The ins and outs of plumbing jobs in SA

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and doing practical work then maybe you should be considering becoming a Plumber. Plumbing jobs are interesting because you will as a Plumber get to work on numerous tasks that will challenge you all the time.

If you’re looking for a job, apply for a job on Job Mail.

What to expect as a Plumber

As a Plumber you can expect to install and maintain piping systems in residential, commercial and industrial environments. Your day-to-day responsibilities will vary depending on the tasks you are given and your level of expertise.

As a general rule you will be expected to be able to take instructions from your client and to diagnose problems based on your client’s instructions. In certain cases your clients may not know a lot about plumbing so you may need to physically go to their premises to find out what needs to be fixed.

You may also be required to be involved in the piping design process for new construction projects. However, you will have to have acquired a bit of a reputation as a Plumber to get these plumbing jobs. There are other tasks you will be expected to carry out such as installing fixtures, welding and soldering fittings and repairing pipelines on different sites.

Training to become a Plumber

There are quite a few paths available for you to become a plumbing professional. You can opt to look for plumbing courses such as the National Certificate in plumbing or engineering studies. After taking these plumbing courses you will be expected to take a trade test to determine whether or not you meet the minimum requirements necessary for you to pursue a career as a Plumber.

Other paths available include taking an apprenticeship at a TVET college or taking an Artisan Internship. With the latter option you will have to be on the lookout for Artisan plumbing vacancies in order to complete your internship. Luckily there are numerous Artisan plumbing vacancies and you should not have too much difficulty finding these vacancies.

As an alternative option you could consider getting your qualification through a recognised prior learning exemption for artisans. Before choosing which path to take be prudent and calculating, weigh your expected Plumber salary over the estimated span of your career against the costs of studying to determine which option is more cost effective and profitable in the long run. Once you decide which path to take you can start looking for plumbing vacancies.

If you want to improve your Plumber salary you may want to consider getting certified as a Plumber. You will have to consider getting your Plumbing Certificate of Compliance which will serve to certify that your work complies with any and all regulatory requirements in your field. This will help you get access to higher quality clients and be able to charge clients a higher price.

Work environment and salary of a Plumber

As a Plumber your work environment will depend largely on the plumbing jobs you are working on. In all likelihood you will find yourself working in the construction industry. Given the necessity of Plumbers in construction you will find most plumbing jobs available in construction.

Here you can expect to work with everything from architects to engineers. This will make for an interesting work environment as you will constantly be surrounded by interesting people from different backgrounds.

As such plumbing vacancies in construction generally require you to be a good team player and to be able to communicate effectively. Much of your plumbing jobs in construction will be carried out with you as a part of a team working on a particular site.

Residential plumbing is another interesting sector to get involved in. There are quite a few plumbing vacancies available in this sector. Generally you will be working with one or two other Plumbers so these are jobs that you want to get into if you prefer working alone or with a smaller team.

The average Plumber salary is about R120 000 in South Africa. However, you can push up your salary if you start your own plumbing company and build up your reputation.

Skills and characteristics

In order to succeed you will have to have a certain degree of manual dexterity. This is a highly physical job so expect to be tested physically. In addition to this you will also need to have a very steady pair of hands as most of the tasks involved in plumbing jobs will need you to be able to be well coordinated and have good vision.

Physical skills are not the only requirements in the plumbing industry. You will need to be a relatively good problem solver who is able to analyze problems and come up with different methods of solving these problems. You will also need to be able to weigh the pros and cons of each suggested problem and decide which solution best suits the problem you are trying to solve.

Inspired to take on this career? If you would like to look for plumbing vacancies in your area, you can find plumbing jobs on Job Mail.

Summary

Article Name

The ins and outs of plumbing jobs in SA

Description

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and doing practical work then maybe you should be considering becoming a Plumber.

Author

Job Mail Staff Writer

Publisher Name

Junk Mail

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