You're absolutely right about showing up on time. If I can add to that, most importantly is to just show up. Show up every day. To me, that's half the battle. As long as the apprentice shows up everyday, they can be taught and they can learn. Everyday you don't show up, your 8 hrs behind and it takes that much longer to catch up. Just show up everyday. It's just so much easier. For everyone
I worked at a place that all ways pushed appointments and wanted you to smash out every job, nothing but issues. I went to a commercial gig and quality comes before speed. There happy when a job gets smashed out and just as happy if it's done right and passed inspection!
Lol my apartments had all the toilets replaced and a week later they had water shut off for 2 days during business hours because a lot of the apartments started leaking from the toilets
I have two stories for that one. First, the handyman that my apartment complex employed would consistently have to come back and fix whatever he broke in trying to fix the original problem, if he fixed it at all. The first time, my shower wouldn't turn on. The faucet worked fine, but pulling the diverter wouldn't turn the shower head on. So he fixed that, but somehow broke the shower tap. I could spin it freely 360 degrees, and the water would never get warm, let alone hot. He semi-fixed that one, but it stayed finicky for the rest of the time I lived in that apartment. Another time he came out it was because the bathroom fan died. He got up on the counter (didn't even wipe his shoes) and installed it, and left without testing it. When you flipped the switch, there was a slight buzz, but no identifiable fan sound. So he had to come back, and apparently clear a blockage that he hadn't noticed before. Could I have done some of this myself? Maybe, with a little know-how. But my lease specifically stated that I had to contact the housing office and let their handymen do the work. I couldn't even hire somebody myself. I don't miss that place. The other story was when I was starting my last job. It got drilled into us just how much it cost both the company and the customer to perform rework, and how much worse it got the later the rework had to be done. They went into the pay of the operators who had to remove the defective work and then reinstall correct parts, the cost of the parts themselves, including the now wasted ones, and the pay of the QA inspectors who had to write up the defect and then reinspect the new work. And all of this is logged for the customer and the government to look at. I think one trainer summed it up as spending five extra minutes can save hours, even days.
I agree but still thats easy for you to say when your sitting in your house judging while im outside in 105 degree whether running gas pipe or digging, sloping a sewer with gravel...
Tip to a new guy, Don’t say you know how to do something when you don’t. I’ve had helpers go say they know something, mess it up, and then sometimes not even admit to it and I have to find out later that something went wrong.
Deffo if you don't know or aren't sure just ask before and after to check it's OK. You're not going to abuse for not knowing or double checking, you mess something up you said you knew how to do, you WILL get abuse and possibly lose ya job or both
"Measure it, mark it, measure it again right before you cut it." This is very important and also true with woodworking or anything else where you're cutting materials. The first measure is to make a mark where you want it. The second measure is to see how close your pencil mark is to what you intended. Only then will you know if you need to: a) cut the pencil mark off, leave the pencil mark, cut the mark in half, etc, to make the final material exactly the length you need it.
I start my apprenticeship in a few weeks. I'm so excited, I can't wait. Been watching your videos for like 6 months leading up to this. I'm going for apprentice of the year. Wish me luck! 💪
Good luck, man! Next month will be 1 year since I started my apprenticeship and I wish I knew about this channel when I started 😅 If you're already doing studying before starting, you're off to a better start than I had
How did you get into your apprenticeship? Did you tale any classes first or did you find a company to take you on? I know basics of plumbing like installing faucets, toilets and changing out shutoff valves. Residential plumbing seems like something i would enjoy doing. Congrats btw..
@@Mixwell1983 @mixwell1983 through the union. I had to pass a math test and do an interview with the board. They said they take the people with the best scores on the test depending on how much work they for that year but the math test was pretty easy. I know nothing about plumbing but you get extra credit if you have any prior experience. The union is commercial construction though, not residential. And thanks!
You miss a very important aspect respective of small "mom & pop" businesses. If you're not family your progression is capped from the outset. Learn with leaving to start your own business in mind.
When in a customers home and there are priceless valuables around that can break, before starting the job ask the homeowner to move them to another location so they won’t be accidentally broken and you won’t have a major cost in replacing that item.
Have been plumbing for nearly 10 years. I am in charge of running some pretty big commercial new construction. This does not just apply to apprentices, this applies to all. I tell all my guys, Foreman is just a title, just like Apprentice. All my title means is that I have more responsibilities. I will never stop learning from my guys. Will always listen to them, and most importantly, will look ways to make things safer and easier.
That's good advice. I've been in this field for almost 10 years myself. I had my apprentice call me out on something last week that wound up saving us a lot of time. Never be too proud to listen to someone else if they have an idea. You might just learn something!
Always put back tools where you got them from. Always clean your tools when they get dirty. If you showed up to the job with clean tools you should leave with clean tools. Make sure your parts always stay organized. You only have to look in one place for that part. Why spend extra time in the back of a hot van? Make sure to lock the van up every time you get out of it. It only takes a few seconds to open a door and walk away with something worth 1000s
Love the advice, breaking into the construction culture from the office has been a huge change. I never had an exact specific time I needed to be in the office, nor did anyone care if you were on your phone, it was more about how efficent you were with your time and overall how productive you are. In construction I have found alot of senior people that are early and lazy are looked at in higher esteem although their output is significantly less than their juniors. It's facinating that people are much more sensitive and emotional in construction, and appearances mean more than the product as an employee at times.
I'm a helper, but me personally I like being organized and keep my tools close at all times and area clean, my mechanic on the other hand is the opposite. Most of the time he doesn't know where his tools are at, loses his markers and never has a measuring tape on him. This is for hvac/R but I enjoy following your channel.
Learn to read your installer's mind. In the sense that as you learn the processes you'll know what things to hand them before they ask for it. That's super helpful.
I hate carrying phones bc the boss can call every half hour or the secretary, I always tell them I'll call if I run into problems , just dont like being bothered while I'm working
If I am under some one with a phone, I don't need mine for any reason except for him/her to call me. And if I am by their side, they don't call me on the phone. I typically hand a radio to my workers at the beginning of the day and recharge it at night. It is faster than a phone and they don't have to empty their hands or take gloves off to hear my instruction.
I’d say it’s more that you shouldn’t ever have your phone out around your boss. Not so much about the boss calling you because that can lead you them thinking you’re just unavailable and you either miss an opportunity or worse they take it as you ignoring their authority. Neither are good.
