Plumbing School - What's Involved?

Have you ever considered becoming a plumber, but didn't want to spend your whole life fitting pipes and unclogging drains in other people's houses? In fact plumbing involves a lot more possibilities, which gives you the chance to choose an area of plumbing you like, and specialize. Even better, top level plumbers with specific skills can also earn some big dollars.

The first step is to go to plumbing school. This is a great way to get a broad understanding of the many different facets of being a plumbing. Most plumbing schools will train you in areas such as:

- Laying pipe systems
- Maintaining pipe systems
- Correct disposal of waste products
- Connecting gas services to stoves, heaters, furnaces etc
- Cooling system pipelines
- Metal fabrication for power plant applications
- Production line pipes for manufacturing plants

Although you may become a plumber, there are plenty of options other than working for yourself, too. You can work as a pipelayer, steamfitter or pipefitter, and many large companies such as manufacturers will employ at least one plumber in their organization. Plumbing school is designed to give you the knowledge, practical skills and theory required to take an entry-level position in any aspect of the plumbing industry. You can then take your education and add to it with real-world experience. Many graduates leave plumbing school and take an apprentice position for up to four years, but it's also possible to gain a license at school which will allow you to obtain employment in some sections of the plumbing industry.

Plumbing school isn't just learning about pipes, either. Many colleges will also cover subjects such as math, physics, safety, industrial codes and plumbing codes. You will also learn how to interpret blueprints, and get plenty of hands-on experience working with pipes and fittings. You also get to use the various tools required for the trade.

The course content offered by plumbing schools does vary, so it's important to check each one thoroughly, to make sure you will be learning the types of things you need to learn for the type of plumber you want to be. Many courses provide a general education of plumbing skills for both residential and commercial applications, but others include more specialized subjects such as soldering and metal fabrication.

Some people think that plumbing sounds like a really unpleasant occupation, but the pay can certainly make up for that. Plumbers, pipefitters, pipelayers and steamfitters with a few years experience can end up being very well paid. With specialized skills and knowledge, it's possible to earn a 6-figure income. But it all starts with going to plumbing school!

If you want to find out more about plumbingschools, click over to Gordon's site at http://www.tradeschoolinfozone.com/Plumbing_Trade_Schools.html

Opportunities in Plumbing

An article reveals the wide opportunities awaiting for plumbers in coming years.

When choosing a business you want to start or pursue, the opportunities are huge and there are a wide variety of business models that you should consider before deciding on one.

Discussed below you will find statistics and analysis of the plumbing training as a business opportunity for you. Government economists expect average job growth for plumbers, compared to growth in other careers, through 2014. You should find plenty of work if you choose plumbing, because there won?t be enough job hunters to take all of the open positions.

The average yearly salary for plumbers is about 27K GBP. Keep in mind that apprentices start work at half the salary earned by experienced workers. You can expect to receive raises throughout your training though, often every six months. Interestingly both men and women are suited for the plumbing profession and as the above shows it pays more than various other professions.

The above makes it clear that the plumbing industry and the requirement for plumbers is growing and will grow in the near future. The plumber?s need to be trained for the above and hence plumbing training opens a host of opportunities for you.

Prince Mathew is a freelance writer of Fast Plumb, offers you plumbing training with plumbing franchisee business options. The Fastplumb package has been designed and will enable you to start your own plumbing business with the well-known brand of Fast Plumb. The Fast Plumb franchisees are offered with training from professionals and after the successful completion of the training you are allocated a territory not allocated to anyone else

DIY Bathroom Plumbing - Installing a New Showerhead

Of all the home plumbing repairs you could tackle, the replacement of an old showerhead with a new one is probably the easiest. A shower plumbing project is a good starter project for a number of reasons. No special tools are required, the necessary parts are pretty close to one size fits all, and if you do make a mistake and have a leak, the only thing that gets wet is your shower/bathtub. This is the perfect project for the novice home repair handyman to start with and can usually be completed in well under an hour.

