working on the continent

[tomplumb]

any advice? any body worked abroad?

 

[migoplumber]

i did my apprenticeship in spain, lived there for 10 years. all plumbing. the waters different, people have pools, solar heating is a big thing, anywhere out of town has no mains water, gas, or electricity. the water is delivered in 15,000 litre tankers, so you need storage and pumping skills, the gas is lpg, add it to your gas safe badge, the electricity is square wave as oppossed to sinusoidal unless they have an expensive solar set up, so some thing wont work as youd expect,
pipe sizes are different, copper in 12,14,15,16,18,22 and up, tho why would install copper in a place that cals up in a year and needs acid piping through it. lots of different types of plastic, one of the plastics "thermofusion" is the same as they bury our mains gas in the streets here, over there it takes hot water to your bath in 16 or 25mm!!
the working hours are different expect to get up earlier, work 7 till 12 then 4 till 8 or thereabouts.
the total plus, a decent lifestyle, lunch times go swimming in the sea to sober up after your 3 course menu del dia and bottle of wine that costs you less than a fiver!
i came back to england 5 years ago, just to sit my corgi, ended up buying a house, then another, now im stuck here for another 5 years for commitments, soon as its sorted im gone.
good luck
shaun.
let me know if you want specifics