When you’re a professional plumber, making a mistake can cost your reputation, not to mention your customers’ homes, dearly, so it is important you do everything you can to avoid those common errors that can spell disaster. In order to do that, let’s look at some common mistakes plumbers make, so you can hopefully avoid Read more
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When you’re a professional plumber, making a mistake can cost your reputation, not to mention your customers’ homes, dearly, so it is important you do everything you can to avoid those common errors that can spell disaster.
In order to do that, let’s look at some common mistakes plumbers make, so you can hopefully avoid them in your working life.
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Ignoring the Almighty Pressure Washer
First off, let’s give a big shoutout to pressure washing equipment, which is, as you should know, not just for cleaning driveways or graffiti off walls. No, dear friends, it’s also a pipeline’s best buddy. When faced with the Herculean task of clearing out years of sludge and grime from sewer lines, the pressure washer steps in like a hero. So, don’t ignore this powerhouse tool. Embrace it, cherish it, and for heaven’s sake, use it—because nobody likes a comeback story starring last year’s grease.
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Skipping the Double-Check
Here’s a scene: You finish a job, pack up, and give a confident nod to your work—only to get a call hours later about a leak. The culprit? A connection you forgot to tighten. Always double-check your work. The five minutes you save by rushing off to your next appointment can cost you hours of return work and buckets of reputation points.
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Tool Mismanagement
Raise your hand if you’ve ever used a screwdriver as a chisel. It’s okay, this is a safe space. But let’s be real: using tools for purposes they weren’t intended for is like using a loaf of bread as a doorstop—it might work temporarily, but it’s not a great idea. Respect your tools, and they’ll respect you back (and maybe save you from a mid-job meltdown).
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The ‘Eyeball It’ Method
Precision in measurements is not just a fancy concept—it’s a cornerstone of good plumbing. “Eyeballing” pipe cuts or fixture alignments can lead to jobs that look more like abstract art than professional work. Always use the right measuring tools because, unlike horseshoes and hand grenades, close enough just doesn’t cut it in plumbing.
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Forgetting Customer Service Skills
Remember, folks, plumbing isn’t just about pipes; it’s about people. The gruff, silent type might work for movie cowboys, but in the plumbing world, communication is key. Don’t just fix and flee. Explain what went wrong, what you did to fix it, and how it can be prevented in the future. A little chat can turn a customer into a repeat customer.
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Neglecting Continuing Education
Plumbing technology evolves faster than many of us realize. If you’re still relying on techniques you learned decades ago, you might be missing out on easier, more efficient methods that could save your back and your bottom line. Keep up with the times and invest in ongoing education. It’ll keep you sharp and possibly introduce you to new gadgets and gizmos in the industry.
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Underestimating the Cleanup
Last but not least, leaving a work site looking like a crime scene is a big no-no. A clean work area not only shows professionalism but also prevents those pesky “you left a mess” calls. Plus, who doesn’t love the sight of a spotless space post-job? It’s almost as satisfying as popping bubble wrap.
Keep these tips in mind, and not only will your pipes be flowing smoothly, but so will your business.
Working as a plumber comes with all sorts of different safety warnings and precautions. Keeping your health and wellbeing as the number one priority whilst you’re working on any sort of job. Whether you’re new to the industry, or you’re an old hand there are a number of plumbing safety strategies you should always try Read more
Working as a plumber comes with all sorts of different safety warnings and precautions. Keeping your health and wellbeing as the number one priority whilst you’re working on any sort of job. Whether you’re new to the industry, or you’re an old hand there are a number of plumbing safety strategies you should always try to live by. Following some of these best practices will not only help you to take care of yourself, but it will also protect others around you too.
Protect Yourself
Protective gear as a plumber is always a must, no matter how big or small the job may be. Using personal protective equipment is the only way to ensure your working environment is safe and you’re protected from potential harm too. Wearing heat protection gear may also be a good idea if you’re carrying out lengthy jobs outside in the summer heat. It’s not always the direct job at hand that you need to be wary of, but also the natural elements outdoors too!