The first step is to decide what type of shower head you want to replace. While most shower fixtures connect to a standard size pipe thread, you must make sure you have enough clearance for your new showerhead. If the stem (the portion of the pipe from the wall to the existing shower head) is short or close to the ceiling you will want to check before purchasing a large fixture.

The Tools You Need - For this project, you will need a wrench or pliers and some teflon tape. Depending upon the age of your existing fixture, you may also need to have a pipe wrench on hand as well. You may also want to have something available protect your fixture from the jaws of the wrench or pliers (a folded rag or piece of rubber from an inner tube work well)

Remove the Old Showerhead - If you have an older unit you probably have some rust, oxidation, or lime buildup that may make removal difficult. If the fixture does not readily unscrew, use two sets of pliers/wrenches (with the jaws of each protected as indicated above), one set on the stem and the other on the fixture. Apply equal pressure to both sides to until the showerhead starts to move. Be careful not to apply too much force as you do not want to break either the stem or existing showerhead. Once the shower head starts to turn you should be able to remove it by hand.

Clean and prepare the stem pipe - A little preparation here could save you quite a bit of time later if you decide to replace the showerhead again. Clean the threads of the stem of any rust or lime and apply teflon tape to the threads. This will help the new showerhead install easily, provide a good seal, and make it easier in the future if you ever have to replace the shower head again.

Install the New Shower - If you selected a simple replacement showerhead all that remains to be done is to screw the new fixture onto the prepared pipe stem. Make sure not to over-tighten when you are installing this - hand tight plus a quarter or half turn is probably all you need. If you have purchased a more sophisticated fixture like a shower massage wand you may have a few pieces to install. Make sure that you apply teflon tape to all threaded connections (unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer) to ensure a good seal.

Test It - Before putting your tools away and jumping in the shower take a few minutes to make sure the job is done. Turn on the water and check each of the connections for leaks. If you find any, usually they will be fixed by tightening the connection another quarter or half turn. If this does not address the problem you may need to check for a missing or worn washer.

Ray Breitenbach writes for Simple Home Repairs. Please visit for more information on how to perform you own basic home repairs

Basic Plumber Tools To Keep Around

You never know what kind of emergency might pop up unexpectedly around the house. That?s why everyone has some basic tools in the home to be prepared. For the same reason, it is important to keep around some basic plumber tools for any of those minor repairs you may need to do. You don?t have to be an expert on plumbing, but you need to know basic repairs to at least hold off until the expert shows up.

Items To Keep In Your Plumber Tools Kit

The most commonly used of the plumber tools are the water-pump pliers. Sometimes these are also called plumber?s pliers or even channel-lock pliers. The serrated teeth on the pliers help you hold on tight to the pipe. The are necessary because any other tool would make it near impossible to hold on well to the pipe.

Another of the plumber tools that needs to be available is the adjustable open-end wrench. This tool can sometimes be all you need when there is a leak, because the problem could just be a loose nut-bolt. So the job of the adjustable open-end wrench is to tighten any loose nut-bolts. Since the nut-bolts can be various sizes, you will need a few different sizes of the adjustable open-end wrench to accommodate them.

Tightening the pipe can be done using a pipe wrench. Keeping this with your plumber tools is nice because the pipe wrench can place a lot of pressure on the pipe without changing the pipe?s shape. Without this tool, you could end up damaging the pipe and creating an even bigger problem. Since one of the main reasons for owning plumber tools is to save money by doing it yourself, making a bigger mess would defeat the purpose and cause you to pay a lot for someone to come in and make repairs.

If you have ever tried to loosen or tighten nuts and bolts under a sink, you know how difficult it can be. That?s why you will need to add a basin wrench to your plumber tools. The basin wrench makes it easier to loosen and tighten nuts and bolts because of its convenient shape.

