What will I learn

A Plumbing and Domestic Heating apprentice will 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 technicians can often find themselves working in customers’ homes as well as on building sites. The installation of plumbing and heating systems will include accurate measuring, marking, cutting, bending, and jointing metallic and non-metallic pipework. Appliances and equipment can include gas, oil, and solid fuel boilers. A technician will also work with pumps, heat emitters, bathroom furniture or controls as part of a cold water, hot water, and central heating system, or above ground drainage and rainwater systems. Plumbing and domestic heating technicians are at the forefront of installing new and exciting environmental technologies like heat pumps, solar thermal systems, biomass boilers and water recycling systems. It is important to be able to work independently or as a team, and to use industry knowledge and skills to ensure that both the system and the appliances are appropriately selected and correctly installed. This will need to be done confidently, often without any supervision, and in a safe, efficient, and economical manner to minimise waste.