Plumber: Northern Ireland
The Work
Plumbers install and repair piping and systems for water, heating and gas, both inside and outside buildings.
Inside buildings, plumbers install and maintain hot and cold water supplies, sanitation and waste disposal systems, oil, gas and solid fuel cookers, and stoves and central heating. In industrial buildings and offices, they may work on other piped services, such as air-conditioning and extraction systems.
Outside buildings, plumbers install and maintain waste systems and sheet weathering.
Plumbers follow diagrams and drawings when installing a new system. Completed work must be checked that it works safely and correctly and that it complies with all regulations. Repair and maintenance work involves finding the causes of problems, replacing worn components or parts, and re-testing systems.
Hours and Conditions
Most plumbers work a standard 37.5-hour week. Overtime and weekend work may be available. Some plumbers offer 24-hour emergency cover.
Plumbers' work could be in domestic, industrial and commercial environments; if outside, this would be in all weathers and at all heights. Conditions inside could involve working in confined spaces.
Some plumbers work away from home. A driving licence is useful.
Skills and Interests
To be a plumber, you should:
Training
Before you can start on an apprenticeship, you must be registered by the JIB as an apprentice and should be nominated by a plumbing or heating contractor.
The JIB also has a grading scheme. This means you can start by qualifying as a trained plumber and then progress to advanced and technical plumber as you continue training and gain more experience.
There are Modern Apprenticeships (Northern Ireland) in plumbing and mechanical engineering services - contact your local Jobcentre for details.
You can study for NVQ Levels 2 and 3 in Mechanical Engineering Services or Plumbing.
The JIB and SNIPEF keep a national register of recognised plumbers, and they have a membership scheme.
Opportunities
The building engineering services sector of the construction industry consists of many firms and about 130,000 plumbers work in these firms, including around 30,000 who are self-employed.
As a plumber, you might work for plumbing contractors or mechanical engineering services contractors (the size of company varies from those with only one or two plumbers, to large national or international firms); building contractors and local councils; others, such as shipping and commercial companies and the gas industry.
Salary
The figures below are intended as a guideline only.
There are nationally agreed pay rates for plumbers.
Trained plumbers start on around £16,800 a year.
Experienced, advanced plumbers earn around £18,800+ a year.
Senior technical plumbers earn around £21,000+ a year.
Further Information
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Construction Industry Training Board (NI)
Tel: 028 9082 5466
www.citbni.org.uk
Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation
Tel: 0131 225 2255
www.snipef.org.uk
