Plumbing Courses - Any one done one?

[Ham_and_Jam]

So I m trying to be more self sufficient with DIY around the house, and whilst I m not a total numpty I am still at a basic level. Anything past quick / easy fit is beyond my skill level.

So, anyone done a basic / essential plumbing course?

I ve looked online and based in the North East, most are colleges which offer formal qualifications need quite a commitment with regards time.

I would like to think a 5-10 day intensive course should get me to where I need to be.

Feel free to offer any other suggestions. Obviously YouTube is a wealth of information, but I always seem to learn better with a mentor at hand. Maybe I ve not found the right channel?

I could see myself doing an electrical and carpentry course aswell in the future if this went well.

[miroku1]

It all depends upon what you want to learn to do ? 5 or 10 days isn’t going to give you much experience.
If you want to learn how to do a tap washer fair enough . Think I’d just look up on you tube whatever it is that you need to learn rather than wasting ten days and probably quite a bit of cash .
I know plumbers with ten years experience that I wouldn’t employ to sweep my drive

[Ham_and_Jam]

miroku1 said:

It all depends upon what you want to learn to do ? 5 or 10 days isn t going to give you much experience.
If you want to learn how to do a tap washer fair enough . Think I d just look up on you tube whatever it is that you need to learn rather than wasting ten days and probably quite a bit of cash .
I know plumbers with ten years experience that I wouldn t employ to sweep my drive

I’m not looking for experience, more a set of useful skills taught by someone who has many years of experience.

I’m also aware that 10 days is a short amount of time. However for someone who is willing to use every minute of those 10 days, you could, with the right teacher, learn quite a bit.

That said, I am also willing to listen to the PH collective and their views and opinions, so thank you.

[Simpo Two]

The thing with plumbing (how much do you actually need to do?) - and electrics - is that the penalty for screwing up can be very high. I can do solder ring joints etc but I'm not going to start tinkering with the central heating or distribution board.

I think it would be useful to learn carpentry first, because that's something you're more likely to need many times over the years. If you cut a piece of wood wrong, just get another piece. For a one-off plumbing/electricity job just get a man in.

[Easternlight]

The problem with plumbing or electrical come to that is the actual mechanics of it are pretty simple (IMHO of course)
The problem comes with the installation.
This is why they are apprentice based trades, the ability to actually do the job only comes with experience, which is not going to be learned on a course.
Just use you tube and do simple things and it will all add up to give you skills you need.

[Road2Ruin]

Simpo Two said:

The thing with plumbing (how much do you actually need to do?) - and electrics - is that the penalty for screwing up can be very high. I can do solder ring joints etc but I'm not going to start tinkering with the central heating or distribution board.

I think it would be useful to learn carpentry first, because that's something you're more likely to need many times over the years. If you cut a piece of wood wrong, just get another piece. For a one-off plumbing/electricity job just get a man in.

The problem is, you can't get a 'man in'. No one wants to do those small jobs and it's such a hassle trying to get someone, only to be dissapointed a dozen times when they don't turn up or return calls.

Basic plumbing and electric are easy. I would recommend everyone learns how to replace tap washer, plug sockets ceiling rises and plumb in washing machines etc. You will save yourself thousands and so much time...

[Simpo Two]

Road2Ruin said:

Basic plumbing and electric are easy. I would recommend everyone learns how to replace tap washer, plug sockets ceiling rises and plumb in washing machines etc. You will save yourself thousands and so much time...

For the majority of the population that can't or won't do that, they presumably get it sorted out somehow. Not everybody is competent or fit enough to haul washing machines about, and I think people are generally becoming less able to improvise in the C21 throwaway society.

[borcy]

I've seen these 5-10 day courses and got something from it. Generally people want a bit of confidence from someone on hand to guide them. All aimed at DIYers.

Those that did them rated them. This wasn't in the NE though, would you mind travelling?

[Chumley.mouse]

Road2Ruin said:

The problem is, you can't get a 'man in'. No one wants to do those small jobs and it's such a hassle trying to get someone, only to be dissapointed a dozen times when they don't turn up or return calls.

Basic plumbing and electric are easy. I would recommend everyone learns how to replace tap washer, plug sockets ceiling rises and plumb in washing machines etc. You will save yourself thousands and so much time...

Not sure how anyone saves time by doing it themselves? Surely paying someone else to do it is quicker.

[Colonel Cupcake]

In the spring I am going to get some plumbing fittings and pipes and a tap and let the young Cupcakes have a play. I have a large piece of MDF to screw pipework brackets to, connect their efforts to the outside tap and see if their handiwork holds water, so to speak.

Should be a laugh, if nothing else and they all might learn something.

[Tisy]

Easternlight said:

The problem with plumbing or electrical come to that is the actual mechanics of it are pretty simple (IMHO of course)
The problem comes with the installation.
This is why they are apprentice based trades, the ability to actually do the job only comes with experience, which is not going to be learned on a course.
Just use you tube and do simple things and it will all add up to give you skills you need.

I'm not a fan of doing electrical stuff myself as I got a nasty mains shock when I was a youngster and has put me right off it. However plumbing is so simple that any able-bodied bloke should be handing in his man card if you can't wire up some taps or put a central heating radiator system in. It's even simpler these days than it used to be as it's all plastic and just pushes together. But if you want to do it properly, get copper pipe, get a pipe cutter and then get some copper solder fittings and a torch and you'll breeze round it all so fast you'll wonder wtf you were scrared of. I am self-taught and couldn't believe how easy it all was and that was before ELI5 guides on youtube. Not a single leak anywhere and the only 'noob' error I made was not putting lagging roung the pipes in the wood box section in the corner up through the ceiling and under the floor boards so the wood 'cracks' as the heat from the pipes makes it expand.