out and save money. Believe me, HVAC and fridge isn't a bed of roses - the money might beat heating and plumbing but I'm happy to get out for a reason...

Thanks very much for the input
cheers
Matt

 

[Puddle]

no one can take your existing experience and qualifications away from you and they will always be there to fall back on,if you fancy a bit of plumbing,go for it,not easy getting the amount of work required,maybe you could mix and match your existing skills with proposed new ones

as for 'I want the opportunity to be my own boss and not a contractor at someone else's beck and call''

not sure about that

imho

 

[MattWeth]

as for 'I want the opportunity to be my own boss and not a contractor at someone else's beck and call''

not sure about that

imho

Thanks puddle,
I take your point - you always answer to someone. But if it's possible I'm going to give it a go.
I'l do whatever quals are achievable in the short term - water regs looks to be a pretty straightforward one day thing - I'll look into unvented water.

cheers
Matt

 

[tamz]

With your background you may want to consider getting involved with air source if you can team up with the right guys. Generally heating guys have no refrigerant experience and some units need the stuff done separately which could be where you come in.
Good bit of work and money atm in that.

 

[quality]

I do similar to what tamz is saying but do my own gas as well as refrigeration and the rest, work is pretty good but has been better.
It's pretty steady across most trades at the moment

 

[MattWeth]

Thanks fellers - food for thought.

If I could ask another question - What's involved with getting an unvented systems ticket? Are there any prerequisites?

Thanks again.

Matt

 

[tamz]

Are there any prerequisites?

Apart form knowing your national insurance number, i don't think so. It is like every other course or qualification we have to have.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

welcome along

 

[MattWeth]

Thanks Steve

 

[david williams]

to say you are a plumber no qualifications are needed,leagaly you dont even need insurance.do the courses if you can but it wont make you a plumber,experience will.you can do a so called master plumbers course it only costs £11000,they seem to pass anyone with the right money.but you will still not be a plumber with experience you will.you seem to have experience in some aspects of plumbing so good luck and go for it.if you dont know ask some one who does.there is no shortage of plumbers now and the average wage has dropped to between £18000 to £25000.

 

[SimonG]

Welcome along and good luck

 

[MattWeth]

Welcome along and good luck

Cheers

 

[stevetheplumber]

youll still be at the beck and call of customers and belive me they can be anywhere between infuriatingly difficult and down right dishonest at least previously you were working within a profesional framework

 

[MattWeth]

youll still be at the beck and call of customers and belive me they can be anywhere between infuriatingly difficult and down right dishonest at least previously you were working within a profesional framework

A 'professional framework'... You haven't seen some of the places I've worked

I've pretty much decided I'm going to give it a go. I might be being stupid but there's only one way to find out.

I'm lucky in that I've got two good mates who are heating engineers (they just do boiler service and breakdown). I'm going to spend some time with them to brush up on some of the real world of heating installations (all my experience has been design based). They also give away all their plumbing work so I can possibly get a bit of work that way.

On another note, is there any such thing as a defined 'unvented systems ticket'? A local college does 'BPEC water regs training and assessment' and 'Unvented hot water cylinders'. The only thing is that the unvented cylinders course doesn't seem to give you any recognised certificate or 'ticket'. Is there any recognised 'qualification' for unvented systems?

thanks
Matt