Protect Others Around You
It goes without saying that you always need to be wary of your surroundings when you’re undertaking any sort of job. Making sure that others are protected and safe from harm should always be a priority. With this in mind, you should always make sure that members of the public are out of the way whenever you’re carrying out a job in a domestic or commercial space.
Ventilate The Area
Ventilation is key whenever you’re working with materials that could pose a hazard to those in close proximity. Creating some airflow will help toxicity and dangerous fumes to escape so that you aren’t in any danger. Open up the windows if you’re in a building or invest in an exhaust fan to extract any toxic fumes that are produced.
Be Wary of Hazardous Substances
As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of times during your plumbing career, when you will need to use hazardous substances in order to get the job done efficiently. There are certain drain unblockers and chemicals that can pose a serious risk to your health and the environment around you if the proper precautions aren’t taken.
Look After Your Equipment
As a professional plumber, it’s your job to make sure all of your tools and equipment are well maintained and looked after. Ensuring everything is in good working condition will keep you and others safe.
Brush Up on Your Knowledge
When working in any trade, it’s so important to stay on top of health and safety guidelines and take regular training courses to enhance your knowledge when possible. You should always follow best practices for the plumbing industry and adhere to rigorous health and safety standards. This will not only make you a better and more knowledgeable plumber, but it will also help to keep you safe too.
Hopefully, these six ideas will help you to stay focused on the most important health and safety guidelines of being a plumber. From keeping up with your training, to staying protected with the right gear at all times, you will always be living by best practices and maintaining a good reputation as a professional plumber.
As part of a steadfast commitment to world-class learning, coaching, and development within the home services industry, Minnesota-based Nexstar Network has upgraded their corporate headquarters relocating from downtown St. Paul to Bloomington, Minn. Nexstar’s new headquarters is spacious and light-filled; it features the Frank J. Blau, Jr. Training Center, a state-of-the-art learning destination, as well Read more
As part of a steadfast commitment to world-class learning, coaching, and development within the home services industry, Minnesota-based Nexstar Network has upgraded their corporate headquarters relocating from downtown St. Paul to Bloomington, Minn. Nexstar’s new headquarters is spacious and light-filled; it features the Frank J. Blau, Jr. Training Center, a state-of-the-art learning destination, as well as free covered parking and onsite security. Just minutes from the MSP airport and the Mall of America, this centralized location is close to numerous acclaimed restaurants, high-end shopping, and green spaces.
Julian Scadden, Nexstar Network President and CEO, joins with Nexstar members, leadership and VIPs during the ribbon cutting celebration at Nexstar Network’s Open House event.
Nexstar recently hosted a grand opening celebration to officially open the doors to their destination HQ. More than 100 Nexstar members, VIPs, Strategic Partners, and employees attended the celebration.
Of the new headquarters, Julian Scadden, Nexstar President & CEO, says, “We serve a membership that is built on in-person relationships. We are proud to have a space where our staff can connect with each other and our members in service to our mission to turn the world’s best tradespeople into the world’s best businesspeople.”
Nexstar Network hosted an Open House celebration to welcome members, strategic partners, current and former employees, industry VIPs, community leaders, and neighbors to their new headquarters and training location.
Designed to host Nexstar members and Strategic Partners in a welcoming space when they’re in the Twin Cities to network and train, the upgraded headquarters offers a collaborative, flexible, and productive workspace for Nexstar employees.
“We are excited to welcome our members “home” to our new headquarters,” says Carrie Fraser, Vice President of Operations. “Connecting members and providing top-tier, participant-centered training is core to who we are and the value we provide for our members.”
Empowering Organizations to Simplify, Scale and Succeed, Interplay Enterprise, an all-in-one career development platform, marks the next chapter in immersive training and talent development Interplay Learning, the leading provider of immersive skilled trades training, announced today the launch of Interplay Enterprise. Shaped by customer insights, this immersive career development platform introduces exciting new features designed Read more
Empowering Organizations to Simplify, Scale and Succeed, Interplay Enterprise, an all-in-one career development platform, marks the next chapter in immersive training and talent development
Interplay Learning, the leading provider of immersive skilled trades training, announced today the launch of Interplay Enterprise. Shaped by customer insights, this immersive career development platform introduces exciting new features designed to help enterprises elevate the skills of their entire workforce, streamline operations, and improve retention.
