Find a Plumber you can trust in Oxfordshire.

Plumbing is simply the act of installing and maintaining pipes in both residential and commercial spaces. These pipes have to be installed and also maintained so as to ensure there’s portable water, irrigation, drainage as well as sewage and other uses. Being a job which requires specialized skills and knowledge, becoming a plumber isn’t the easiest of tasks and can also take a while before you’re able to master the art. If you’re looking to choose a career path in plumbing, then one of the first things that comes to mind is exactly how long it’ll take to becomes a plumber. In this post, we’re going to consider the duration of time it’ll take for anyone to become a plumber. Let’s take a look!

Just like any other specialized skill, training to become a plumber is largely dependent on the options you go for. For instance, while a conventional apprenticeship usually takes as much as 4 years, a fast track plumbing course can be anywhere within the range of 4 to 16 weeks. If you want to learn how to work on gas in addition to your plumbing skills, the training can get up to about 6 months if you decided to go for the fast track course.

There are a wide range of fast track plumbing courses on offer for student who would like to acquire the plumbing skills relatively quickly. However, it should be noted that these courses would not be as insightful as the conventional apprenticeships. It’ll only cover the primary components which is required to get you started on your plumbing career.

A plumber is simply an individual who installs and maintains pipes in both residential and commercial spaces. These pipes have to be installed and also maintained so as to ensure there’s portable water, irrigation, drainage as well as sewage and other uses. Generally, plumbers are able to work in a design capacity or can be involved in hands-on project, creating blueprints while also assisting to make the installation process a lot more efficient. The plumbing profession offers a wide range of possible career paths with the best paying jobs in the more unusual specialties. According to a number of survey data which shows that licensed experts in the field tend to remain in the profession for their whole career, this can be a very rewarding profession. So, what exactly does a plumber do? Let’s take a look!

A plumber is responsible for the installation and repair of pipes, the installation of the fitting that transports liquid as well as gases. They can also troubleshoot bad pipe systems and either repair or replace old or worn out parts. During the course of their jobs, they may have to cut holes in ceilings, floors as well as walls. At times, they may also need to hang steel supports from ceiling joints to secure pipes firmly into place which usually needs fitting, measuring and cutting pipes using cutters as well as saws. When copper pipers are involved in the job, soldering may be needed.

Most times, plumbers work closely and alongside architects as they’re usually able to help out with valuable knowledge on the best positions for wall passage and the location of fixtures which, in turn, saves the architect time and prevent costly errors.

Plumbing is profession that is diverse and also brings about a lot of opportunities. If you’re looking to become a plumber in the UK, there are a plethora of options available to you to train as one. Whether you’re a school leaver seeking to take up an apprenticeship or an adult who wants to re-train as a plumber, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’re going to consider the various options available to individuals who wants to train as a plumber in the UK. Let’s take a look!

In the UK, you can train as a plumber by completing a traditional apprenticeship, a fast track plumbing course or simply by working as a plumber’s mate.

    Traditional plumbing apprenticeship. This involves going through a traditional plumbing apprenticeship which lasts for 4 years. In order to achieve this, you’ll have to be recruited by a plumbing company that’ll allow you an access to practical and on-site work experience. The benefits of this includes the fact that it’s won’t cost you a dime as the training is sponsored, you’d have a long period to study and earn your qualification and more.
    Fast track plumbing courses. If you wish to train as a plumber quickly, this is you best bet. There are a wide range of these courses that are available, however, they’re not as insightful as the traditional plumbing apprenticeships. The benefits include it trains you with the essentials to get you qualified, training takes only 6 to 8 weeks to complete, any individual aged 16 or above can apply for the course and more.
    Plumber’s mate. Here, you can start as a plumber’s assistant or “mate” and do training in the job, if you know someone in the field. It should, however, be noted that this route will not get you qualified but it’ll help you gain relevant on-site plumbing experience which is a great way to kick start your plumbing career. 

Who do you call when your boiler breaks down? A plumber or a heating engineer? This is a major source of concern for several home and property owners and understandably so as the role seems to be quite similar. Since a boiler uses a lot of water pipes, it would make sense to simply reach out to a plumber, right? Well, the short and simple answer to this question is no and that brings us to what is called Gas Safe Register.

Since a boiler repair or service has to do with working with gas, only a Gas Safe registered engineer is allowed by the law to work on a gas boiler. In order to ensure that essential services are delivered to the highest standards, the activities relating to the gas industry is highly regulated. As a result, if your repair is related to a boiler or any other gas appliance, it’s legally required that you get in touch with only a Gas Safe engineer for help. Simply check on the Gas Safe Register in order to find out whether or not a company or an engineer is qualified to work with gas. 

In order to work as a plumber, plumbing qualifications as not essential but they only provide you with a competitive edge. This means anyone can call themselves a plumber without any formal certifications. They may possess vast experience working on a wide range of plumbing issues such as leaky pipes, dishwasher installation and more, but they’re not necessarily qualified to work on a boiler. 