I've been an apprentice for a month now, and the biggest things I have learned is this. 1. Customer service is huge for obvious reasons, be polite to them and always try to get them to talk to the other plumbers. If they are asking you questions about something or have any concerns and you have the answers to them, do not answer them. As a first year just always say "(plumber's name) knows more about this, I recommend talking to them". This will mean you don't mess up and the plumber teaching you isn't concerned to what you are saying to the customer. Your job as a first year apprentice is to dig and assist. 2. Taking initiative. Do not do this, you know nothing, so do not do it. If you have nothing to do and see something that needs to be done, ask your plumber if they would like you to do it. Even if its something like sweeping they might have something else in mind for you to do. If its something plumbing related doing it can miss it up. 3. Listen to repeat. Very difficult to follow this one. Typically a plumber might ask you to do something as you are doing something (like digging a hole) then they are leaving to go do something else before you having time to repeat what they have said to you. If they are some distance away doing there work going up to them to repeat what they have told you makes it seem like you didn't hear them or seem dumb. Only listen to repeat if they are right next to you, this way its not bothering them. 4. Asking questions. Ask away in the first week, after that and your in the thick of things they only want you to dig, and to assist with clean up or grabbing them tools, that's it, you asking them questions and its bothering them to work. If they are showing you how to lets say glue pipe, ask them questions there, this is where they are teaching you so you may ask questions. 5. Use your phone. In this age using your phone is an important tool that you should use. Obviously if your using it to do something not related to work, that's an obvious no no where ever you work. Use it to contact other plumbers, for advice or help. Take photos of what you have done, this will allow you to remember jobs that you have done for learning purposes or to use in conversation if asked about it. Take notes on things that are standard practice, or need to remember, such as addresses where you worked 6. Create a work diary, this makes life so much easier when learning or giving info on what you done 7. Drug up. You are doing hard labor, in sometimes ruff conditions. The last thing your boss wants is you getting sick. Have plenty of water and medication (For Australia Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, are really good). Use medication appropriately anything to keep the cold away like sore throat lozenges. Ointment for those cuts you will have. These could easily get infected with the kind of environment you will be working in. If you end up suffering from cramps which you most likely will then you will need to start taking magnesium or electrolyte pills, this will keep you from having cramps, since you get them from a deficiency in magnesium and electrolytes, (Powerade will not help I recommend getting something from the chemist). Or adding mineral salt to drinking water which can also help. 8. Don't share job opportunity's. If you are starting out in an apprenticeship. And you get a phone call from another company about offering you an interview for there apprenticeship. Do not share this info to your current employer or other employees, turn it down because obviously because you already have an apprenticeship, but if your other workers know you have an opportunity else where and don't like you then they will more likely try to get rid of you since from there perspective you have opportunities else where so they wont feel bad getting rid of you. But we know that getting past the interview stage is hard, so actually getting an apprenticeship is huge. So don't share this information with people at work I actually almost lost my job because of this, so this is a BIG tip. 9. Speed, Run and Sweat. When grabbing a tool for the plumber. Let’s say it’s in the work car and your coming from the back yard of the customers property. Run to get it, walking to go get the tool, will annoy the plumber since they will be waiting for you. When digging a hole you will be slow, go as fast as you can, is suitable. There is a technique to it so learn that. And be careful not to break any pipes. All I can say is as a first year your job is to make the plumbers lives easier. Your basically a digger or there assistant until they decide to teach you something or your further along (3rd year probably). Where they will have someone else by this time as a first year apprentice to do the digging and assisting. I will reply/ or edit if I can think of any more. I would say there is obvious advice to give like don't be rude or argue or whatever but I think you would know that.
If my apprentices “ran” to get tools I’d probably laugh my ass off. There’s nothing wrong with a brisk walk or an obvious sense or urgency while not running, that’s not even safe practice in some of the environments we work in. Kind of a ridiculous piece of advice from an apprentice. Go figure
@@joshuasmith8316 If anything I've been taught by my journeyman to walk briskly and NOT run. Boots have tough soles but the pressure of slamming a foot down on a nail can easily lead to a hospital trip. Or you could roll an ankle, or you could slip and fall, break something, so many ways it can go wrong when seemingly simple. If a journeyman expects that, they aren't someone who should be teaching you if they're foregoing basic safety. Same with asking questions. It depends on the journeyman. Some are there to work and have a hand. Most I work with give me tasks and tell me to ask questions as needed (but obviously asking the same question over and over over time will get to be a bit much, you still have to learn).
I'm a journeywoman dressmaker, and "measure twice, cut once" rings true to me as well. It's so much easier to get good results if you take your time to do your preparations properly, rather than having to deal with the consequences that _will_ come later! I know nothing about plumbing, but I enjoy your channel a lot. Your experience and dedication to your craft shows!
I was thinking that as horticulture gardeners, this is one general advice that doesn't apply to us. When you cut or water plants, it's never an exact science and you always eyeball it, depending on how the plants are growing. But we do have one thing where it's extremely important, which is measuring fertilizer and pesticides. A decimal error in one direction means you accomplished nothing (1/10th the right amount), a decimal error in the other direction means you killed the whole crop and possibly caused an environmental disaster.
I'm an ex warehouse worker that went to trade plumbing then to commercial plumbing warehouse! And I can tell you that the advice your giving is true and straight! Thank you for always being real!
As a home owner and a red seal hvac tech I love watching your videos as i do tend to cross trades a little bit and its good to be able to pick up what I need to know from someone who knows what they are talking about. Please keep the videos coming
Call them sir right back. I call all my co-workers sir/ma'am pretty regularly. Doesn't matter whether they're the new guy, the president, the janitor, the clerk, you can give the respect due any adult and say "sir". (Modern gender sensibilities apply, if someone is NB or similar, ask them what to say instead.)
I never thought myself as a 29 year old that can barely tell the difference between a monkey wrench or a thumb wench would see myself subscribing to such a channel keep up the good work you are a good teacher and a good entertainer.
You hit the nail on the head with your list. Already having a strong work ethic helps as well. I always strive to make my work area cleaner than when I got there too.
I like your videos, I would say to people just starting plumbing, to be proactive and follow your 10 tips and they will be fine, everything else will come in time
Be thankful!!! I was out getting my vehicle repaired and something was gotten loose, the mechanic has worked in the trade for over 30 years and was struggling on getting that part to be mounted again. I had struggled with an equal type of problem, but in woodworking and suggested a technique, I had used often. He tried and it was fixed in no time. He thanked me "I didn't know that, thanks". This is how you odd to be, never be scared to be thankful for any advice, even if the advice comes from some, no nothing, idiot. :-)
I've been an apprentice for about 3 months give or take now, and I absolutely love it. I'm learning from a master plumber who only has me working with him, he lets me get hands on training with tools, teaches me tools, waste and vent, and his passion for it got me so intrigued that it got to the point where I started YouTubing plumbing, something I never thought I'd do. So glad I found your channel I've been watching for about a week now and your videos are so awesome. Thanks for what you do man keep it up 💪🏼💪🏼
Good video Mr.Wakefield,the part about learning to listen is a really big tip.I once called a guy to do a plumbing job for me,I needed to have a copper pipe cut and capped off.The guy cut the copper pipe and cleaned the copper pipe but the one thing the guy neglected to do was to debur and ream the copper pipe.I brought that to the guy's attention and the guy said that he didn't see any need to debur and ream the copper pipe since it was being capped off.The guy caught a major attitude with me because I told the guy that although I wanted the copper pipe capped off I might very well be using the copper pipe for a future connection.I'm not talking about some shmo that I hired off of the street,I'm talking about a so-called "professional contractor".If the guy neglected to debur and ream the copper pipe all because in his mind the copper pipe was simply being capped off I can't help but wonder what other steps the guy might neglect in doing other jobs.It's not as if the guy wasn't charging enough to cap off the copper pipe for me,so you know what?I'll do my own plumbing repairs and avoid hassles because I shouldn't have to tell anybody how to do their job properly,people,especially people that like calling themselves professionals should know what they need to know and do to do the job the right way.
Starting my apprenticeship in a couple weeks. I’ve been watching your videos for years now, but have definitely picked up the frequency recently! Thanks for continuing to put out real quality content!
Freedom Guy it took me that long. I almost had an apprenticeship two years ago, but I had a verbal commitment for two years at my other job that I had to fulfill, and the hours conflicted slightly. So I became a maintenance tech for an apartment community for two years, to work off that time in a spot where I could gain a few more skills, and now that I have completed my previous commitment, I went out and finally got one!
mattjfries Okay interesting!. I know that there are waiting periods sometimes. I am moving to Oklahoma soon and will be looking to become an apprentice and not sure what to expect. Thanks for replying.
That’s awesome! I was originally going to go with the union or ABC, but since they both have schools, they aren’t opening until phase 4 here in Nevada. I ended up finding a couple open shop companies on Indeed, and went with the company that seemed more interested in my growth and licensure
My first job out of high school was in a restaurant that job helped me so much to be on time and listen to repeat. All the calls for plates and dishes and repeating the calls helped so much
As a journeyman. I always inform my apprentice to ask me a question if they are not sure. Because, sometimes, I can be wrong or made a mistake. We all are human and mistakes happens. Good video. Please educate some of those "expert" journeyman.