Interplay Enterprise simplifies career development by providing an all-in-one platform for company-wide learning. It includes nearly 500 hours of on-demand skilled trades courses, industry certification prep courses, learning paths, and 3D/VR simulations crafted by industry experts. A new content manager tool makes it easy for trainers and administrators to include additional courses about topics like leadership, management, compliance, ethics, and more by uploading SCORM-compliant course packages, videos, and documents. They can also use the content manager to build content, quizzes, and custom learning paths tailored to the diverse training needs of their workforce, while also managing and tracking in-person classroom training–all in one place.
Comprehensive management tools give enterprises the ability to scale and facilitate training across multiple locations and job roles. Administrators can streamline onboarding and user management with 60+ pre-built HR systems integrations and automated assignments for courses, paths, and due dates. Interplay also provides a suite of measurement, reporting, and AI-based recommendation tools, including skills assessments and insights dashboards. These empower leaders to add value with actionable insights to optimize training performance and help learners build the safety and accuracy skills they need to get to the next level.
“The latest evolution of our industry-leading solution allows organizations to simplify career development, scale their training, and succeed in building a strong, skilled workforce,” said Doug Donovan, CEO and founder of Interplay Learning. “With Interplay Enterprise, companies can provide safe, effective online training for all employees in one centralized learning space. They are not only able to apply Interplay’s proven trades training content, but they can also manage, track, upload, and create their own training — all within our career development platform. Our Enterprise customers can also count on our partnership through every step of their employees’ journey within our platform.”
“Interplay’s all-in-one platform allows us to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and provide scaffolded support to meet techs where they are to help them succeed,” said Andrew Hasty, director of learning and development, Peterman Brothers Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. “We’re strategically aligning Interplay’s platform to our paths of progression and career development initiatives. Our goal is to identify learning gaps and provide targeted interventions that support each technician’s unique journey.”
Interplay’s career development platform also offers:
- Immersive learning experiences: Learners experience VR and simulation-based training in a safe, immersive environment, enhancing knowledge retention, engagement, and skill-building.
- Ready-made, enterprise-grade solutions: A scalable cloud-based platform provides secure access anytime, anywhere, with user-friendly functionality.
- Reporting API: Powerful data from Interplay’s career development platform can be integrated into other software systems for additional analysis and reporting.
- Customizable platform: Deliver the platform with your own brand logos and colors, and customize learning paths to include your company’s values, employer strategy, and ways of working.
- Convenience and compatibility: Interplay Enterprise delivers flexibility and mobile compatibility to maximize accessibility for on-the-go workers.
- World-class enterprise service and support: Interplay Learning is a strategic partner for career development consulting, implementation, insights, and U.S.-based support.
The Interplay Enterprise career development platform is now generally available–some of the mentioned new features and capabilities will be released in the Summer and Fall of 2024. For more information about Interplay Enterprise, visit www.interplaylearning.com/enterprise.
Virtual and simulation training isn’t necessarily new to the industry but its acceptance has been met with intrigue, and trepidation. But to say that this is the future of training? Not so fast. The consensus thoughts regarding this type of training is that will never replace in-person or on-the-job training, but it will become a Read more
Virtual and simulation training isn’t necessarily new to the industry but its acceptance has been met with intrigue, and trepidation. But to say that this is the future of training? Not so fast. The consensus thoughts regarding this type of training is that will never replace in-person or on-the-job training, but it will become a cog in the overall “wheel” for training assets.
According to Taco Comfort Solutions’ Product & Application Instructor-East, Dave Holdorf, Taco doesn’t want to change its training necessarily, rather seek to enhance the training experience.
“We ask many attendees how we can improve our classes and seminars. One of the most frequent replies is: ‘Add a hands-on section to the class; the theory is great and useful, but I want to install.’
