how to train a saffa

[plumbcrazee]

Hi all

I worked for a plumber for about 3 and a half years back in Cape Town. He pretty much threw me in the deep end saying" At least I got to do so much more than when he was an apprentice" - I appreciate it now but at the time all covered in brown stuff from grinding through an old earthern drain pipe - Well I just thought he was lazy

Anyhow as time moved on I moved up and near the end pretty much ran his business for him doing my own quotes and pricing for new jobs. He did drill into me a high standard of quality (which helped when working for rich posh finicky germans) and a good code of conduct when dealing with former clients IE. Coming back 6months down the line to a bathroom install and not charging for it and also making sure everything is ship shape. Unfortunately he had quite a heavy lifestyle and had an excessive drinking problem and when the van broke down and some building firm we were doing multiple jobs for went bankrupt ....well there was no more money to bail us out and keep us afloat for the tight months. He went to Qatar to work for those international companies to earn thousands of dollars to work in the middle of nowhere and hes still pretty much doing that and I came here.

I did have an idea to start plumbing here and get all my theory in line but got married needed a job quick got working for the underground and etc.....

I now have the spare time and would really like finish off what I started. I have done a few jobs for friends and work collegues since I have been in the country - Nothing big just rerouting drainage, moving kitchens around and bathroom installs but I never really had to deal with Gas in South Africa everthing works off presseurized electrical combi boilers/cylinders. I have asked plumbers that I have run into about gas boilers and looked at my own at all the houses I have stayed in since I got here but obviously not going to install one until I am 110% sure of what I am doing and legal. So I wanted to start going on my own and doing small jobs and bigger as or if it came along but seeing as I have some spare savings I would like to do as much theory as I can. Since coming here I have seen such horrendous cowboy plumbing jobs - no offense to anyone here(you must know what I am talking about)- and I cannot but feel that I could help a lot of people out.

Can anyone help me with any Ideas on what would be the most relevant training I could do and also the basic legal requirement. Feel free to direct me to any other posts in this forum or relevant websites. I have been here in the country for about 5years and am now based in London. I also still pay the foreign student prices as I am still on my visa and do not want to waste unneccessary money. I do not want to go work from scratch for another plumber again for 2 to 3 years if it can be avoided. (If I feel I need to do this I will but I do not want to butt horns with someone else again

Thanks for all your time and reading this long winded sob story. There is so much information about training for plumbing in the UK that its an overload. I took for granted back home knowing which college you went where to do what , what plumbing/building firms were reputable and never thinking anymore about gas than the occasional gas bottle for camping

 

[PipeNinja]

Maybe it would help to see a UK solicitor regarding the legalities and how to cover yourself professionally and legally. People go self employed here and work with no quals, which is one factor in the cowboy jobs, they get aay with it because they can or until something happens, the industry is not properly regulated. Proper insurance is a must if you are already doing plumbing work, even favours for people, due to negligence laws in UK, I am not a lawyer nor indeed a plumber but have buddies doing both and from both sides of their fences its a minefield.

Go to a decent commercial lawyer and get set up including any training/certs, that way your butt is covered plus visa side can be discussed. Internet forums are simply too unreliable and folllowing advice from here would not stand up in Court were anything to happen. UK is very bureaucratic and competence is very much based around pieces of paper rather than ability. Paper will never make someone competent but it goes some way to covering your bum when things go wrong, which does happen regardless of certs or ability.