Overview

Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technicians plan, select, install, service, commission and maintain all aspects of plumbing and heating systems. Plumbing and domestic heating technicians can find themselves working inside or outside a property. Customer service skills and being tidy and respectful are important qualities as they can often find themselves working in customers’ homes as well as on building sites.

Am I ready to start?

Typically, we require apprentices to have English and Mathematics at level 2 on entry. However, if this is not the case all apprentices will need to have achieved that level prior to taking their end-point assessment. It will be a requirement that the newly developed Level 3 Plumbing and Domestic Heating Qualification is achieved prior to taking the end-point Assessment.

You must ensure that you employer is able to provide you opportunity to work on Gas. Including maintaining, commissioning and installing.

What does the course involve?

As a competent Plumbing and Heating Technician, the installation of plumbing and heating systems includes accurate measuring, marking, cutting, bending and jointing metallic and non-metallic pipework. Appliances and equipment can include gas, oil and solid fuel boilers as well as pumps, heat emitters, bathroom furniture or controls as part of a cold water, hot water, and central heating or above ground drainage and rainwater systems.

It is important for a plumbing and heating technician to be able to work independently or as a team and use their knowledge and skills to ensure that both the system and appliances are appropriately selected and correctly installed, often without any supervision, and done so in a safe, efficient and economical manner to minimise waste.

You will benefit from:

• High quality teaching by qualified, experienced industry experts
• Modern well equipped workshops
• Modern high quality industry standard hand and power tools
• Maths and English teaching to underpin and support workplace knowledge
• Preparation for end point assessment 

Our programme is delivered on a day release basis.

 

Personal protective equipment required:

Basic hand tools – lists can be provided

Basic stationary

The City and Guilds textbook Plumbing book 1 and 2

How and when will I study?

Unit delivery and assessment will consist of theory and practical. You be required to pass 4 phases and will only be able to move on to the next phase when you have completed all current phase exams/assessments. The knowledge and skills require are as follows:

Health and safety

Understand health and safety legislation, codes of practice and safe working practices.

Core plumbing systems

Understand selection, planning, installation, testing, commissioning and de-commissioning, service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair techniques on cold water, hot water, central heating, above ground drainage and rainwater systems.

Electrical components and control systems

Understand installation and testing techniques for electrical components and control systems on plumbing and domestic heating systems.

Plumbing science and processes

Understand scientific plumbing, domestic heating and mechanical principles.

Principles of environmental technology systems

Understand the principles of domestic mechanical environmental technology systems.

Principles of fossil fuels

Understand the principles of fuel combustion, ventilation and fluing arrangements within a domestic environment.

Customer service

Understand the principles of high-quality customer service and establishing the needs of others (colleagues, customers and other stakeholders). Respect the working environment including customer’s properties.

Communication

Understand different communication methods, how to communicate in a clear, articulate and appropriate manner and how to adapt communication style to suit different situations.

Natural Gas

Understand the principles of selection, installation, testing, commissioning and service and maintenance techniques on domestic downstream natural gas pipework systems and appliances.

Down to business, what can I do and what can I earn?

Possible Careers:

• Plumber
• Plumbing and Domestic Heating Installer
• Plumbing and Domestic Heating Engineer