PLEASE READ THE WHOLE COMMENT! You know, I've watched a few of your videos now (literally bringing tonight) and I officially have a new respect for your profession, idk if ita just you or plumbers in general but as an engineer (by education) and a scientist by trade (meaning went to school for materials science and engineering and am currently working as a scientist in biopharma) I was honestly very impressed by not only your knowledge of way to fix the issues but specifically by the science behind the issues and how to fix them in some of the videos i saw. I didn't necessarily think that the plumbers really knew the science behind the issues or the fixes but I have been very impressed and surprised. Maybe I was just ignorant or maybe you are an exception but either way, way to go, I think your a great plumber and I would probably hire you if I lived in Texas even if I knew how to fix it myself just because I was impressed by your knowledge and expertise goos job sir, keep doing your best and I hope for all the success for you!
I started in January, 1st yr apprentice union side out in Boise Idaho, my journeyman is the best he shows me everything and then tells me to do the next one so I’m getting lot of experience
I’ve been an apprentice for a 1yr 3months now and my biggest problem was learning to slow down, pre-covid we were working 10-14 hour days Monday through Saturday sometimes Sunday’s plumbing was not what I expected but I’m glad I’m in this trade.
I’m 27. I start my service apprenticeship in January. Couldn’t be more excited to get to work. It’s going to be a great move for my family. These videos are great at showing what to expect. To be honest, it’s just making me more excited. Keep up the awesome content.
@@efrainhernandez1671 great. Out on my own with a service company now. I mainly install water heater and do water service repairs. Everyday learning and asking questions, but it’s been great.
That’s good to hear I am a carpenter in the union and I will journey out this year.. so I am hesitate to switch books but I am the type of guy that wants to keep learning and now I want to sign up for plumbing and electrician this year to see if I can get in. I’ve also ran in to an application for stationary engineering. Soo I am supper excited to learn more as I will make more money in the long run with these careers. Wht area in the United States are you in I am in Californian Bay Area based
The beautiful part of service is after 35 years my boss still runs into things that shock him. I’ve been in service for 12 years myself, and at least once a week I find something new.
1. Know how to turn the water off 2. Dont use the wrong fittings 3. Use the right tools 4. Do NOT over tighten 5. Measure 2x cut 1 6. Teflon tape goes one direction 7. Learn to listen 8. Always be on time 9. protect your work area 10. Never stop learning BONUS STAY OFF YOUR PHONE
Not a plumber but truck driver and other jobs was always taught if you're early you're on time if on time you're late, if late (truck drivers) we will get to you eventually, other jobs was if late don't bother showing up.
I'm a maintenance supervisor for a big commercial property management company in st louis mo. i always tell the new guys "there's no such thing as a stupid question". That and when i do explain it to them, I make sure they completely understand. We do a lot of stuff that a regular person has never even seen before. So sometimes everything they are doing is all new to them. I want them to have a good grasp of it before I send them out blind to a job. Its better for me to spend the extra 5 minutes to explain than to have them do it wrong and waste time and materials and then i still have to re do it.
My ten mistakes new Mechanics make. 1. Learn to disconnect the battery. 2. Don't use the wrong fittings. 3. Use the right tools. SAE measurements is different to Metric. (But remember everything has a hammer side.) 4. Dont over tighten. Follow the directions for torque specs.. 5. Measure and map when rebuilding an engine. Just because the book says it should such and such size doesn't mean it will be. Things wear out. Account for it. 6. Main bearings goes on in only one way. 7. Learn to listen. Listen to the boss. The Mechanic. The technician. The Costumer. Listen. 8. Be on time. But don't give a finish time. You dont not know what problems pop up. 9. Protect your tools. That inpact is your life. As far as the work area. Yea it's a mechanic shop. Use your forearm to sweep it all into the trash. If we're gonna be honest. It's gonna be coke cans, candy wrappers, and chip bags. 10. Never stop learning. My point in this is that this advise works for all the trades. I love it Roger! Bonus. Put your phone in yer car. Or it goes in the shop safe till work day ends.
I am an apprentice myself and everything that was said is true and important and something I was told in my time at plumbing school was "the sign of a good plumber is that you can not tell that they were ever there once the job is done."
Been watching your videos since today. I'm old school myself, I was taught by old school plumbers, was smart enough to always ask ?'s, and learn things from all of them including the bad ones, on what not to do. I've got stories out the yhazoo. What does every apprentice say she you tell " shut the water off"!? What!???
First year apprentice here. Starting out my biggest issue was being eagar to help and learn but not always knowing what to do. Best advice I got was always having my handtools and a sharpie. Be at the ready for any cuts to be made and as you gain more experience and can look forward into the task at hand have all the fittings and tools ready before your journeyman asks👌
Addingg to number 1: Make sure the Valve works and is not corroded or jammed. Adding to number 3: You can also seriously hurt yourself. A coworker of mine once tried to cut a PVC-Pipe with a cutter knife. The blade broke of and he almoust cut his thumb completly off with it. The hand saw was about 2ft. away from him in the tool bag.o.O Number 4: As we german plumbers say: Directly after totally fasten comes total burst. Adding to number 6: Remeber that you must not turn teflon band threads in the other direction even one bit or it will leak for sure. Love your videos. got my abo.
Hi Roger I work as a Process Control and Instrumentation Mechanic. This video gave me a good laugh thanks. I especially liked the part at the end about the staying off the cell phone. They don't make apprentices like they used to. Every year I see a new batch of apprentices come through my place of work, and each year we lucky if 10% of those apprentices are eager and willing to learn and work. Much appreciated, I enjoy your videos & thanks again. 👍🏻
This man speaks my language, and I don't mean plumbing. Regardless of profession, everyone worth their salt continues to learn. If anyone tells me that they know everything, I know that I should immediately stop taking their advice. Keep up the good content, Roger!
3rd year union plumbing apprentice here. Very happy that I'm nailing all these points. It makes me feel better and know that I'm doing what I should. I only bring my phone to site if asked to for communication purposes, or if I need to take pictures of prints or maps to help me identify areas on a large site. I once was scolded by a Journeyman for using my phone to look at prints I took a pic of because a supervisor was around us. He was brusque about it but was nice enough to apologize 5 minutes later as he knew the only reason I use my phone is for informational purposes. He said nobody else would believe that's all I use my phone for if they saw it in my hand, as everybody else is usually goofing on their phones. It blows my mind how many people do that on site. Usually, I keep mine in my truck.
This is a really good video! I knew 99% of this, but it was good to hear again! I've been helping my uncle do contracting for a while. And part of that's plumbing. I'm 17 and I'm an apprentice. Your videos really do help!
Love my job! On lunch I look for new Roger videos. Today I found a 3/4 coupling leak in our upunour main. Pressurized the pipe and sprayed each joint looking for bubbles. Always learning
An apprentice also needs to know how to turn the water off because on a job with multiple trades if they make a mistake and break or cut a pressure line theyre likely to be urgently looking for the first "plumber" they can find.
That last part was pretty funny, I remember one of my Forman’s use to play Pokémon while he sat in his car and he would go outside and walk around playing it.
From what I watched, you covered everything that Ive encountered when I was in the field. One thing I did notice too and again in my area much people dont have the patience for you to learn [Guess thats when the listen to learn kicks in] Surprisingly though I learned ALOT in a span of almost two years, and use that to help people fix leaks, drain issues, or installing products. Knowing and learning about plumbing has made me much money lately [Not side work]. Your videos are great, hopefully we see many more!
Using the right tool. I had a guy installing a hot water baseboard heating system. He was clearly upset; it turned out he needed a socket set to install (something) but someone had taken the set out of his truck, so he was going to have to drive back to the shop and get one, nearly an hour turnaround. (Kudos to the guy for not using the wrong tool!) I asked what size socket he needed; he said "oh, thank you, but you won't have it - I need a 1" deep-well socket, ideally half-inch drive." Oh, ok, well, let me see what I can find. And about a minute later handed him a 1" deep-well socket on a half-inch ratchet, with an 18" breaker bar for good measure. I'm a hardcore DIY'er and shadetree auto mechanic; if you have to be caught short somewhere without some critical tool, my house is a pretty good place to do that. :-)
Ask questions. I'd rather my apprentice ask me questions they may seem minor, like how much putty goes on a basket strainer than be too afraid of interrupting me. Sometimes I get into a flow and I might think the steps out and not verbally inform them why I'm doing x instead of y (clear primer vs purple on pvc).
