PLUMBERS History

The word "plumber" dates from the Roman Empire.The Latin for lead is plumbum. Roman roofs used lead in conduits and drain pipes and some were also covered with lead, lead was also used for piping and for making baths In medieval times anyone who worked with lead was referred to as a plumber as can be seen from an extract of workmen fixing a roof in Westminster Palace and were referred to as plumbers "To Gilbert de Westminster, plumber, working about the roof of the pantry of the little hall, covering it with lead, and about various defects in the roof of the little hall".Thus a person with expertise in working with lead was first known as a Plumbarius which was later shortened to plumber.

Plumbing activities

Plumber exiting a sewer via a manhole

Years of training and/or experience are needed to become a skilled plumber; some jurisdictions also require that plumbers be licensed.

Common plumbing tasks and skills:

Reading drawings, and specifications to determine layout of water supply, waste, and venting systems

Detecting faults in plumbing appliances and systems, and correctly diagnosing their causes

Installing, repairing and maintaining domestic, commercial, and industrial plumbing fixtures and systems

Locating and marking positions for pipe connections, passage holes, and fixtures in walls and floors

Measuring, cutting, bending, and threading pipes using hand and power tools or machines

Joining pipes and fittings together using soldering techniques, compression fittings, threaded fittings, and push-on fittings.

Testing pipes for leaks using air and water pressure gauges

Awareness of legal regulations and safety issues

Ensuring safety standards and building regulations are met.

United States

Each state and locality may have its own licensing and taxing schemes for plumbers. Some states license journeyman and master plumbers separately, while others license only master plumbers. To become licensed, plumbers must meet standards for training and experience, and in most cases, pass a certification exam. There is no federal law establishing licenses for plumbers.

Canada

In Canada, licensing requirements differ by province, however the provinces have pooled resources to develop an Interprovincial Program Guide that developed and maintains apprenticeship training standards across all provinces. The Red Seal Program, formally known as the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program, is a program that sets common standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada. The Red Seal, when affixed to a provincial or territorial trade certificate, indicates that a tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge required for the national standard in that trade.

United Kingdom

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) remained the main form of plumbing qualification until they were superseded in 2008 by the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) and then again into the National qualifications frameworks in the United Kingdom in 2015. The terms NVQ and SVQ (Scottish Vocational Qualification) are still widely used.