Plumbing is a noble profession with lucrative opportunities for people who enjoy working with their hands. Pursuing a plumbing career allows you to learn new skills and specialize in various niches. However, you need to learn more about the different types of plumbers and plumbing services to gain insight into opportunities for a successful career.
Gone are the days when plumbers were only called during the installation and repairs of a plumbing system. Today, there are experts in this field focusing on services such as water heater installation, HVAC repair and maintenance, and gas plumbing. Despite the varying areas of specialization, these professionals go through the same basic training to attain their licenses.
TYPES OF PLUMBERS AND THEIR SERVICES
At a point in your career, you will be required to offer your services as a plumber. This could be for installation, repair, maintenance, or servicing. No matter the service, you need to understand the various categories to deliver on your mandate effectively. Below is a classification of plumbing services to guide you:
RESIDENTIAL PLUMBERS
Residential plumbers are among the most popular plumbers recognized for their versatility and availability when it comes to residential plumbing systems. These professionals offer a wide range of services, ranging from water supply connection, leak repairs, bathroom renovations, piping, maintenance, and servicing of residential plumbing systems.
A residential plumber’s experience handling multiple projects makes them an ideal choice for kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects. Homeowners who work with these professionals get after-sale services such as repairs and servicing at discounted prices. Training as a residential plumber means you have to learn how to install different piping for water and gas, service and maintain the plumbing system of multiple residential structures, and troubleshoot and fix plumbing issues in a residential home.
COMMERCIAL PLUMBERS
These are the second most popular professionals handling jobs related to large commercial properties. Despite having the same basic training as their residential colleagues, commercial plumbers undergo more training in readiness for the complexities of a commercial project. To succeed as a commercial plumber, you need to cultivate strong problem-solving skills and accumulate vast experience handling multiple projects.
Due to the demanding nature of large commercial projects, you need to learn how to install, clean, and service plumbing systems, provide emergency plumbing services, and deal with water pressure. Some of the projects you are likely to handle include schools, hospitals, hotels, and office buildings. This means you will have to be on-call to respond to plumbing emergencies 24/7. Commercial plumbers also work with complex equipment, requiring additional training. The nature of commercial projects and the level of expertise required make this one of the most lucrative services in the industry.
WATER SUPPLY PLUMBER
Water supply plumbers specialize in water connections. These professionals are responsible for the flow of water into a building. Do you need water in your new home, school, restaurant, or office building? These are the experts to call.
While they operate under the umbrella of residential or commercial plumbers, this group majors mostly in the water supply. Here, you will be required to install, maintain, and repair kitchen sinks, storage tanks, hot water tanks, and install water pipes. Water supply plumbers are slo responsible for connecting a customer’s water line to the local water supply, boreholes, and wells.
SANITARY PLUMBER
According to some studies, a good number of people spend time in the bathroom not only to shower or relieve themselves but to get personal time. This is one of the reasons for the increased remodeling projects. Commercial and residential properties have been investing in sanitation to make them more comfortable and relaxing. As a sanitary plumber, you will likely work on these remodeling projects.
You will also be responsible for servicing, maintaining, and cleaning sanitary plumbing systems, including pipes and tanks. Sanitary plumbers work to maintain the water supply to bathrooms and toilets, with homeowners relying on them to set up the connection between the bathroom and the water heating system.
Other services under this category included unclogging toilets and bathroom drains and installing and maintaining bathtubs/jacuzzies.
SERVICE AND REPAIR PLUMBERS
When dealing with a leaking pipe or damaged water heater, customers rely on service and repair plumbers to run a diagnosis to find the cause and provide a solution. These professionals offer their services to commercial and residential clients, with others operating on-call in industrial buildings. To succeed as a service and repair plumber, you need to have a deep understanding of plumbing systems and common problems; this way, you can troubleshoot issues in the shortest time possible.
Like commercial plumbers, you need to develop problem-solving skills and the technical know-how for dealing with plumbing issues. Service and repair plumbers mostly provide emergency service, meaning they can respond to a customer’s call any day or week. You will …