“In a classroom setting, this can sometimes be difficult for the space needed, the time it takes, and to accommodate the different skillsets of attendees. We believe we’re now on a track with virtual reality (VR) training to give that experience to attendees—whether they’re seasoned pros, or new to the trade. VR can help to guide participants in what to look for, and more importantly what not to do on a project,” says Holdorf.
F.W. Webb’s Michael DelConte checks out the VR display at the Taco booth during the AHR Expo.
Ken Midgett, former teacher and apprenticeship Instructor, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, now Plumbing, Marketing Director with Interplay—whose mission statement is “Better Careers Better Lives”—believes that they can play a part in a person’s career trajectory with that person using Interplay’s content. “When a person engages in learning and increases both their fundamental knowledge and the steps to do a task, we are helping that person upskill and creating more career opportunities for them. The value of a product that interplay offers is the demand function. You do not have to wait until a class is offered you can just connect and learn,” says Midgett.
Adaptation to simulation and on-demand training is paramount to success for the learner and the business. Midgett says that traditional classroom learning for skilled trades is becoming more and more challenging for several reasons:
- Finding good instructors: Many think that because they know a skill, they can teach it effectively. As a former educator, this is not always the case. This leads to poor instruction and marginal learners who are not engaged.
- The cost: The cost of running and maintaining a hands-on training center is much higher than instructor salaries and consumables.
- Change or die: Young learners are not inept at learning from lectures. Most skilled trade learners need to be engaged with learning and it must represent meaningful learning.
- The disruption of classroom learning to the workday: A rationale for going to class in the evening for 2-3 hours is losing traction to young learners. Business owners become frustrated with learning times and days as they view this as unproductive time. Young learners need to be met where they are with training that fits their lifestyle.
Interplay Learning training, combined with the new employee with the right attitude who is coachable and willing to learn, can be an explosive combination with a win-win result. “Taking an apprentice and having them spend time training and learning with on-demand training and then pushing that person into the field with a skilled person to watch and do in the real world is the best way to train this person or persons at scale,” says Midgett, who says there are numerous other advantages to this model:
- On-job efficiency increases as the apprentice now possesses the foundational knowledge and skills to perform a given task.
• Relationships are better between the journeymen and the apprentice, as the journeyman perceives the apprentice as engaged and productive.
• Business owners experience low turnover, better culture, and increased revenue as these new hires have direction and are leaning at scale.
• Technicians feel confident in their work due to training and upskilling.
• Callbacks are reduced and remediation training for the technician to increase their confidence
• Service managers can focus on coaching and maintaining technician stats instead of being the only technical lifeline for numerous techs.
• When sending these apprentices to “factory training,” they can engage and understand this much better due to the foundational knowledge.
Nonetheless, Midgett says there are a few things to note and understand about simulation and on-demand training:
• On-the-job or hands-on training with higher skilled supervision cannot be replaced.
- Simulations are great at teaching steps and muscle memory of a task.
- Simulation or any on-demand training cannot teach “feel.” As an example, simulation training cannot teach the skill of what “tight” feels like with a pair of wrenches on threaded steel piping or how tight to make a tank-to-bowl connection on a closet, or how tight a screw should be on the control board. This is what the onsite skilled person or journeyman must understand and teach effectively on site.
“While VR, AR and simulation-based technology are great resources, I do not think that any one particular learning system or style is the future,” says Rich Camacho, CEO & Co-Founder, BlueRecruit. Having said that, Camacho utilizes Interplay’s services (all of Interplay’s certifications and courses live on BlueRecruit, and when a person completes an Interplay course, they can then add that qualification to their BlueRecruit profile to strengthen their profile for Employer) and he thinks Interplay is a fantastic tool to augment in-class learning and a great launch point for someone either just entering the trades or seeking to upskill a particular technique.
“However, at the end of the day true craft mastery will occur in the field with a wrench. As technology continues to improve and costs continue to decline, Interplay will play a larger and larger part of building the next generation of skilled trades professionals and we’re excited to work alongside them in building “Better Careers and Better Lives,” says Camacho.