Not a plumber but in the tradesworld, i've learned that thought pattern only works when you are surrounded with other like-minded people. Otherwise you always get chosen for the most jobs/worst jobs. Or get taken advantage of the most. And usually without a the right pay to compensate.
Is it weird I watched this and I'm a Photographer and alot of the things you have said I've taken on board learning from different trades can also better your knowledge too if that makes sense :D
as an apprentice First thing in the morning check inventory/clean truck I Drive the journeyman to job site I turn off the water and open the hose till the water streams out Please don’t forget to turn off water I only made this comment on the importance of checking water I am an apprentice myself and have cut a pipe without turning off the water
I just recently started plumbing. I’ve done few rehab works but diving into plumbing was one of the best decisions ever. I work with Matrix Construction Service and I can say I have a really good teacher. Old school plumber y’all actually look alike
I must admit I couldn't sleep at night if there was any potential for a bathroom I've fitted flooding a house here in the UK they're usually all upstairs so potential damage is incredible,, so always double check everything even treble quadruple on inaccessible fittings, go belt and braces use the pastes or ptfe tape wherever possible and most importantly if it isn't broken don't think it will be easy to replace with modern measures,, if potentially it will fail in 20 years then you will have to tackle it
I just saw this video and I don't know if there's an update on it. Sometihing that I consider important is to prevent customer's property from fire. If the job being done includes spark generation and/or open flame, it is important to protect the surrounding from sparks and have a safe handling of the torch. Always having an extinguiser handy and ready is a must.
I've been a private chef for going on 15 years and with Certain Uncertainty.... i've decided to jump into a trade and chose plumbing much for the same reason i chose to cook..... People always gonna eat..... People always gonna Need a Bathroom/Plumbing in the home. Thanks for these videos!! Just Subscribed!
One of my favorite memories from a recent position I held at work, we were installing new ice machines, so I was adding fittings to existing water lines, When I turned on the water I noticed that a fitting I had added was leaking very slightly, not at the fitting I had added, but at a original fitting that was capped off. So I got the bright idea that maybe I should tighten the nipple I had attached to said fitting. Two turns later the entire fitting I was screwing into exploded, thankfully I did the proper thing when I started and added a ball valve. I shut the water off at the ball valve picked the fitting up, and noticed that someone had used silicon "Or something" at one point to stop a slow leak. Since I was behind all the vending machines in the break room for this job I got completely soaked I went back in my bosses office threw the fitting on his desk, and he just said "You're having the best kind of day aren't you." The sad thing was someone I worked with knew the guy he thought would had done something like that, he sent him a picture of the broke fitting where you could see all the silicon. He asked "Did you do this". Guy responded with "I was saving the company money"
Thanks for all the tips of the trade. I appreciate your knowledge and that's right always keep learning. You are the only person who holds you back from becoming a great person in whatever you make a living in.
Tip. Don't get "just enough" fittings - "let's see, I need three 90's, two 45's and a coupling". Figure out what you need and get that, obviously, but bring along some extras too. Save yourself a trip back out to the truck for one more fitting you didn't know you'd need. Possibly more than one trip. Another tip - dealing with plastic pipe indoors, bring some kind of small work surface to put under your priming & gluing operation. Cardboard, a square of vinyl flooring, something, anything, to reduce the chance of accidentally staining the customer's floor etc.
Know the difference between hot water and cold water lines with water heater installation. Learning why and when to use street fitting. Biggest one is the direction of water flow (seems common knowledge right lol)
I take the "if you're on time you're already late" seriously. A few guys live by my boss but I live kinda far from him so I don't meet at his house I meet at our job sites and I always show up at least 30min before him. When he shows up he's ready to get to work so I like arriving early to see exactly what we're doing and get my bags ready accordingly. I'm about a year into my apprenticeship and even some builders are used to me arriving early.
That example of a tee vs combo on its back has caused me to go back and rip out work many a time. I've explained this to many apprentices. Frustrating to say the least.
The teflon tape advice it really seems obvious i use teflon tape on all by airline fittings except for tge j.i.c. fittings but ive known teflon isnt sticky like other tape so i just went in the direction ill be tightening the fitting on most of this is common sense if one stops and thinks about the tool or fitting they are gonna use but its always good to have that info out there that just reaffirmed my use of teflon lol thanks bud!
Not a plumber but a apprentice finish carpenter and a small cell tech but ask questions not asking questions is the biggest down fall even if they're repeated ask until you learn the answer by heart
You don’t know me and I don’t know you but you have taught me so much and for that I am greatful and have a lot of respect for you and the job you do, now I’m curious about apprenticeing. Can you do a video on becoming one. Plumbing looks like a gross dirty fun and miserable job. Sounds like something for me. Though I disagree with the handyman hate, mostly because I am one but mostly because I’m looking for a trade that I enjoy. For some reason this excites me and interests me to a degree I wanna further my knowledge and learn a great trade.
Any tips you experienced plumbers want to add?
They must ask more questions,that way we as journeymen can tell by the way they ask questions that they are interested in this trade or not.
If you really don’t know what I ask just tell me
A year of apprenticeship with you will definitely help me become a better plumber.
You're absolutely right about showing up on time. If I can add to that, most importantly is to just show up. Show up every day. To me, that's half the battle. As long as the apprentice shows up everyday, they can be taught and they can learn. Everyday you don't show up, your 8 hrs behind and it takes that much longer to catch up. Just show up everyday. It's just so much easier. For everyone
i have a nephew that thinks hes phone is more importian than hes job where i agree on your video
Measure twice, cut once. That has been the 'This Old House' mantra from day one. Has served me well for over 50 years.
What about Plumbers that race to finish a job, only to get call backs? Good work isn't always fast. Take the time to do it right, the first time.
I worked at a place that all ways pushed appointments and wanted you to smash out every job, nothing but issues. I went to a commercial gig and quality comes before speed. There happy when a job gets smashed out and just as happy if it's done right and passed inspection!
Lol my apartments had all the toilets replaced and a week later they had water shut off for 2 days during business hours because a lot of the apartments started leaking from the toilets
I have two stories for that one. First, the handyman that my apartment complex employed would consistently have to come back and fix whatever he broke in trying to fix the original problem, if he fixed it at all. The first time, my shower wouldn't turn on. The faucet worked fine, but pulling the diverter wouldn't turn the shower head on. So he fixed that, but somehow broke the shower tap. I could spin it freely 360 degrees, and the water would never get warm, let alone hot. He semi-fixed that one, but it stayed finicky for the rest of the time I lived in that apartment.
Another time he came out it was because the bathroom fan died. He got up on the counter (didn't even wipe his shoes) and installed it, and left without testing it. When you flipped the switch, there was a slight buzz, but no identifiable fan sound. So he had to come back, and apparently clear a blockage that he hadn't noticed before. Could I have done some of this myself? Maybe, with a little know-how. But my lease specifically stated that I had to contact the housing office and let their handymen do the work. I couldn't even hire somebody myself.
I don't miss that place.
The other story was when I was starting my last job. It got drilled into us just how much it cost both the company and the customer to perform rework, and how much worse it got the later the rework had to be done. They went into the pay of the operators who had to remove the defective work and then reinstall correct parts, the cost of the parts themselves, including the now wasted ones, and the pay of the QA inspectors who had to write up the defect and then reinspect the new work. And all of this is logged for the customer and the government to look at. I think one trainer summed it up as spending five extra minutes can save hours, even days.
I agree but still thats easy for you to say when your sitting in your house judging while im outside in 105 degree whether running gas pipe or digging, sloping a sewer with gravel...
I been Plumbing for 20 years, son.
Tip to a new guy, Don’t say you know how to do something when you don’t. I’ve had helpers go say they know something, mess it up, and then sometimes not even admit to it and I have to find out later that something went wrong.
