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{This is a collaborative post}
When hiring a professional to work on your property in pretty much any capacity, you’ll want to make sure you get the right person for the job. We’ve all heard horror stories of ‘cowboy’ tradespeople, and it’s worth putting some effort into avoiding these situations.
While in most cases, you’ll have to judge whether the
individual or company in question is trustworthy, in others you’ll also have
some regulatory frameworks to help you out. Here, we take a look at the
different ways in which plumbers are regulated, and how you can use that information
to help you get the right plumber for your needs.
What do plumbers work on?
Professional plumbers with the appropriate qualifications
are able to work on the whole of your plumbing system in your home. That
includes the water pipes, heating system, gas system, and drainage pipes on
your property. While some of these will require more care than others to work
with safely, all can result in serious incidents if repaired or installed in an
unsafe manner by an unqualified plumber.
The different regulatory bodies
Plumbers are regulated, but not by a single entity. There
are a few different regulatory bodies to be aware of.
Gas Safe Register
The most important regulatory body when it comes to plumbing is the Gas Safe Register. Any plumber who’s going to work on the gas system in your home, such as a boiler technician, must be registered on their list in order to legally work on your property.
It’s easy to search for any plumber's name on the list, and it’s something that’s worth checking before hiring a plumber for any gas-related job. Whether that’s someone from a company like Able Plumbers or a professional who is self-employed, it only takes a second to put their name into the search box.
WaterSafe
For plumbers who work on water systems but not on gas, there is the WaterSafe register. Importantly, unlike the Gas Safe system, WaterSafe is voluntary. Plumbers do not legally need to be members in order to work on your water system, but it is an efficient and handy way of checking how trustworthy the individual is who you’re considering hiring for the job.
Qualifications
In most cases, professional plumbers will need to hold something like a Level 2 or 3 NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) in plumbing in order to work in that capacity. There are also City and Guilds Diplomas that can sometimes be used, and other plumbers may have qualified through other means.
Regardless of how they received their training, to be authorised to work on a gas system, they will need to be Gas Safe Registered. If they say that their training was through another route but they aren’t Gas Safe Registered, then something is likely wrong and it’s worth going with another plumber.
The regulations covering plumbers in the UK exist for your
protection, and it’s important to take them seriously. By using things like the
Gas Safe Register, you can help avoid using any dangerous tradespeople for any
work you do on your house.