If you are looking to do more than minor repairs, you will want to consider having a pipe cutter, reaper, and emery cloth in the mix of your plumber tools. A pipe cutter can make precise cuts in the pipe, while a reamer can get rid of the residue in the pipe. Then you can use the emery cloth to clean the pipe. Just make sure that if you plan to do these repairs, you follow directions to the letter and follow all safety rules.

Other helpful things to add to the plumber tools kit are washers, threads, pipe cleaning tools, joint compound, Teflon tape, nuts and bolts, etc. After you have combined all the plumber tools mentioned in this article, you will have spend about $100-200. This isn?t bad for a home owner, especially considering the money you can save by doing your own repairs.

Mike Walker is SEO of plumbinggreat.com, his goal is to give latest Plumbing info including plumbing contractor and diy. Learn and print all about plumbing, from plumbing contractor to DIY.

Is Your Tap Still Dripping? Then Call Your Plumber Now

If you have a dripping tap now, just think how bad it?s likely to be after the holiday break. Apart from that, think of the environment. Water is the one thing in life we can?t live without.

We can all survive all the other inconveniences for a surprisingly long time; but water isn?t one of them.

Every drip that runs down the drain, unused and unwanted, is like a nail into your coffin. Here in Australia, we are suffering a prolonged and worsening drought.

The City of Brisbane is now on severe water restrictions where people can?t even water their pot plants unless they have saved the water in a bucket or from their washing machines.

You know when you go to have a shower and you have to let the water run until the temperature gets to the right warmth? Well, it?s this water that is now watering pot-plants in Brisbane homes.

If you think that?s crook ~ just wait and watch what will be happening if we don?t get the rain next March-April. Many people will be leaving the city in droves; hordes of people having to leave their homes. Just think of what is likely to happen to the Real Estate prices?

Just thinking about worst case scenarios right now gives me the shivers!

And you want to know the worst truth? Brisbane is not the only city in Australia this is happening to. All around the Country, North to South, East to West ~ there?s a water crisis.

Australia and the United States have roughly the same land-mass. If you can imagine a water shortage from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, from Boston to Seattle, Miami to San Diego and everywhere in between, then you can get some idea of the affected area.

And some people still have dripping Taps! I shudder to think of the outcry they will raise when it finally dawns that hey ~ where did all the water go?

OK, apart from that if you don?t live in Australia, and you aren?t currently suffering a drought; but are your Taps still dripping? Or do you have a toilet that constantly runs?

If so, don?t you think a Plumber might be a good investment about now before the extended family arrives for the holidays and increases demand on your facilities?

It?s not going to get any better when there is a heavier load put on the services; and if you have to call a Plumber out over the Christmas / New Year break because you didn?t get the problem fixed before the holidays started ~ don?t you think he should be entitled to charge an exorbitant charge for his services?

Or will you complain if s/he does? Hardly fair, Um? I mean, how would you feel about having your Christmas dinner spoilt by being called to someone?s crisis because they couldn?t be bothered to have something fixed prior to the holidays? Believe me, I?d be charging for every mouthful of Turkey missed.

Love and respect your environment enough to care for it and about it. Plumbers do a mighty job in protecting the only thing you can?t live without.

http://www.constructingprofits.com Showing contractors how to make more money ~ working less hours!

The plumber will find out sooner or later. Help them out and you will come out ahead!

You see your little one send something down the pipe!! It gets clogged and you try all kinds of different ways to solve the situation. You call the professionals. When the plumber arrives he/she asks if you know anything about what happened. You have a choice to make.

Now I ask you, Do you think they are going to find out anyhow what happened? If you tell them up front, Is it a better experience for you?

Believe it or not selling a home is just like plumbing. Professional Realtors sometimes are called in to fix things that not working. They come in, get down right smelly and dirty and at the end of the day the job is done! Is up to the client if they want to help the plumber by disclosing what they know. One thing is for sure, the professional is going to find out sooner or later the real reason why the thing is not working right. Knowing up front will make it better for the client not necessarily to the professional. He/she is going to do their job period.

