Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > USA
Reload this Page >

British Plumber in Arizona

British Plumber in Arizona

Old Feb 26th 2014, 4:14 am
  #1  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Feb 2014
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 3
J Bentley is an unknown quantity at this point
Default British Plumber in Arizona

Hi,

I'm a british plumber recently moved to arizona.


I'm wondering if there is any british plumbers moved to arizona or southwest usa, that could give me any advice and answer me a couple of questions.

To be honest I didn't think the plumbing would be so much different to uk plumbing

Thanks
J Bentley is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 4:54 am
  #2  
BE Irregular
 
RICH's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
RICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond reputeRICH has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Hello! Welcome.

l assume you did not move in order to be a plumber. What is your story?

I am in Florida, but I wonder what it is you find different about plumbing in AZ?

Feel free to ask your questions
RICH is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 5:59 am
  #3  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
md95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond reputemd95065 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

md95065 is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 12:11 pm
  #4  
 
Pulaski's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,397
Pulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Advice: Let's start with "You need a state licence, which likely requires x hours of classroom education plus an extended period of practical experience", effectively an apprenticeship. You should be able to switch an out of state licence, but I doubt they'll do that for a British plumbing qualification.
Pulaski is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 1:35 pm
  #5  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: May 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 265
Ruth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond reputeRuth16 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by J Bentley
Hi,

I'm a british plumber recently moved to arizona.


I'm wondering if there is any british plumbers moved to arizona or southwest usa, that could give me any advice and answer me a couple of questions.

To be honest I didn't think the plumbing would be so much different to uk plumbing

Thanks
Don't you have to take courses in England to get a plumbers license ? Well it's the same in the US, anyhow good luck, I've never known of a poor plumber or Electrician,
Ruth16 is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 1:39 pm
  #6  
 
Pulaski's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,397
Pulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Ruth16
.... I've never known of a poor plumber or Electrician,
That depends what you mean by "poor". I've seen the results of the work of a number of poor ones, though I'll agree, none I know of are short of money.
Pulaski is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 1:41 pm
  #7  
Northern Monkey!
 
jibsymalone's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 530
jibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Advice: Let's start with "You need a state licence, which likely requires x hours of classroom education plus an extended period of practical experience", effectively an apprenticeship. You should be able to switch an out of state licence, but I doubt they'll do that for a British plumbing qualification.
I don't think there is a minimum requirement for classroom hours, but there is usually a requirement for experience, usually around 4 years.

He may be able to use his experience from the UK to qualify for this. If thats the case then all he would have to do is study the code and take the required tests. A lot of the time there are seminars that can help with the code parts, give some pointers etc. (there is for electrical anyway).

found this, helps explain things specific to Arizona:

http://www.usaplumbing.info/license/...e-requirements
jibsymalone is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 1:41 pm
  #8  
Northern Monkey!
 
jibsymalone's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 530
jibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Ruth16
Don't you have to take courses in England to get a plumbers license ? Well it's the same in the US, anyhow good luck, I've never known of a poor plumber or Electrician,
Right here!!!! lol
jibsymalone is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 1:52 pm
  #9  
 
Pulaski's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,397
Pulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond reputePulaski has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by jibsymalone
I don't think there is a minimum requirement for classroom hours, .....
You may be correct, but I know that plumbing is one of the classes taught by community colleges. Perhaps the plumbing tests are like taking a driving test, lessons are not necessary, but may be a good idea for most people, though not necessarily all.
Pulaski is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 2:00 pm
  #10  
Northern Monkey!
 
jibsymalone's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 530
jibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Pulaski
You may be correct, but I know that plumbing is one of the classes taught by community colleges. Perhaps the plumbing tests are like taking a driving test, lessons are not necessary, but may be a good idea for most people, though not necessarily all.
Exactly.

I would suggest; however, that he take at the very least a code class and get himself very familier with the plumbing code over here. I am sure there will be a huge difference on work done here to what he is used to in England. The electrical license tests here in Florida are pretty much exclusively out of the code book, needing to know where to look and how to effectively navigate the code book in the allotted time for the test is a necessary skill to have. Sure you need to know how to do several calculations, but they all refer back to the code book at some point.

Of course all of this is based off my experience in the electrical field here in Florida. Where (believe it or not) a license is not required at all by the state to be an electrician or plumber (but you need one to be a hairdresser)! This is something to do with it being a right to work (for less) state and blah, blah, blah. Arizona, and the plumbing field could be vastly different so i would begin asking around. If you are interested in joining a union you can find your nearest local online and go and talk to them, see what they have to offer?

Last edited by jibsymalone; Feb 26th 2014 at 2:05 pm.
jibsymalone is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 2:22 pm
  #11  
Bob
BE Site Lead
 
Bob's Avatar
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,167
Bob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by jibsymalone
Exactly.

I would suggest; however, that he take at the very least a code class and get himself very familier with the plumbing code over here. I am sure there will be a huge difference on work done here to what he is used to in England. The electrical license tests here in Florida are pretty much exclusively out of the code book, needing to know where to look and how to effectively navigate the code book in the allotted time for the test is a necessary skill to have. Sure you need to know how to do several calculations, but they all refer back to the code book at some point.