Deffo if you don't know or aren't sure just ask before and after to check it's OK. You're not going to abuse for not knowing or double checking, you mess something up you said you knew how to do, you WILL get abuse and possibly lose ya job or both
Helpers or plumber trainee? Helpers are not certified to do any plumbing work at all anyways
"Measure it, mark it, measure it again right before you cut it."
This is very important and also true with woodworking or anything else where you're cutting materials. The first measure is to make a mark where you want it. The second measure is to see how close your pencil mark is to what you intended. Only then will you know if you need to: a) cut the pencil mark off, leave the pencil mark, cut the mark in half, etc, to make the final material exactly the length you need it.
Measure twice and cut it once
I start my apprenticeship in a few weeks. I'm so excited, I can't wait. Been watching your videos for like 6 months leading up to this. I'm going for apprentice of the year. Wish me luck! 💪
Good luck, man! Next month will be 1 year since I started my apprenticeship and I wish I knew about this channel when I started 😅 If you're already doing studying before starting, you're off to a better start than I had
How did you get into your apprenticeship? Did you tale any classes first or did you find a company to take you on? I know basics of plumbing like installing faucets, toilets and changing out shutoff valves. Residential plumbing seems like something i would enjoy doing. Congrats btw..
Good luck, 20yrs in and my body is fucked😢
@@Mixwell1983 @mixwell1983 through the union. I had to pass a math test and do an interview with the board. They said they take the people with the best scores on the test depending on how much work they for that year but the math test was pretty easy. I know nothing about plumbing but you get extra credit if you have any prior experience. The union is commercial construction though, not residential. And thanks!
Check out Got2Learn, he's a canadian plumber with a bunch of tips I've used myself.
You miss a very important aspect respective of small "mom & pop" businesses. If you're not family your progression is capped from the outset. Learn with leaving to start your own business in mind.
YES! The only way to financially secure in this industry is to work for yourself.
other side of the coin: if you're an instructor, train your replacement, so you can retire.
I agree
When in a customers home and there are priceless valuables around that can break, before starting the job ask the homeowner to move them to another location so they won’t be accidentally broken and you won’t have a major cost in replacing that item.
In my second month of apprenticeship and one thing I learned right off the bat was you can't hide a leak take your time do it right the first time
Have been plumbing for nearly 10 years. I am in charge of running some pretty big commercial new construction. This does not just apply to apprentices, this applies to all.
I tell all my guys, Foreman is just a title, just like Apprentice. All my title means is that I have more responsibilities.
I will never stop learning from my guys. Will always listen to them, and most importantly, will look ways to make things safer and easier.
Sounds like a great boss 👍 keep up the good work.
Man I wish I had a boss like you
Good saying
That's good advice. I've been in this field for almost 10 years myself. I had my apprentice call me out on something last week that wound up saving us a lot of time. Never be too proud to listen to someone else if they have an idea. You might just learn something!
I'm not going to be able to make it in tomorrow boss. The snow is pretty bad.
I’m a apprentice plumber just started 7 months ago and i don’t do any of these any more I have to admit I did basically all of them at one point
Always put back tools where you got them from. Always clean your tools when they get dirty. If you showed up to the job with clean tools you should leave with clean tools. Make sure your parts always stay organized. You only have to look in one place for that part. Why spend extra time in the back of a hot van? Make sure to lock the van up every time you get out of it. It only takes a few seconds to open a door and walk away with something worth 1000s
Clean ur tools??
first thing any new apprentice should do: organize the truck. that way you can find everything, and you'll be irreplaceable.
Love the advice, breaking into the construction culture from the office has been a huge change. I never had an exact specific time I needed to be in the office, nor did anyone care if you were on your phone, it was more about how efficent you were with your time and overall how productive you are. In construction I have found alot of senior people that are early and lazy are looked at in higher esteem although their output is significantly less than their juniors. It's facinating that people are much more sensitive and emotional in construction, and appearances mean more than the product as an employee at times.
I'm a helper, but me personally I like being organized and keep my tools close at all times and area clean, my mechanic on the other hand is the opposite. Most of the time he doesn't know where his tools are at, loses his markers and never has a measuring tape on him. This is for hvac/R but I enjoy following your channel.
Learn to read your installer's mind. In the sense that as you learn the processes you'll know what things to hand them before they ask for it. That's super helpful.
I told my apprentice this the other day. Ill know when you're finally getting it when I dont have to ask you for what I need.
@@whydoesyoutubehaveahandlenow you’re a good man to work with I sense it
Tip: Your boss shouldn't know what kind of phone you have
I hate carrying phones bc the boss can call every half hour or the secretary, I always tell them I'll call if I run into problems , just dont like being bothered while I'm working
If I am under some one with a phone, I don't need mine for any reason except for him/her to call me. And if I am by their side, they don't call me on the phone. I typically hand a radio to my workers at the beginning of the day and recharge it at night. It is faster than a phone and they don't have to empty their hands or take gloves off to hear my instruction.
True.
I’d say it’s more that you shouldn’t ever have your phone out around your boss. Not so much about the boss calling you because that can lead you them thinking you’re just unavailable and you either miss an opportunity or worse they take it as you ignoring their authority. Neither are good.
I prefer having my phone if something happens say if ur co worker collapses on the ground like i did during a safety meetin awhile back lol the timing
I've been an apprentice for a month now, and the biggest things I have learned is this.
1. Customer service is huge for obvious reasons, be polite to them and always try to get them to talk to the other plumbers. If they are asking you questions about something or have any concerns and you have the answers to them, do not answer them. As a first year just always say "(plumber's name) knows more about this, I recommend talking to them". This will mean you don't mess up and the plumber teaching you isn't concerned to what you are saying to the customer. Your job as a first year apprentice is to dig and assist.
2. Taking initiative. Do not do this, you know nothing, so do not do it. If you have nothing to do and see something that needs to be done, ask your plumber if they would like you to do it. Even if its something like sweeping they might have something else in mind for you to do. If its something plumbing related doing it can miss it up.
3. Listen to repeat. Very difficult to follow this one. Typically a plumber might ask you to do something as you are doing something (like digging a hole) then they are leaving to go do something else before you having time to repeat what they have said to you. If they are some distance away doing there work going up to them to repeat what they have told you makes it seem like you didn't hear them or seem dumb. Only listen to repeat if they are right next to you, this way its not bothering them.
4. Asking questions. Ask away in the first week, after that and your in the thick of things they only want you to dig, and to assist with clean up or grabbing them tools, that's it, you asking them questions and its bothering them to work. If they are showing you how to lets say glue pipe, ask them questions there, this is where they are teaching you so you may ask questions.
5. Use your phone. In this age using your phone is an important tool that you should use. Obviously if your using it to do something not related to work, that's an obvious no no where ever you work. Use it to contact other plumbers, for advice or help. Take photos of what you have done, this will allow you to remember jobs that you have done for learning purposes or to use in conversation if asked about it. Take notes on things that are standard practice, or need to remember, such as addresses where you worked
6. Create a work diary, this makes life so much easier when learning or giving info on what you done
7. Drug up. You are doing hard labor, in sometimes ruff conditions. The last thing your boss wants is you getting sick. Have plenty of water and medication (For Australia Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, are really good). Use medication appropriately anything to keep the cold away like sore throat lozenges. Ointment for those cuts you will have. These could easily get infected with the kind of environment you will be working in. If you end up suffering from cramps which you most likely will then you will need to start taking magnesium or electrolyte pills, this will keep you from having cramps, since you get them from a deficiency in magnesium and electrolytes, (Powerade will not help I recommend getting something from the chemist). Or adding mineral salt to drinking water which can also help.
