Self employment

[Gizmo.man]

I really want to go self employed As a plumber
But don't know where to start or look. Where to advertise

 

[Halesowen1]

But did you open or shut your living room doors??

 

[SafeGasInstall]

when you did smoke test did you have all lights off in the room and the fun extractor in kitchen on

 

[gaspastemania]

what gas rate calc did you do?

 

[dontknowitall]

Boy - am I glad I only do oil ...

Smoke test.
FGA test.
Smoke test.

Then the French version of "Work, damn you!"

 

[anz]

HGV driving is hard work. It's tiring and very demanding
I have an ADR certificate also but as I am a fairly new driver
Most company's won't insure me due toy age which is a shame.

I'm sure most people here would argue that plumbing/gas is hard work, tiring and demanding.

So if your looking for an easy life, your in for a surprise.

So you wanted to be a HGV driver, but after completing the training you decided it wasn't for you.
Could you be making the same mistake again?

All I can say is think about your next move carefully and make the right decision.

I wouldn't recommend anyone starting out now in this trade, as I don't think there is much of a future in it, well one that pays well anyway.

 

[Gizmo.man]

All I can say is that i enjoy plumbing very much and as for driving HGV
It's cool but can be mundane. I do enjoy driving too but not as much as plumbing.
I've done it for the sake if security and I'm sure every man wants to be secure. I've been plumbing since 17 years of age and 22 now and I know I have a fair bit to learn however I personally don't think I'm doing too bad at all as I do learn by the day.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

All I can say is that i enjoy plumbing very much and as for driving HGV
It's cool but can be mundane. I do enjoy driving too but not as much as plumbing.
I've done it for the sake if security and I'm sure every man wants to be secure. I've been plumbing since 17 years of age and 22 now and I know I have a fair bit to learn however I personally don't think I'm doing too bad at all as I do learn by the day.

I wish you get there Gizmo as if you really have the drive you will one day never stop learning .
If every one of us learn something every day ,we all can call this day a very great day !

 

[dontknowitall]

Why don't you print a 100 or so leaflets and deliver them locally?

You might not get any response or at best 3-4 enquiries. If you get a job, this will pay for the print out, then you can print some more and deliver these.

It's about the cheapest way to get going but it's hard work.

Also, PLEASE, don't do gas unless you're GasSafe registered!!! It just isn't worth the risk, either for you or for your customers. Many of us here are not GasSafe registered and there's plenty of work that's not gas related. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of plumbers chasing for this work too! Hence the responses earlier on.

 

[Halesowen1]

As quoted above, stick to your limits.

 

[sparra1100]

Well the ACS and central heating with cooler and gas fire
Been quoted roughly £1295. I even put my own gas fire in
And did a pretty decent job. As I mentioned I'm good with my hands
And it's best to stick to something one is generally good at doing. I can't see myself working in an office block behind a desk. Just like to stick to a proper mans job
Despite the cons. Eventually patience does pay off.

nah its more than £1295 might be that to resit in some places but defo around £3000 plus to do full acs

 

[Gizmo.man]

Yes I totally agree but I would never do gas work
For customers until I'm registered Ive done it only for myself
And had a competent person check my work over as mentioned in the thread.
I wouldnt do it illegally.

Legislation is there for a good reason.

 

[tamz]

If every one of us learn something every day ,we all can call this day a very great day !

Well Stan i can honestly say i have not learned anything new today but it did confirm what i already knew.........doing gutters in the snow is not worth the money.
Today has been a bad day. Maybe i should have risk assessed it before i started and would have known my white finger(s) would be giving me major gyp

 

[SafeGasInstall]

that is it : a lesson 1 Tom ,

always do your risk assessment

lesson 2 clean gutters at the end of summer

 

[samh]

Thats a lesson I've just learnt, from tamz's mistake!

 

[tamz]

that is it : a lesson 1 Tom ,

always do your risk assessment

lesson 2 clean gutters at the end of summer

The thing is Stan it was for someone i know. Repairs that were needing done since the summer but i kept putting it off. They have been on the phone about 6 times in the past 2 weeks so finished my planned stuff about 1 and thought i'd get that out the way too. It was a cold one :lol:

 

[tamz]

Thats a lesson I've just learnt, from tamz's mistake!

Don't let yourself get the white finger! (vibration)

 

[SafeGasInstall]

nothing better than doing all internal work in summer and leave all external for winter -reminds me of the army .
i understand Tom just a little wind up !

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Don't let yourself get the white finger! (vibration)

always get it when overwork my self specially drilling flue holes or chiselling it away and when you have just 1h on the flue max is a rush rush rush you know it best do not need to explain it !

 

[tamz]

Watch what you are doing with the big drills and wear gloves when using them. Once you get white finger (also known as VWF or HAVS) it never goes away. The nerve endings and blood vessels on your fingers die off. Any bit of cold on your hands (even for short time) is really painful.

Being young and stupid catches up with you.

 

[student plumber]

Yes I totally agree but I would never do gas work
For customers until I'm registered Ive done it only for myself
And had a competent person check my work over as mentioned in the thread.
I wouldnt do it illegally.

Legislation is there for a good reason.

I know someone who did his own plumbing but not the boiler he got someone in for that.

But he did do an unvented cylinder even though he's not qualified, I think it was his own. I said you have to be L3 for that, he said nah it's not a problem it's just a hot water tank, until it all goes t*ts up.

I don't think he's done work for anyone else, I'm not sure though.

Lots of people think trade work is really easy but how many of them see bodge ups on telly but carry on regardless because theirs is o.k?