As an active Investing Realtor I get to see and hear a lot of sellers. As of now, just in case we have not known, it is a buyer's market. That means that buyers pretty much get what they want. That is bad news for you if you are trying to sell your home.

Can I help focus your thinking about you are trying to do? * Why are you selling? * How much money do you really need? * How soon do you need to move to another place? * What is the average day on the market for homes in your area? * How much are Realtors getting paid at the end of the day to move your home? (For me it is one of the most critical questions you need to answer truthfully.)

The answers will bring up the real situation that you are in. I ask, can you live with the worst case scenario if you sell the house today? When I go to sell one of my properties all I really look at is the money that I will collect for me and my family the day of closing. You have to do the same.

Real estate is done in black and white and in a sheet of paper. No buyer or buyer's agent is going to get fooled by me or you trying to get them to see that they are getting a "plasma tv" or a years worth of association paid up front. My question is why not just lower the price and give THEM a true bottom line so they also know at the end of the day how much is going to cost them to buy.

About the only thing you can do is the old tried and true thing that "spruce" up a home. If you have no ideas on what do go to: http://www.IsellOrlandoHouses.com and get the reports on what to do to make your home more marketable.

Tulio Troche is a local Investing Realtor in central Florida. When ever he is not with his family he spends his time looking at the real estate market and getting his share of it. His latest quote: "One never owns enough real estate"

Tulio Troche, GRI Broker Associate Exit Real Estate Professionals 11555 Lake Underhill Rd. Orlando, FL 32825 407.581.7470 Tulio@TulioTroche.com www.IsellOrlandoHouses.com

Tulio Troche, GRI Broker Associate. Investing Realtor in Central Florida helping out some selected families to buy or sell homes

How Plumbers Replace Bathroom and Kitchen Sink Faucets

If you are considering upgrading your bathroom and kitchen sink faucets, you have come to the right place. The following explanation will make your task much easier and will save your time as well.

However, before we start, make sure that you have following materials ready with you.

- New faucet assembly
- Basin wrench
- Adjustable wrenches
- Slip-joint pliers
- Scouring pad

Now follow these simple steps. (Assuming that you are replacing the old two-handled faucet with the more modern single-handled type)

Replacing Kitchen Sink Faucets 1. Before you start, go at the shut-off valves under the sink, and turn off the water.

2. Open the faucet so that it could drain any excess water.

3. The next step is to disconnect the hot and cold water supply lines from the shutoff valves. You can use a small adjustable-wrench to do this.

4. Reach up behind the faucet. You will find the coupling nuts that connect the supply tubes to the faucet. Unscrew the same using a basin wrench.

5. Behind the faucet, you will also find mounting nuts that hold the faucet in place. Remove these nuts using the same basin wrench.

6. Now that you have disconnected the mounting nuts, you can lift out the old faucet. Lifting it out, disconnect the sprayer hose from the assembly using an adjustable wrench.

7. Lift out the sprayer hose, and remove the faucet.

8. Once you have removed the faucet, clean the surface of the sink thoroughly with a scouring pad.

9. Remove the escutcheon cap and replace the same with the one that is included with your new faucet.

10. Now you are ready to make the new connection. Bring your new sprayer hose, and slip it down through the sprayer hole.

11. Feed the sprayer hose up through the center faucet hole, and connect the hose through the sprayer nipple using an adjustable wrench.

12. If the hot and cold supply tubes of the new faucet have a different length, attach flexible connectors to the fittings on the supply tubes. Hold the faucet fitting stationary with one wrench and tighten each connection with another wrench.

13. Insert and feed the supply lines and the connectors into the center hole, and then seat the faucet.

14. Now crawl up under the sink and in order to hold the faucet in place, install a washer and nut to the end bolts.

15. First, tighten the nuts by hand, and then with a basin wrench.

16. Connect the supply lines to the shutoff valves, and turn the water on.

17. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks.