Overall, there are also some plumbers that are also Gas Safe registered, but this shouldn’t be seen as the standard. If you find a plumber that’s also offering gas central heating services, you should do you due diligence to confirm whether or not they’re Gas Safe registered.

Be it a simple issue such as a leaky tap or a huge one like a flooded kitchen, plumbers are able to perform a wide range of tasks around the house. If you have a need to hire a plumber, one of the first things that comes to mind is the cost of getting one to help attend to your needs. Just like any other tradesperson, the cost of hiring a plumber depends on a number of factors such as the duration of time the job will take, the type of the job as well as the urgency of the issue. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into the price charged by plumbers in order to help you make the best decisions moving forward. Let’s take a look!
First and foremost, it’s important to note that the majority of plumbers will bill their time based on an hourly rate – which is the amount they charge for an hour’s work. And no matter how little the work is, they’ll expect you to pay at least an hour to cover the overheads. This hourly rate also varies based on a number of variables such as your location in the UK. Typically, you can expect to pay an hourly rate of about £40 to £60, but this can go up to £80 if you reside in London. 

In the event whereby your plumber knows they’re likely to spend an entire day on a project, there’s usually a day rate charged which is a fixed cost and usually less than the hourly rate. In general, a typical day rate will be within the range of about £450 to £550.

Plumbing challenges, be it a minor one such as a leaky tap or a major one like a flooded kitchen, are some of the issues home and property owners would prefer to avoid. Unfortunately, these are tasks that are simply inevitable and are guaranteed to come up every once in a while, in a home. Regardless of the issue, so far it has to do with the installation, maintenance or repair of pipes, plumbers are able to carry out a plethora of tasks around the house. When it comes to hiring a plumber, there are a number of things you’d want to put into consideration and one of them is the cost it’ll take to get one for your task. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into the cost of hiring a plumber in order to help you make the best possible informed decisions moving forward. Let’s take a look!

To start, it’s important to note that plumbing charges is dependent on a number of variables such as the duration of time the job will take, the type of the job as well as the urgency of the issue. With that in mind, most plumbers will charge for their time based on an hourly rate. And in order to provide for the overheads, they’ll expect you to pay for at least an hour, regardless of how how little the work is. This hourly rate also varies based on a number of variables such as your location in the UK. Typically, you can expect to pay an hourly rate of about £40 to £60, but this can go up to £80 if you reside in London. In the situation in which your plumber knows they’re likely to spend an entire day on a project, there’s usually a day rate charged which is a fixed cost and usually less than the hourly rate. In general, a typical day rate will be within the range of about £450 to £550.

Is your tap malfunctioning, running poorly or perhaps you simply want a more modern tap installed in your home or property? Well, you’d be surprised to discover the extent new taps can go to improve the décor of your kitchen or bathroom. And even more surprisingly, it doesn’t require you to break the bank to make this happen. You should always consider fitting new taps that will add a stunning new look to your spaces, if you feel your kitchen or bathroom is long over-due for a refreshment in its appearance. When it comes to fitting new taps, you’d discover many different options available at your disposal. From brass to chrome, you can never be short of options as there is a perfect tap to suit every unique taste. So, just how much will it cost to change a tap? Let’s take a look!

Just like every other home improvement project, the price of changing a tap varies based on a wide array of factors. These factors include the materials you opt for, the quality of the finish, weight and lots more. As a result, a great idea would be to get in touch with a number of plumbers who will take into account all these factors and provide you with a more accurate estimate. 

Furthermore, the price you’ll be quote can also vary based on the area of installation. For instance, a brand-new installation of a garden tap will be a lot more expensive because of the additional work required when compared to a replacement tap over your standard sink. To give you an idea of the amount plumbers charge to change a tap, a bath filler tap will cost you about £70 to £90 in material and £40 to £50 in labour. 

If you just purchased an electric shower or thinking about getting one soon, one of the first things that comes to mind is who to call on for help to handle its installation. Well, if you’re confused about the perfect tradesperson you’re certainly not alone! As we’re always told that electrics and water don’t mix, so who do you call when buying an electric shower? Is it a plumber, an electrician or probably someone who with a knowledge of both? Well, you’d find the answer here as we’ve created this post specifically to resolve this concern once and for all.

Refurbishing and renovating any part of one’s home always tends to be a tricky and daunting prospect and without a single doubt, the bathroom is not an exception. With a wide array of things to put into consideration such as plumbing as well as bathroom electrical safety, it always pays to have all your bathroom related questions answered before you go ahead to employ a tradesperson.

Being fully aware any task involving electrical works can be very dangerous, anyone that takes on a job such as fitting an electric shower must be qualified to work with electrics safely. This is referred to in the building regulations sections which is termed as part P dealing with domestic electricals, as such you may hear tradespeople term themselves as being “Part P” qualified. What this implies is that they’re registered with a competent persons scheme like ELESCA OR NICEIC to self certify their work. Due to the high risk involved in their field, all electricians should be able to self certify their work, whereas only some plumbers should also be able to do the same. As a result, dedicated bathroom fitting companies should possess individuals who can deal with the plumbing, electrics as well as tasks such as tiling.