A home or building with a flawless plumbing system is a serious luxury. The repair of these systems and fixtures isn’t carried out by just any individual. Plumbers are in charge of keeping water flowing smoothly. Plumbing is an underrated profession, and the necessity of plumbers in modern-day society is growing more and more significant.

If you’re considering a career in the vast world of plumbing, what's there to know? A plumber needs a wide variety of skills that involve much more than simply unclogging a drain or two. In this article, we’ll go over what it takes to become a professional plumber.

Working in Renovation: Becoming a Plumber

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Education

Moving into the world of professional plumbing will begin with getting a base-level education. This profession requires a high-school diploma or equivalent. When it comes to getting a trade, it’s integral that you have basic reading, writing and math skills down. To work as a professional plumber, it will be necessary for you to have advanced math and science skills. This is because plenty of plumbing work will involve being able to accurately measure and gauge different aspects of water levels.

If you don’t have a diploma or GED and are looking into getting one to pursue this career; we would suggest focusing on the following areas of education, as they’ll be necessary to plumbing:

• Metric units of measurement;

• Algebra;

• Geometry;

• Thermodynamics;

• Biology.

Not only do these areas require careful attention, but moving forward with a career in plumbing will require a clean record. This includes your driving record, criminal background, and history with substances. For many plumbers, having a license as well as access to a vehicle is a must and thus, a clean driving record is more than necessary. Not only this, but many employers may refuse to work with you if your record isn’t clear.

Training Program

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A clean record and high school diploma are the base-level requirements for moving forward with a plumbing career. Once you have these things, you can start thinking about enrolling in technical courses. Technical plumbing courses will absolutely be required if you’re serious about this career. Depending on the city or municipality you’re living in, you’ll be required to complete a certain number of hours in the classroom as well as a certain number of hours apprenticing in the field.

The specifics of these requirements will greatly depend on where you’re living, so do be sure to look into community college or trade programs as well as professional plumbing unions or associations for all the important information about moving into this area. Here are some expected topics when it comes to finding education on the subject:

• Pipe cutting;

• Drainage;

• Soldering;

• Water heating systems;

• Ventilation.

Some general skills that plumbers require include being able to read blueprints, an understanding of various types of piping systems, how the piping is connected, inspecting and determining potential piping or plumbing issues, basic carpentry as well as welding. Schooling and apprenticeship programs can take anywhere between 3 to 5 years, so do be aware that you’re in for the long haul.