Why aren’t plumbers plumbers any more?

[Sharp Point]

Where have I said I'm better than anyone? I'm simply asking why those with gas qualifications look down on those without?

Pure and simple elitism, a bit like the way your putting yourself across. Oh ‘ I’m degree trained and because of what I do.... I’ll Sod doing domestic stuff.

 

[Aire]

Pure and simple elitism, a bit like the way your putting yourself across. Oh ‘ I’m degree trained and because of what I do.. I’ll **** doing domestic stuff.

Sort of like what you said about plumbers then

Yes, because designing and calculating pipework for a bog basin bath and kitchen sink is rocket science compared to calculating heating, gas pipework... oh and pump sizing.

 

[Chuck]

I'm simply asking why those with gas qualifications look down on those without?

They don't. It's probably just you.

 

[Sharp Point]

Sort of like what you said about plumbers then

Unfortunately Craig, I’m capable of doing plumbing heating and gas. I can be tracing a gas leak in the morning, changing a mid position valve after lunch and finish off unblocking a loo getting covered in Rubbish and the following day... fitting a bathroom.
I’m like a lot on here, who are multi trained.

I can be a plumbing snob one minute and gas snob the next. I think there’s some on here like yourself.. just have an inferiority complex and see the gas safe/ Oftec as the golden chalice.

I’ve earned my stripes and need to prove nothing.

 

[Millsy 82]

We all still ask questions

That we do. But I wouldn't have the cheek to call someone a cowboy that I've just asked questions to. I also wouldn't have the cheek to say I could teach someone a job in a day what some of us have spent years training and retraining to do.

 

[Sharp Point]

That we do. But I wouldn't have the cheek to call someone a cowboy that I've just asked questions to. I also wouldn't have the cheek to say I could teach someone a job in a day what some of us have spent years training and retraining to do.

Well said millsy.

 

[JohnnyM]

I don’t think you’re doing yourself any favours belittling people and then when you get a reply you don’t like (but must have thought you’d get) you state all your qualifications and experience. As much as to say “I’m better than you so don’t question me”.
I’m one of those career change cowboys but maybe I should have just gone and signed on the dole and let people like you pay me to live.
Or maybe your just trying to get your number of posts up. This ain’t a rant, just a measured reply.

 

[OffshoreGas]

Pure and simple elitism, a bit like the way your putting yourself across. Oh ‘ I’m degree trained and because of what I do.. I’ll **** doing domestic stuff.

You asked if I considered myself a CCC, I just pointed out it’s not really a career change. Heating is a very small subset of instrument technicians work on on a daily basis without making such a huge song and dance about it.

 

[OffshoreGas]

I don’t think you’re doing yourself any favours belittling people and then when you get a reply you don’t like (but must have thought you’d get) you state all your qualifications and experience. As much as to say “I’m better than you so don’t question me”.
I’m one of those career change cowboys but maybe I should have just gone and signed on the dole and let people like you pay me to live.
Or maybe your just trying to get your number of posts up. This ain’t a rant, just a measured reply.

I’m simply asking why there’s so much snobbery/elitism in what’s essentially one trade. Which seems especially strange given it takes years to get to be competent plumber yet you can be qualified as gas safe with 8 weeks training.

 

[Aire]

I can be a plumbing snob one minute and gas snob the next. I think there’s some on here like yourself.. just have an inferiority complex and see the gas safe/ Oftec as the golden chalice.

Not entirely sure what you mean by this.

 

[OffshoreGas]

That we do. But I wouldn't have the cheek to call someone a cowboy that I've just asked questions to. I also wouldn't have the cheek to say I could teach someone a job in a day what some of us have spent years training and retraining to do.

I’ve trained dozens if not hundreds of people over the years to maintain/fault find on systems of of similar levels of complexity to a domestic heating system in a few days. On the other hand I’ve never seen anyone turn out decent pipework that’s done a 2 day course. If you’re fitting a bathroom say there are 100 skills you need to master that takes years.

No where did I say that all people working on gas systems were cowboys. Just that I aspirate the term “heating engineer” much more with someone in a Homeserv t-shirt that was working in a sports shop 3 weeks ago much more than a 3rd generation with 20 years of experience.

 

[Welder]

Personally I've come across quite a few gas people who see wet plumbing as something 'below' them. They are the kind of people I refuse to associate with.

In a discussion not too long ago, a Twatter friend and I spent some time jotting down the 'difference' between these so called Gas Engineers, wet plumbers and real plumbers.

It turned out that the snobbery was mostly associated with people not too long in our industry. People who were swayed by the BS advertising of courses and promises of huge sums of money. Interestingly we also found those same people were also more likely to be the ones ripping folk off!

What we found was that those people had a very limited knowledge of plumbing as they had no interest in it. Their gas knowledge seemed very high but some had little idea of system design.

Wet plumbers on the other hand generally had very very wide knowledge but it was no where near as specialised until you got to sad s0ds like me and say taps or shower systems.