Replacing Bathroom Sink Faucets 1. Go underneath the sink. Turn off the water. Loosen the collar nuts on the drainpipe.

2. Drain any excessive water, and then remove the drainpipe.

3. Loosen the nuts that hold the pop-up assembly in place under the sink using slip-joint pliers.

4. Unscrew the pop-up flange in order to free the assembly underneath the sink.

5. Remove the fittings that join the supply lines of the old faucet to the shutoff valves, using a wrench.

6. Repeat the steps 4-15 as explained above for replacing kitchen faucet.

7. Now, you have to install the pop-up assembly.

8. Push the pop-up rod down through the body of the faucet.

9. Attach the flat bar.

10. At the bottom of the new flange, use a little plumber's putty to hold the tailpiece so that the whole assembly protrudes up through the drain hole in the sink.

11. Spin the ring to position the same with the tailpiece under the sink.

12. In order to secure pop-up housing in place, tighten the nut on top of the tailpiece.

13. Hook up the pop-up lever onto the flat bar in order to secure it to the pop-up housing.

14. Drop the stopper into the drain hole.

15. Replace the drainpipe.

16. Tighten the collar nuts.

17. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks.

Hence, replacing a kitchen and a bathroom faucet is almost similar except for the work related to the pop-up assembly that is included with the bathroom sink.

Owen Walcher writes for the Best Plumber Resource which provides plumbing tips to consumer and helps people find quality plumbers in Georgia. plumbers.besthomeresource.com

An Elderly Plumber Demonstrates Why Too Many People Gamble

Several years ago I was chatting with an elderly plumber doing some work in my bathroom. I don't recall how we got started on gambling, but to my surprise, he turned out to be an avid slots player.

I don't recall exactly how I worded the question, but I asked him essentially what he got out of going to the casino. We know plumbers make good money, but I gathered that he didn't have a lot saved up, since he was still working at his age.

He explained it to me in a way that made it clear.

"I take my girlfriend to the Alton Belle and we make a night of it. We enjoy eating a good steak at their restaurant. Then we get our rolls of quarters and start playing.

"I play the **** machine and I love it when I hit the jackpot . . . "

At this point, he was standing with his knees bent and he bounced up and down and shook his hands in fists with excitement as he spoke. His voice was full of energy.

". . . the lights flash and the bells go off and it's the greatest excitement I've ever had."

Did you catch it? Maybe not, since reading about him in this email is a different experience than hearing him in person demonstrate how hitting a jackpot gives him a substitute org*sm.

He didn't use that word, of course -- but he seemed like he was almost having one just from telling me about the experience.

Since he was well over 65 years and did not look even capable of having an org*sm and was, after all, in the middle of a plumbing job in my bathroom, I hadn't thought of him in connection with s*x at all, until then. I wouldn't have even thought he had a girlfriend, let alone take her out to eat at a casino.

How about you? Are you playing slot machines as a substitute for s*x?

My FINANCIAL advice to you is -- have real s*x instead.

I'm not a prude or a moralist. It's up to you who you want to have it with. And when. And how. And how often.

And I don't mind if you first buy them a steak in a casino restaurant.

But if you need the excitement of more s*x in your life (and all of us need and want that), have real s*x.

c 2006 by Richard Stooker Richard will teach you the only real ways to win when you gamble: Take Charge Gambling for Winners

DIY Bathroom Plumbing

Have been thinking about remodeling your bathroom? Wondering if it's a project you can handle yourself? Why not start with DIY bathroom plumbing and before you know it you'll be redoing the entire bathroom all by yourself.

You've got to start with a plan. What is it you want to do with your bathroom? DO you want to complete strip it out? Change out the fixtures? Or do you want to give it just a partial facelift? Once you decide you need to move fore ward to budget. For this article lets assume you are going to redo the entire bathroom from top to bottom.

