Water Regs course - pointless?

[kasser]

I just completed the BPEC water regs course and boy do I find it useless.
Perhaps course is not the right term as I had about 1 hr of presentation followed by an hour of exam and that was it.
It was an open book exam and the page and line on which the answer was found was written underneath each question.
So it was mostly a test about being able to copy over the answers straight from the book. And I was still unable to score 100%!
It was a thick book as well, so there is a lot of material to learn or understand. Sadly, I wasn't even given the book as part of the course.
So I got the cert and I'm none the wiser, except for learning that my kitchen sink is as foul as my toilet (cat 5).

How did you guys find the course?
I also found out many plumbers don't have this cert, which makes it not very important if they're able to trade as such without it..

 

[Chuck]

I'm not familiar with that specific course, but I'd expect the exam to be open book, i.e. a test of using and applying the Regs; I wouldn't expect it to include such detailed pointers to the answers. Perhaps they gave candidates the assessors' 'mark scheme' version of the test, or perhaps a 'mock' version for practice by mistake?

Complain to BPEC, see what they say.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

I took mine as part of my apprenticeship about 16 years ago. I find it useful, I don’t have the book, but in my line of work, probably don’t need it. Maybe your course provider was shiite? It’s like the gas industry though, as long as you know where to look for answers rather than expecting to know it all. Also like the gas industry, it’s about reading the mi’s.

Yes, you can trade without it, but if caught with an illegal installation, the water undertaker (whom enforces the regulations) can take action against the installer, the homeowner and whoever else they see fit. That said, in my 18 years of working, I’ve only ever spoken to regs department for advice, never actually met them in person. I think the regs are more for industrial and commercial rather than domestic alone.

 

[kasser]

I think it's a standard 1 day course. The price was similar elsewhere. It wasn't a mock version.
I won't complain but I might provide some "constructive feedback".

 

[kasser]

I took mine as part of my apprenticeship about 16 years ago. I find it useful, I don’t have the book, but in my line of work, probably don’t need it. Maybe your course provider was shiite? It’s like the gas industry though, as long as you know where to look for answers rather than expecting to know it all. Also like the gas industry, it’s about reading the mi’s.

Yes, you can trade without it, but if caught with an illegal installation, the water undertaker (whom enforces the regulations) can take action against the installer, the homeowner and whoever else they see fit. That said, in my 18 years of working, I’ve only ever spoken to regs department for advice, never actually met them in person. I think the regs are more for industrial and commercial rather than domestic alone.

Yes, would make sense that it's for industrial and commercial mostly, given the higher risks.
Then again, I keep seeing blue poly on display in farms and zoos, pipes running above ground, uninsulated and unsupported.

What is your line of work then? Commercial?

 

[Deleted member 120897]

What is your line of work then? Commercial?

Social housing (domestic).

Yep, seen some questionable stuff too, but unless it’s reported to water undertaker, they’ll crack on. Also they may be using break tank fed supplies.

 

[kasser]

Social housing (domestic).

Yep, seen some questionable stuff too, but unless it’s reported to water undertaker, they’ll crack on. Also they may be using break tank fed supplies.

Break tanks or not, blue poly would still be affected by sunlight and unsupported and uninsulated pipes will still break/crack, causing tanks to fill up more. But yes, if that's the level of installation, hopefully there are break tanks to keep the rest of us safe.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

It’s more of a thing in commercial eg dead legs, cleaning tanks, flexis and water cats due to kitchens etc