8. Don't share job opportunity's. If you are starting out in an apprenticeship. And you get a phone call from another company about offering you an interview for there apprenticeship. Do not share this info to your current employer or other employees, turn it down because obviously because you already have an apprenticeship, but if your other workers know you have an opportunity else where and don't like you then they will more likely try to get rid of you since from there perspective you have opportunities else where so they wont feel bad getting rid of you. But we know that getting past the interview stage is hard, so actually getting an apprenticeship is huge. So don't share this information with people at work I actually almost lost my job because of this, so this is a BIG tip.
9. Speed, Run and Sweat. When grabbing a tool for the plumber. Let’s say it’s in the work car and your coming from the back yard of the customers property. Run to get it, walking to go get the tool, will annoy the plumber since they will be waiting for you. When digging a hole you will be slow, go as fast as you can, is suitable. There is a technique to it so learn that. And be careful not to break any pipes.
All I can say is as a first year your job is to make the plumbers lives easier. Your basically a digger or there assistant until they decide to teach you something or your further along (3rd year probably). Where they will have someone else by this time as a first year apprentice to do the digging and assisting.
I will reply/ or edit if I can think of any more. I would say there is obvious advice to give like don't be rude or argue or whatever but I think you would know that.
If my apprentices “ran” to get tools I’d probably laugh my ass off. There’s nothing wrong with a brisk walk or an obvious sense or urgency while not running, that’s not even safe practice in some of the environments we work in. Kind of a ridiculous piece of advice from an apprentice. Go figure
@@joshuasmith8316 If anything I've been taught by my journeyman to walk briskly and NOT run. Boots have tough soles but the pressure of slamming a foot down on a nail can easily lead to a hospital trip. Or you could roll an ankle, or you could slip and fall, break something, so many ways it can go wrong when seemingly simple. If a journeyman expects that, they aren't someone who should be teaching you if they're foregoing basic safety.
Same with asking questions. It depends on the journeyman. Some are there to work and have a hand. Most I work with give me tasks and tell me to ask questions as needed (but obviously asking the same question over and over over time will get to be a bit much, you still have to learn).
I'm a journeywoman dressmaker, and "measure twice, cut once" rings true to me as well. It's so much easier to get good results if you take your time to do your preparations properly, rather than having to deal with the consequences that _will_ come later!
I know nothing about plumbing, but I enjoy your channel a lot. Your experience and dedication to your craft shows!
I was thinking that as horticulture gardeners, this is one general advice that doesn't apply to us. When you cut or water plants, it's never an exact science and you always eyeball it, depending on how the plants are growing.
But we do have one thing where it's extremely important, which is measuring fertilizer and pesticides. A decimal error in one direction means you accomplished nothing (1/10th the right amount), a decimal error in the other direction means you killed the whole crop and possibly caused an environmental disaster.
I'm an ex warehouse worker that went to trade plumbing then to commercial plumbing warehouse! And I can tell you that the advice your giving is true and straight! Thank you for always being real!
As a home owner and a red seal hvac tech I love watching your videos as i do tend to cross trades a little bit and its good to be able to pick up what I need to know from someone who knows what they are talking about. Please keep the videos coming
6:12 This is how you do it!
"Alright, 2" pipe, I need a 6 and 3/4" piece "
"Yessir, 6 and 3/4" on 2" coming right up"
I'd hate for my helpers to call me sir
Call them sir right back. I call all my co-workers sir/ma'am pretty regularly. Doesn't matter whether they're the new guy, the president, the janitor, the clerk, you can give the respect due any adult and say "sir". (Modern gender sensibilities apply, if someone is NB or similar, ask them what to say instead.)
Roger is like Larry Lawton but as a plumber.
He is thank you for saying that
They're like the same people but each one went on a different path but only to end up helping others
THAT’S why a video was recommended and I’ve learned so much about plumbing.
Lol
We always turn the water off when we do anything with CPVC
Don't say that name 🤢
Yep just today I had to replace a leaking Pressure reducing valve on CPVC . First thing I did was turn the water off at the meter.
Should always turn the water off regardless of what material it is.
@@jzsbYT negative. why should you turn the water off if you are replacing a p trap or anything along those lines
I never thought myself as a 29 year old that can barely tell the difference between a monkey wrench or a thumb wench would see myself subscribing to such a channel keep up the good work you are a good teacher and a good entertainer.
You hit the nail on the head with your list. Already having a strong work ethic helps as well. I always strive to make my work area cleaner than when I got there too.
I like your videos, I would say to people just starting plumbing, to be proactive and follow your 10 tips and they will be fine, everything else will come in time
Be thankful!!! I was out getting my vehicle repaired and something was gotten loose, the mechanic has worked in the trade for over 30 years and was struggling on getting that part to be mounted again. I had struggled with an equal type of problem, but in woodworking and suggested a technique, I had used often. He tried and it was fixed in no time. He thanked me "I didn't know that, thanks". This is how you odd to be, never be scared to be thankful for any advice, even if the advice comes from some, no nothing, idiot. :-)
I've been an apprentice for about 3 months give or take now, and I absolutely love it. I'm learning from a master plumber who only has me working with him, he lets me get hands on training with tools, teaches me tools, waste and vent, and his passion for it got me so intrigued that it got to the point where I started YouTubing plumbing, something I never thought I'd do. So glad I found your channel I've been watching for about a week now and your videos are so awesome. Thanks for what you do man keep it up 💪🏼💪🏼
Hey man how your plumbing journey going so far?? I would love to hear how’s it’s going for you man, glad to see u love it dud!!!
Good video Mr.Wakefield,the part about learning to listen is a really big tip.I once called a guy to do a plumbing job for me,I needed to have a copper pipe cut and capped off.The guy cut the copper pipe and cleaned the copper pipe but the one thing the guy neglected to do was to debur and ream the copper pipe.I brought that to the guy's attention and the guy said that he didn't see any need to debur and ream the copper pipe since it was being capped off.The guy caught a major attitude with me because I told the guy that although I wanted the copper pipe capped off I might very well be using the copper pipe for a future connection.I'm not talking about some shmo that I hired off of the street,I'm talking about a so-called "professional contractor".If the guy neglected to debur and ream the copper pipe all because in his mind the copper pipe was simply being capped off I can't help but wonder what other steps the guy might neglect in doing other jobs.It's not as if the guy wasn't charging enough to cap off the copper pipe for me,so you know what?I'll do my own plumbing repairs and avoid hassles because I shouldn't have to tell anybody how to do their job properly,people,especially people that like calling themselves professionals should know what they need to know and do to do the job the right way.
Starting my apprenticeship in a couple weeks. I’ve been watching your videos for years now, but have definitely picked up the frequency recently!
Thanks for continuing to put out real quality content!
Has it taken that long to get an apprenticeship or have you just recently decided to become one?.
Freedom Guy it took me that long. I almost had an apprenticeship two years ago, but I had a verbal commitment for two years at my other job that I had to fulfill, and the hours conflicted slightly. So I became a maintenance tech for an apartment community for two years, to work off that time in a spot where I could gain a few more skills, and now that I have completed my previous commitment, I went out and finally got one!
mattjfries Okay interesting!. I know that there are waiting periods sometimes. I am moving to Oklahoma soon and will be looking to become an apprentice and not sure what to expect. Thanks for replying.
That’s awesome! I was originally going to go with the union or ABC, but since they both have schools, they aren’t opening until phase 4 here in Nevada.
I ended up finding a couple open shop companies on Indeed, and went with the company that seemed more interested in my growth and licensure
How’s this working out?
My first job out of high school was in a restaurant that job helped me so much to be on time and listen to repeat. All the calls for plates and dishes and repeating the calls helped so much
His voice is so reassuring
As a journeyman. I always inform my apprentice to ask me a question if they are not sure. Because, sometimes, I can be wrong or made a mistake. We all are human and mistakes happens. Good video. Please educate some of those "expert" journeyman.
started changing water meters in 2019, considering taking the leap into plumbing. love all thinks water and plumbing
PLEASE READ THE WHOLE COMMENT!
