Lots of new sign written plumbing vans about

[Puddle]

Driving about the last month,has been seeing a lot of vans with new plumbing names on,most be the time of year or all the site plumbers and newly trained starting out on the maintanance and jobbing market
I wish them well as what else can they do but there is no way a lot will survive very long,just to many with no contacts or contracts,hope they have not invested to much in set up.

At least they have shamed me into cleaning my van

imho

 

[Spudhater]

Ditto up here in Brum....

 

[johnmcginty]

I see more astra estates with 15mm copper bunjeed to top .

 

[jay s]

same here on south coast new one pops up every week. see a old school mate in one other day he was a printer for 20 years. Bet he gets his advertising cheap too, leaflets etc

 

[oldplumber]

about 2 years back 3 sign written vans around here, now keep seeing new ones almost weekly!!!

 

[moogwai]

Ditto up here in Brum....

ive noticed loads of new vans drivin around in brum too....

 

[mike_s]

haha god we see new vans about all the time round here, especially with our college sending out people with no experience and getting them gas nvq's plus acs in 34 weeks. I worry for a few mates getting big loans to start up their gas business' after this course and they havn't got a clue on most things. I expect plenty of phone calls, I'll help where I can.

 

[yphb solutions]

Thats cause the new build and commercial sector has massively slowed down which has moved thousands of plumbers on to the domestic part of the market,thus saturating it and making it even harder to secure decent paid work....Good for the customer,bad for the tradesmen!

 

[Avatar]

The credit crunch may well kill off this trade, as there are too many guys flooding the market, and the cost of jobs is dropping.

There are plumbers out there doing work for silly money . . .

I was thinking about sueing my crash course provider for false advertising (as it was still claimng that there is a shortage of plumbers). However I hear they have gone into admin - drat thats 5k i could of got . . .

It would have sent a good message out as well.

Ho hum!

 

[yphb solutions]

It wont take long to weed the dodgy/incompetent tradesmen out though,build up a good rep dont let customers down and work will flow constantly through word of mouth who needs adverts and third party websites!!!???....

 

[Blake]

I'm amazed they still keep springing up. Seems every man and his dog is a plumber these days.

 

[moony]

i dunno, if you take time to get your lpg oil and gas then your still in the minority - simple bathrooms dont exist for me anymore - everything is either high end or heating jobs.

 

[Steve001]

More seem to be popping up around here too, maybe more people getting writing done on their van, after a bit of extra advertising, must get mine done some day.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

they come they go always have always will simples sorry to be brutal but its the way it is imho

 

[Magicplumb]

Have to agree with the gas man, I've watched them come and go. Here today gone tomorrow

 

[Resolute]

Here today gone tomorrow

Bit like my hair then!

 

[kingm1988]

The credit crunch may well kill off this trade, as there are too many guys flooding the market, and the cost of jobs is dropping.

There are plumbers out there doing work for silly money . . .

I was thinking about sueing my crash course provider for false advertising (as it was still claimng that there is a shortage of plumbers). However I hear they have gone into admin - drat thats 5k i could of got . . .

It would have sent a good message out as well.

Ho hum!

Mate, I feel exactly the same. I HATE reading about plumbing shortages, it gets me so angry. Not only because it is blatant false advertisement, but because the plumbing trade is getting absalutely nailed up the arse by it's own people! I guess I'm also pretty peeved as it reminds me of my own naivity a year ago when I signed up for a 'recession proof' job.

On a much lighter note, it's nice to read some positive posts on the subject....I really hope these guys will 'come and go' like you say. And hopefully make room for those that genuinely do have the passion for it.

Good luck to everyone.

p.s. for those of you who are thinking of a career change into plumbing....it's a much, MUCH smarter move becoming an electrician. That's genuine and honest advice.

 

[fuzzy]

i know what you mean, i said the same to the wife, lots of new vans? who are they and how are they making a living? i guess most will not be around too long.
in fact we read many cases of new starteres asking questions, do you know anybody who has come on here with alot of will and determination and then given up and gone back to their old jobs?
i know alot have dropped out but it would be nice to hear from someone like that

 

[plumbandplumber]

Round here, you don't need to ring a plumber from the Yellow Pages any more. Just hail one like you do a taxi.

 

[fuzzy]

Round here, you don't need to ring a plumber from the Yellow Pages any more. Just hail one like you do a taxi.

very funny

 

[buff]

the first thing i did when i came back in to plumbing self employed early last year was to buy a window cleaning round
as all the comments have mentioned to many people chasing to few jobs and the prices have fallen
it will righten it self
bob

 

[julesverne]

only time will tell if they can cut it in the real plumbing world. what annoys me most is that any tom dick or harriet can call themselves a plumber. it should be like gas safe & niceic(there are other bodies). Alright you can't blow someone but you could flood a house, contaminate a mains supply, or create a potential legionella risk/outbreak. plus it would sort the wheat from the chaff

 

[Dotty]

Alright you can't blow someone but you could flood a house

Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

oh I'm sorry!

I think I widdled myself a little bit then!

 

[julesverne]

oops i missed the word up

 

[gaspastemania]

Its been like that down in the south west for years , a retirement home for plumbers here .Have absolutely no time what so ever for them coming out of the forces or supermarkets to be plumbers and refuse to help them .

 

[quality]

only time will tell if they can cut it in the real plumbing world. what annoys me most is that any tom dick or harriet can call themselves a plumber. it should be like gas safe & niceic(there are other bodies). Alright you can't blow someone but you could flood a house, contaminate a mains supply, or create a potential legionella risk/outbreak. plus it would sort the wheat from the chaff

The difference between electricity and gas and water has been established one or two many years ago and its pretty simple as two can kill in the home the other is just trouble

 

[julesverne]

just because those 2 can kill doesn't make it ok for people to call themselves plumbers when they ain't had the correct training.

 

[gaspastemania]

just because those 2 can kill doesn't make it ok for people to call themselves plumbers when they ain't had the correct training.

Totally agree spent four years training now i know of firms never done any training or have done crash courses and now advertise bathroom fitting etc , plumbing has become bit of a joke to be honest .

 

[WHPES]

I see more astra estates with 15mm copper bunjeed to top

I have a volvo estate which I now use for about 75% of my work, especially boiler services and small jobs where I only have my toolbox and 2 or 3 tote boxes with everything in I need. It cost me nearly £100 to fill up the van last time I was empty. Using the estate keeps my operating costs down and hence more competitive. (also the van has my drain jetting gear in at the moment and its so heavy its a right pain in the backside to keep putting in and out!)