A budget of $4000 wouldn't be unrealistic. Here's a rough list of what you might need to buy. Realize that the investment of $4000 is going to increase the value of your home substantially more.

Shower kit and door $800
Tub $450
Shower faucet $200
Vanity & Top $800
Faucet for Vanity $100
Toilet $200
Water Resistant Drywall $50
Floor Tile $200
Grout $20
Pre-hung door $80
Light Fixture $100
Mirror $100
Paint and Wallpaper $100
Rough Plumbing $800

Total $4000

If you are going to need some serious movement of existing sewer and water lines then you'll need to hire a plumber and that will be an additional cost however if all the new pieces are going in the same place as the old ones lived you should be able to avert this cost. It's very room dependent.

When it comes to starting your project safety needs to come first. That means you need to take all the precautions - wearing gloves, goggles for your eyes, a mask, or any other safety equipment that is necessary. Now lets get started:

1. Spread out the builder's paper to help trap all the demolition material. It's not 100% but it sure does help keep things in one place.

2. If you are tearing out walls now is the time to get busy. Nothing neat here just fly at it.

3. Next you will need to pull the fixtures - tub, sink, and toilet. Dismantle it all!

4. Once you have everything stripped out of the room it's time to do your cleanup.

5. The sub floor will be the first to go in and then any replacement dry wall.

6. Once that's been taken care of it is time to start the fixture installations. The tub and shower installation can be a big one so you may need some additional help.

7. After all the fixtures are in place you'll have the finishing touches such as lighting, flooring, and paint and wall paper.

How much plumbing changes you will need to make will depend on what is occurring in your bathroom. If fixtures are in the same place as the old ones your biggest plumbing job will be hooking up the new taps and the toilet. But if you moved things around you may have to redo some basic plumbing. You can attempt this yourself if you like or hire an experienced plumber. There are some great books and online resources that can help you complete this.

DIY bathroom plumbing doesn't have to be that difficult as long as you follow the directions. And with so many terrific resources around finding step by step help shouldn't be difficult at all. And won't you feel great when that bathroom is finished and you can take full credit for the transformation?

Carl has been a professional plumber in a company he owns for more than 10 years not only is he experience in unclogging just about anything but also an expert in installing plumbing fixtures and installing new water lines. Carl will give you some helpful tips on plumbing installation when you visit http://www.alliedesolutions.com

Creative Writing Feedback from Your Plumber

 

When I informally ask aspiring writers who they prefer to review their manuscripts, answers range from professors to community college instructors to writing workshop coordinators. These responses are fine if you are writing for an audience of community college instructors, but this scenario is in fact quite rare.

I have a brother who is thoughtful, intelligent, pragmatic and by no means "artsy". It is for these reasons that I value his feedback. I classify his reaction as a "real world" reaction to a manuscript. Is he bored? confused? lost? entertained? His feedback may reshape my writing.

Audience obviously plays a crucial role in writing. Any composition would benefit from review by members of the intended audience, whether the subject be professional, avocational, personal or a combination of the above. The process could even help identify the true audience for which you are writing.

Creative writing tends to widen the audience boundaries. If John Q. Public is a member of your target audience it is best to get a range of responses to your work. There is a large segment of the population who spend their days working in cubicles. How would they be impacted by your writing? Single moms struggling with the cost of daycare? Teenagers drinking cola from enormous containers at the convenience store? The plumber in your building or home?

If any of the individuals above are part of your intended audience, their opinions could be invaluable. There could also be a lot to learn from their "art", be it a trade, a white collar profession, juggling an impossible budget, or finding rare songs on the Internet.

The next time you need a manuscript reviewed, show it to the usual suspects. Then offer your plumber a coffee or lunch in exchange for editorial comment.

Robert Mann is a poet residing in California. His most recent work can be viewed at http://www.crickethymns.com, an ongoing blog of original poetry.