You know, I've watched a few of your videos now (literally bringing tonight) and I officially have a new respect for your profession, idk if ita just you or plumbers in general but as an engineer (by education) and a scientist by trade (meaning went to school for materials science and engineering and am currently working as a scientist in biopharma) I was honestly very impressed by not only your knowledge of way to fix the issues but specifically by the science behind the issues and how to fix them in some of the videos i saw. I didn't necessarily think that the plumbers really knew the science behind the issues or the fixes but I have been very impressed and surprised. Maybe I was just ignorant or maybe you are an exception but either way, way to go, I think your a great plumber and I would probably hire you if I lived in Texas even if I knew how to fix it myself just because I was impressed by your knowledge and expertise goos job sir, keep doing your best and I hope for all the success for you!
I started in January, 1st yr apprentice union side out in Boise Idaho, my journeyman is the best he shows me everything and then tells me to do the next one so I’m getting lot of experience
Your editor is great😂 Always makes the videos have some humor.
I’ve been an apprentice for a 1yr 3months now and my biggest problem was learning to slow down, pre-covid we were working 10-14 hour days Monday through Saturday sometimes Sunday’s plumbing was not what I expected but I’m glad I’m in this trade.
I am reading my books and learning on the job every day and watching your videos.
The measure twice cut once is also for carpentry as well.
I’m 27. I start my service apprenticeship in January. Couldn’t be more excited to get to work. It’s going to be a great move for my family. These videos are great at showing what to expect. To be honest, it’s just making me more excited. Keep up the awesome content.
How’s your apprenticeship going ?
@@efrainhernandez1671 great. Out on my own with a service company now. I mainly install water heater and do water service repairs. Everyday learning and asking questions, but it’s been great.
That’s good to hear
I am a carpenter in the union and I will journey out this year.. so I am hesitate to switch books but I am the type of guy that wants to keep learning and now I want to sign up for plumbing and electrician this year to see if I can get in. I’ve also ran in to an application for stationary engineering. Soo I am supper excited to learn more as I will make more money in the long run with these careers. Wht area in the United States are you in
I am in Californian Bay Area based
@@efrainhernandez1671 Bay Area as well. Tri valley
The beautiful part of service is after 35 years my boss still runs into things that shock him. I’ve been in service for 12 years myself, and at least once a week I find something new.
Never knew plumbing could be so interesting =)
Yeah me too
Western plumbing was looks fun.
In Asia? lul swimming in septic tank was a normal
Yeah, but expect to be catching some crap on occasion!
Im not even a plumber and I love these videos I have learned a bit watching your videos .
1. Know how to turn the water off
2. Dont use the wrong fittings
3. Use the right tools
4. Do NOT over tighten
5. Measure 2x cut 1
6. Teflon tape goes one direction
7. Learn to listen
8. Always be on time
9. protect your work area
10. Never stop learning
BONUS
STAY OFF YOUR PHONE
Lol , the be on time one, ive always said to apprentices “ go out with the boys, get up with the men “
Not a plumber but truck driver and other jobs was always taught if you're early you're on time if on time you're late, if late (truck drivers) we will get to you eventually, other jobs was if late don't bother showing up.
I love your way of making plumbing videos...love from india..❤️❤️
I'm a maintenance supervisor for a big commercial property management company in st louis mo. i always tell the new guys "there's no such thing as a stupid question". That and when i do explain it to them, I make sure they completely understand. We do a lot of stuff that a regular person has never even seen before. So sometimes everything they are doing is all new to them. I want them to have a good grasp of it before I send them out blind to a job. Its better for me to spend the extra 5 minutes to explain than to have them do it wrong and waste time and materials and then i still have to re do it.
My ten mistakes new Mechanics make.
1. Learn to disconnect the battery.
2. Don't use the wrong fittings.
3. Use the right tools. SAE measurements is different to Metric. (But remember everything has a hammer side.)
4. Dont over tighten. Follow the directions for torque specs..
5. Measure and map when rebuilding an engine. Just because the book says it should such and such size doesn't mean it will be. Things wear out. Account for it.
6. Main bearings goes on in only one way.
7. Learn to listen. Listen to the boss. The Mechanic. The technician. The Costumer. Listen.
8. Be on time. But don't give a finish time. You dont not know what problems pop up.
9. Protect your tools. That inpact is your life. As far as the work area. Yea it's a mechanic shop. Use your forearm to sweep it all into the trash. If we're gonna be honest. It's gonna be coke cans, candy wrappers, and chip bags.
10. Never stop learning.
My point in this is that this advise works for all the trades. I love it Roger!
Bonus. Put your phone in yer car. Or it goes in the shop safe till work day ends.
I love all the little edits. Its also fun to watch these videos
I am an apprentice myself and everything that was said is true and important and something I was told in my time at plumbing school was "the sign of a good plumber is that you can not tell that they were ever there once the job is done."
Thank you Roger Wakefield, some of these tips can be used in other fields.
Been watching your videos since today. I'm old school myself, I was taught by old school plumbers, was smart enough to always ask ?'s, and learn things from all of them including the bad ones, on what not to do. I've got stories out the yhazoo. What does every apprentice say she you tell " shut the water off"!? What!???
First year apprentice here. Starting out my biggest issue was being eagar to help and learn but not always knowing what to do. Best advice I got was always having my handtools and a sharpie. Be at the ready for any cuts to be made and as you gain more experience and can look forward into the task at hand have all the fittings and tools ready before your journeyman asks👌
Addingg to number 1: Make sure the Valve works and is not corroded or jammed.
Adding to number 3: You can also seriously hurt yourself. A coworker of mine once tried to cut a PVC-Pipe with a cutter knife. The blade broke of and he almoust cut his thumb completly off with it. The hand saw was about 2ft. away from him in the tool bag.o.O
Number 4: As we german plumbers say: Directly after totally fasten comes total burst.
Adding to number 6: Remeber that you must not turn teflon band threads in the other direction even one bit or it will leak for sure.
Love your videos. got my abo.
Hi Roger I work as a Process Control and Instrumentation Mechanic. This video gave me a good laugh thanks. I especially liked the part at the end about the staying off the cell phone. They don't make apprentices like they used to. Every year I see a new batch of apprentices come through my place of work, and each year we lucky if 10% of those apprentices are eager and willing to learn and work. Much appreciated, I enjoy your videos & thanks again. 👍🏻
This man speaks my language, and I don't mean plumbing. Regardless of profession, everyone worth their salt continues to learn. If anyone tells me that they know everything, I know that I should immediately stop taking their advice. Keep up the good content, Roger!
vids are awesome watch in the morning and at lunch newly made apprentice here. so thanks
Glad you like them! Good luck on your journey
You're supporting plumbing apprentices! LOVE IT!
3rd year union plumbing apprentice here. Very happy that I'm nailing all these points. It makes me feel better and know that I'm doing what I should. I only bring my phone to site if asked to for communication purposes, or if I need to take pictures of prints or maps to help me identify areas on a large site. I once was scolded by a Journeyman for using my phone to look at prints I took a pic of because a supervisor was around us. He was brusque about it but was nice enough to apologize 5 minutes later as he knew the only reason I use my phone is for informational purposes. He said nobody else would believe that's all I use my phone for if they saw it in my hand, as everybody else is usually goofing on their phones. It blows my mind how many people do that on site. Usually, I keep mine in my truck.
This is a really good video! I knew 99% of this, but it was good to hear again! I've been helping my uncle do contracting for a while. And part of that's plumbing. I'm 17 and I'm an apprentice. Your videos really do help!
Thanks for your videos, I'm heading to college on Monday to begin my plumbing techniques program in Ontario, Canada. You have helped ease my mind ☺
Love my job! On lunch I look for new Roger videos. Today I found a 3/4 coupling leak in our upunour main. Pressurized the pipe and sprayed each joint looking for bubbles. Always learning
An apprentice also needs to know how to turn the water off because on a job with multiple trades if they make a mistake and break or cut a pressure line theyre likely to be urgently looking for the first "plumber" they can find.
