Learn the Fundamentals of Plumbing
Plumbing work can involve either installation, maintenance, or repair. Maintenance of plumbing is important to prevent problems from occurring. On large scale and industrial systems, it is often performed at scheduled times when it causes the least inconvenience e.g., after work hours. Repairs may be identified during routine maintenance or during emergencies. If repairs are needed, parts of systems may need to be temporarily shut down or disconnected.
Decisions about what to do with any of these jobs need to be made in full knowledge of the system materials and equipment you are working with.
Plumbers are (in most circumstances), qualified and experienced tradesmen who have undergone at several years of training to qualify. In many countries, certain types of plumbing work can only be carried out by qualified and registered plumbers. Other less complex types of plumbing work may be undertaken by less qualified plumbing assistants, handymen, property owners or others.
This course provides a starting point for people who want to learn how to undertake simpler plumbing work, or who are seeking a starting point to develop knowledge and skills, without making the substantial multi year commitment to train as a fully registered plumber.
Course Content
This course covers ten lessons as follows:
1. Introduction to Plumbing - Materials & Techniques
- Use of Pipes
- Transporting Gases
- Transporting Liquids
- Scope and Nature of Plumbing Work
- Pipe Materials
- Ferrous Metal Pipes
- Carbon steel
- Stainless steel
- Cast iron
- Non-ferrous Metal Pipes
- Copper
- Brass
- Nickel
- Aluminium
- Plastic Pipes
- PVCs
- CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride) Pipe
- PVC-U (Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride) Pipe
- HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) Pipe
- PP (Polypropylene) Pipe
- PE (Polyethylene) Pipe
- PEX (Cross-linked Polyethylene) Pipe
- PE-RT (Polyethylene of Raised Temperature Resistance) Pipe
- Other Pipes
- Cement/concrete
- Fibreglass
- Glass
- Wood
- Pipe Dimensions
- Terminology
2. Plumbing Tools & Equipment
- General Hand Tools
- Accessory Plumbing Tools & Equipment
- Power Tools & Machines
- Safety Guidelines for Using Power Tools
3. Working with Piping Materials
- Selection of Pipe Materials
- Flow Rate
- Type of Fluid
- Temperature of Fluid
- Pressure of the Fluid
- Properties of the Material
- Location of Pipework
- Other Influencing Factors
- Availability
- Cost
- Ease of Installation
- Working with Ferrous Pipes
- Cutting Ferrous Metal Pipes
- Working with Non-Ferrous Metal Pipes
- Cutting Non-Ferrous Metal Pipes
- Copper pipe cutter/pipe slice (auto cut tool)
- Joining Non-Ferrous Metal Pipes
- Working with Plastic Pipe
- Working with Other Types of Pipes
- Safety Issues
4. Mains Gas & Water Supply and Sewage Removal
- Residential Mains Systems
- Residential Mains Gas Supply
- Residential Water Supply
- Sources and Treatment Processes
- Hot water systems
- Water metering and pressure management
- Sewage removal
- Systems and Maintenance
- Water Safety Guidelines
5. Common Plumbing Tasks
- Introduction to Routine Tasks
- Regulations
- Routine Maintenance of Water Systems
- Plumbing Repairs
- DIY Aspects of Fixing Leaks
- Guttering and Downpipes
6. Rainwater tank collection, bottled gas, sewerage tanks/grey water
- Introduction
- Repairing & replacing damaged fittings
- Filtration systems
- Residential rainwater collection
- Bottled Gas Systems
- Sewerage Tanks
- Greywater Tanks
7. Plumbing for Outdoors – Gardens, Pools, Irrigation
- Overview of Installation, Pipework and Runoff
- Swimming pool installation
- Types of Swimming Pool and their Features
- Construction Process and Key Considerations
- Regulations and Permits
- Pipework for Swimming Pools
- Runoff Zones and Drainage
- Managing Storm water and Excess Pool Water
- Safety and Compliance
- Irrigation
8. Air conditioning & Heating units and systems
- Overview Buildings and Greenhouses
- Cooling and Refrigeration Systems
- Refrigeration Components in Vapour Compression Systems
- Compressors
- Condensers
- Evaporators
- Interconnecting Pipework: Suction, Discharge, Liquid Drain and Liquid Lines
9. Applications for Plumbing in Industrial and Commercial Contexts
- Water Supply System in Industrial Settings
- Sources, Purification, Distribution, Conservation, Monitoring
- Wastewater Management
- Plumbing Systems in Commercial Buildings
- Specialised Commercial & Industrial Systems
- Fire Protection
- Hospitals and Healthcare Settings
- Plumbing Maintenance & Regulations
- Machinery Applications
- Gas and Liquid Management in Cars an Engines
- Cooling, Fuel Supply & Lubrication Systems
- Hydraulic Systems
- Sealants
10.Sustainability and innovation for Plumbing
- Awareness of Products and Techniques
Innovative Thinking
Geothermal Heating Systems
Solar Heating Systems
Greywater Heat Recovery Systems
Systems of Conservation
Off-Grid Systems
Resources Conversation
Who is this course for?
Plumbing knowledge and skills are critical across a broad spectrum; from water, sewage and gas services to irrigation and swimming pools.
- The more complex and risky jobs may understandably require a skilled tradesman with many years of experience, but even they need to start somewhere. This course could be that starting point.
- Many plumbing jobs are less complicated from installing a drip irrigation system to fixing a seal or washer in a tap or even toilet. THis course can help you toward doing work across a spectrum of jobs between the simplest and the more complex.
- When developing this course we were considering what was needed by a handyman or plumbers assistant, or a home renovator or even builder who was planning developments and organising the plumbing on those properties.
Plumbing involves working with pipes, hoses or tubes, which are being used to transport fluids or gases from one place to another.
These may be in the form of liquids e.g., water, or gases, e.g., liquid nitrogen gas (LNG). Pipes are manufactured from a range of materials e.g., metals, plastics, fibreglass. They are used in a range of settings e.g., in homes, workplaces, and factories, and across a range of landscapes e.g., underground from one city to another, or beneath the sea to transport fuel between countries. There is a whole field of piping engineering that has evolved to determine the efficient and effective use of piping and pipe components, and there are many people who encounter pipes and pipe work in their daily jobs.