Then we go to what we termed real plumbers. The guys and gals who took teh time & trouble to (annoyingly) learn it all. They tended to enjoy fault finding, the more challenging jobs, solving problems. These people were the sages, the thinkers the more considered ones. The people who, no matter what, knew they would NEVER know it all.

Fact is, we all come under the huge umbrella of Plumbing. But just like say food the variation and passion for the variant is huge and deep. Me, I'd never eat Tofu again cos its sh1te. Some people love it tho. Does that make 'em a bad person? No it doesn't it just goes to show we is all different and should cut one another a little more slack more often rather than jump down one anothers throats.

Happt Easter!

 

[Jerry]

My tuppence-

I always figured a hearing engineer worked heating systems (and was therefore usually GS refistered).

By default, a plumber worked on everything else the heating engineer did not.

Heating engineers earn more than plumbers ( usually) because of the increased liabilities (and I did not say skill!).

The definitions get muddled as more people work on both. Fit a boiler? Chances are the homeowner will call you when their taps are leaking.

 

[Burger]

Roy Treloar doesn’t differentiate himself too much. I have a book of his called plumbing, which has sections on plumbing, wet central heating, gas, unvented cylinders etc, even a small section on electrics. I think people who were writing their own job description, or just wanted to be different, possibly came up with the different name so they could earn more money. I have people I work with who were just plumbers, now calling themselves a gas engineer because they see it as superior.

 

[Ryooo]

I knew a plumber who once said he was a bathroom designer to a guy in the pub my 2 cents is i will always say I'm a heating engineer to a girl i fancy and mostly a plumber to anyone else. I agree, i do new builds so we do everything in house in regards to gas, plumbing, lead, heating from 1st fix to 2nd and i would say most of us just call ourselves plumbers.

 

[Gasmk1]

i trained with British gas as an apprentice gas fitter started 1973, during my apprenticeship we had electrical training and after all fitters had the same update to their training we were then re-classified as gas engineers. as i worked mostly on boilers and heating as most guys who left british gas did i adopted the gas heating engineer name as its easier to relay to customers. i dont think i am superior to plumbers as there is work they can do i cant do and vice versa. the majority of plumbing works never interested me the art of drainage and gutters i leave to them in the know but all other plumbing work i can do. the major difference between gas/heating engineers and plumbers is that the gas/heating engineer probably will carry out a lot more boiler breakdowns. plus not every plumber is gas safe registered.

 

[firemant]

Maybe so Craig,

That’s kind of my experience with competence, heating or gas engineer immediately makes me think career change cowboy. To me the craft is in pipework and installation.

Unless, of course, you are a "proper" gas service engineer, with C&G and 3/4 year proper apprenticeship to prove it.

.

 

[Gasmk1]

Unless, of course, you are a "proper" gas service engineer, with C&G and 3/4 year proper apprenticeship to prove it.

.

0r 4 year apprenticeship city and guild, intermediate and final gas utilisation, institute of fuel diploma and level 3 Nvq

 

[Ben-gee]

Or seen a few videos on U-tube, skipped most of it 'cos it was boring but me mate down the pub said it would be alright as his uncle did it once - or was that change the brake pads on his car? - still it looks pretty easy

 

[Jerry]

So,

Gas Plumbers?

Plumbing Engineers?

Gas Plumbers?

From the OED's definition of an engineer-

"A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures"

Does someone who is GS maintain a 'heat engine'? This might be stretching the definition but...does a plumber meet any of the definitions of an engineer?

[Lights fuse and retreats to a safe distance]

 

[Malcolm Senior]

Pushfit and DIY has not the plumbing industry any favours. Public think it's easy....

 

[OffshoreGas]

So,

Gas Plumbers?

Plumbing Engineers?

Gas Plumbers?

From the OED's definition of an engineer-

"A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures"

Does someone who is GS maintain a 'heat engine'? This might be stretching the definition but...does a plumber meet any of the definitions of an engineer?

[Lights fuse and retreats to a safe distance]

Engineer is one of the most abused terms In the English language. In Germany for example it’s a protected title in the same way you can’t just call yourself Lord/Lady/Reverend in the U.K. It’s the same in America where there is a lot more respect for the term technician.

I had a guy knock on my door when we moved into a new house and introduce himself at a “clear wall maintenance engineer” after a brief pause he had to explain he was actually a window cleaner.

Engineer seems to have been adopted in a lot of situations simply to justify higher day rates.

It’s no different to a nurse and a doctor, one is not better than the other but generally neither is qualified to use use the others title.

 

[OffshoreGas]

Pushfit and DIY has not the plumbing industry any favours. Public think it's easy..

Fittings in general becoming very cheap probably hasn’t done plumbing any favours. It seems a lot more common these days to see an elbow where you may well have seen a pulled bend 20 years ago. Part of the throwaway society we live in today I guess.

 

[Jerry]

Pushfit and DIY has not the plumbing industry any favours. Public think it's easy..

Pardon?

 

[Gold Gas]

I'm gas safe, i don't mind. I just vibe out the job im on and I'll call myself a plumber if its plumbing, gas engineer if im there for a boiler. Whatever makes the customer feel at ease.