That last part was pretty funny, I remember one of my Forman’s use to play Pokémon while he sat in his car and he would go outside and walk around playing it.
From what I watched, you covered everything that Ive encountered when I was in the field. One thing I did notice too and again in my area much people dont have the patience for you to learn [Guess thats when the listen to learn kicks in] Surprisingly though I learned ALOT in a span of almost two years, and use that to help people fix leaks, drain issues, or installing products. Knowing and learning about plumbing has made me much money lately [Not side work]. Your videos are great, hopefully we see many more!
Learning all the fittings and what you can and can’t use was my thing. I mainly do hvac but when I’m in call or nothing going on I do plumbing
Using the right tool. I had a guy installing a hot water baseboard heating system. He was clearly upset; it turned out he needed a socket set to install (something) but someone had taken the set out of his truck, so he was going to have to drive back to the shop and get one, nearly an hour turnaround. (Kudos to the guy for not using the wrong tool!)
I asked what size socket he needed; he said "oh, thank you, but you won't have it - I need a 1" deep-well socket, ideally half-inch drive." Oh, ok, well, let me see what I can find. And about a minute later handed him a 1" deep-well socket on a half-inch ratchet, with an 18" breaker bar for good measure. I'm a hardcore DIY'er and shadetree auto mechanic; if you have to be caught short somewhere without some critical tool, my house is a pretty good place to do that. :-)
Ask questions. I'd rather my apprentice ask me questions they may seem minor, like how much putty goes on a basket strainer than be too afraid of interrupting me. Sometimes I get into a flow and I might think the steps out and not verbally inform them why I'm doing x instead of y (clear primer vs purple on pvc).
I’ve been doing research for over a year now trying to get into plumbing apprenticeship….I think those are enough for me thanks alotttttt💪🏾👑
Not a plumber but in the tradesworld, i've learned that thought pattern only works when you are surrounded with other like-minded people. Otherwise you always get chosen for the most jobs/worst jobs. Or get taken advantage of the most. And usually without a the right pay to compensate.
Thank you sir!!!! I get addicted to watch your videos.
When I walk up to a house, I always look for water shut off.
"Being on time is how people are judged" wow those words are inspiring
Is it weird I watched this and I'm a Photographer and alot of the things you have said I've taken on board learning from different trades can also better your knowledge too if that makes sense :D
I agree, I'm in IT but also a DIYer
as an apprentice
First thing in the morning check inventory/clean truck
I Drive the journeyman to job site
I turn off the water and open the hose till the water streams out
Please don’t forget to turn off water I only made this comment on the importance of checking water I am an apprentice myself and have cut a pipe without turning off the water
I just recently started plumbing. I’ve done few rehab works but diving into plumbing was one of the best decisions ever. I work with Matrix Construction Service and I can say I have a really good teacher. Old school plumber y’all actually look alike
Rogers #10 list, if followed, will set you apart from the typical 10-10. 10-steps to vehicle, or 10-minutes, whichever arrives first warranty.
I must admit I couldn't sleep at night if there was any potential for a bathroom I've fitted flooding a house here in the UK they're usually all upstairs so potential damage is incredible,, so always double check everything even treble quadruple on inaccessible fittings, go belt and braces use the pastes or ptfe tape wherever possible and most importantly if it isn't broken don't think it will be easy to replace with modern measures,, if potentially it will fail in 20 years then you will have to tackle it
The fear is still with me after 10+ years, no where near as bad as when I was younger but it’s still there
I just saw this video and I don't know if there's an update on it. Sometihing that I consider important is to prevent customer's property from fire. If the job being done includes spark generation and/or open flame, it is important to protect the surrounding from sparks and have a safe handling of the torch. Always having an extinguiser handy and ready is a must.
Heres a tip to keep you going when things get tough. 99% of bosses wont ask you to do anything that theyve never done. Its all part of coming up
I've been a private chef for going on 15 years and with Certain Uncertainty.... i've decided to jump into a trade and chose plumbing much for the same reason i chose to cook..... People always gonna eat..... People always gonna Need a Bathroom/Plumbing in the home. Thanks for these videos!! Just Subscribed!
"The only wise old people that I'm willing to listen to are the ones that are willing to learn from me"
Roy Lugo
One of my favorite memories from a recent position I held at work, we were installing new ice machines, so I was adding fittings to existing water lines, When I turned on the water I noticed that a fitting I had added was leaking very slightly, not at the fitting I had added, but at a original fitting that was capped off. So I got the bright idea that maybe I should tighten the nipple I had attached to said fitting. Two turns later the entire fitting I was screwing into exploded, thankfully I did the proper thing when I started and added a ball valve. I shut the water off at the ball valve picked the fitting up, and noticed that someone had used silicon "Or something" at one point to stop a slow leak. Since I was behind all the vending machines in the break room for this job I got completely soaked I went back in my bosses office threw the fitting on his desk, and he just said "You're having the best kind of day aren't you."
The sad thing was someone I worked with knew the guy he thought would had done something like that, he sent him a picture of the broke fitting where you could see all the silicon. He asked "Did you do this". Guy responded with "I was saving the company money"
Thanks for all the tips of the trade. I appreciate your knowledge and that's right always keep learning. You are the only person who holds you back from becoming a great person in whatever you make a living in.
FANTASTIC INFORMATION!!! PLUMBERS HEED THIS MASTERY ADVICE!!!
The moment you think you know everything about any trade, it's time to take a step back, because you're about to make a mistake.
The biggest one, be open to things that you think are not right. Set your ego aside and be willing to listen and change what you think is right
Tip. Don't get "just enough" fittings - "let's see, I need three 90's, two 45's and a coupling". Figure out what you need and get that, obviously, but bring along some extras too. Save yourself a trip back out to the truck for one more fitting you didn't know you'd need. Possibly more than one trip.
Another tip - dealing with plastic pipe indoors, bring some kind of small work surface to put under your priming & gluing operation. Cardboard, a square of vinyl flooring, something, anything, to reduce the chance of accidentally staining the customer's floor etc.
Know the difference between hot water and cold water lines with water heater installation. Learning why and when to use street fitting. Biggest one is the direction of water flow (seems common knowledge right lol)
I take the "if you're on time you're already late" seriously. A few guys live by my boss but I live kinda far from him so I don't meet at his house I meet at our job sites and I always show up at least 30min before him. When he shows up he's ready to get to work so I like arriving early to see exactly what we're doing and get my bags ready accordingly. I'm about a year into my apprenticeship and even some builders are used to me arriving early.
I'm a sprinkler fitter, but I definitely agree with everything and really enjoy your videos
That example of a tee vs combo on its back has caused me to go back and rip out work many a time. I've explained this to many apprentices. Frustrating to say the least.
Its a simple concept once you understand it. People who don't really dont see a difference
Stay off the phone is number one!
The teflon tape advice it really seems obvious i use teflon tape on all by airline fittings except for tge j.i.c. fittings but ive known teflon isnt sticky like other tape so i just went in the direction ill be tightening the fitting on most of this is common sense if one stops and thinks about the tool or fitting they are gonna use but its always good to have that info out there that just reaffirmed my use of teflon lol thanks bud!
Double check those pick tickets and check that your journeyman isn't either forgotten a part or thought of something new they need
Not a plumber but a apprentice finish carpenter and a small cell tech but ask questions not asking questions is the biggest down fall even if they're repeated ask until you learn the answer by heart
You rick that handle bar so well
You don’t know me and I don’t know you but you have taught me so much and for that I am greatful and have a lot of respect for you and the job you do, now I’m curious about apprenticeing. Can you do a video on becoming one. Plumbing looks like a gross dirty fun and miserable job. Sounds like something for me. Though I disagree with the handyman hate, mostly because I am one but mostly because I’m looking for a trade that I enjoy. For some reason this excites me and interests me to a degree I wanna further my knowledge and learn a great trade.
I feel like you're using plumbing as a metaphor to advise me how to work in my industry.
I'm 23 and a month into my open shop apprenticeship. Love the videos keep it up