Of course all of this is based off my experience in the electrical field here in Florida. Where (believe it or not) a license is not required at all by the state to be an electrician or plumber (but you need one to be a hairdresser)! This is something to do with it being a right to work (for less) state and blah, blah, blah. Arizona, and the plumbing field could be vastly different so i would begin asking around. If you are interested in joining a union you can find your nearest local online and go and talk to them, see what they have to offer?
Down my way, experience can be used to knock off community college classes, but there are still some required to take the test, on codes like you say.

The thing is, you still need to have had x number of years working with a qualified local to get a license of your own so that you can get your own insurance and be self employed and the reality is, companies generally only hire kids out of voc schools who have graduated in the whole program so they don't have to faff about trying to figure out if the experience is appropriate and the big one, to keep the liability insurance valid.

That's not to say there aren't a lot of folks hanging out at Home Depot, looking to get day labour jobs, but then they get hired as day labourers and not qualified, skilled carpenters/electricians/plumbers etc.
Bob is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 2:45 pm
  #12  
Northern Monkey!
 
jibsymalone's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 530
jibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Bob
Down my way, experience can be used to knock off community college classes, but there are still some required to take the test, on codes like you say.

The thing is, you still need to have had x number of years working with a qualified local to get a license of your own so that you can get your own insurance and be self employed and the reality is, companies generally only hire kids out of voc schools who have graduated in the whole program so they don't have to faff about trying to figure out if the experience is appropriate and the big one, to keep the liability insurance valid.

That's not to say there aren't a lot of folks hanging out at Home Depot, looking to get day labour jobs, but then they get hired as day labourers and not qualified, skilled carpenters/electricians/plumbers etc.
Again there are vast differences state to state. I am an instructor at our locals apprenticeship program. I have have seen apprentices vary in age from 18/19 YO all the way to people in their 40's. We (again this is electrical) tend to work for contractors, as employees, so the self employed and insured thing is not an issue. the only things needed to take your journeyman license here is 4 years verifiable experience and a good knowledge of the code. If you want to be a contractor, then that is a completely different license all together, in our case a masters license with the business law test on top.

There are however technical colleges that teach "electrical" classes, at a huge price, promising to have people qualified in less than a year and that also help with job placement. they fail to inform these people that there is a 4 year minimum on experience that they need to have to take the license test. So they graduate with a diploma or whatever, go to try and take their test only to find out they can't, they also have very limited hands on experience so struggle to find a position much above a helper! Their idea of helping with job placement is essentially to take a page from the yellow pages and say "here, cal these people" I would like to get a lot more for $12-20k!!
jibsymalone is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 2:59 pm
  #13  
Bob
BE Site Lead
 
Bob's Avatar
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,167
Bob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond reputeBob has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by jibsymalone
Again there are vast differences state to state. I am an instructor at our locals apprenticeship program. I have have seen apprentices vary in age from 18/19 YO all the way to people in their 40's.....
That is so true.

I'm only going by the local voc high school, because the missus is one of the business advisor's there, admittedly not for that part of the school but she deals with those students with basic business/banking for the contractor part of things they go over.

On a tangent, it's amusing how much basic reading/writing/maths is included in the course and how badly a lot of the kids were with the basics till they started the voc school and now realise why they're handy skills to have, being able to read plans, codes, write receipts, not get ripped off etc, so suddenly they "get" it and make huge improvements which is pretty cool.
Bob is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 3:54 pm
  #14  
Northern Monkey!
 
jibsymalone's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 530
jibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond reputejibsymalone has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Originally Posted by Bob

On a tangent, it's amusing how much basic reading/writing/maths is included in the course and how badly a lot of the kids were with the basics till they started the voc school and now realise why they're handy skills to have, being able to read plans, codes, write receipts, not get ripped off etc, so suddenly they "get" it and make huge improvements which is pretty cool.
Absolutely!

It always amuses me, when I teach the Tech. math course to the new intake, how many of them suddenly understand trigonometry, algebra, vectors, etc. when they realise there are (1) real world applications for such things and (2) knowing this stuff will actually make them decent money once the complete the apprenticeship. In fact, when teaching ratios and percentages and such i usually use monetary values as i have found they can relate to these a lot better and of course this holds their interest a lot more!
jibsymalone is offline  
Old Feb 26th 2014, 3:56 pm
  #15  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Feb 2014
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 3
J Bentley is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British Plumber in Arizona

Thanks,

I owned my own bathroom remodeling company in England for 8 years,
We moved here due to my dad being here for 14 years and love it here.

What I'm struggling to find is a company (like mine was)
That did the complete bath remodeling.

So I looked into plumbing servicemen jobs because there is a few jobs here,
I had 3 interviews with different companies, and choose one for a day trial,
First question they asked me is do I have experience in sales???
Over here the plumbers work on commission and try to sell other problems in the house to get better commission.

I walked away after the day trial, I felt like we were searching for little problems to rip the customer off.

The plumbing is a lot different in az to the uk,
Bath tubs, toilets, drainage fitted different to England.

Different kind of Pipes.

I can't find any online to read up on general plumbing in az.

I'd love to find a british plumber who has set up over here.

Thanks
J Bentley is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.