I've been a property manager for 20 years. Although I hire plumbers to do most plumbing jobs, I have supers do basic jobs like replacing a leaking valve. However, because they don't have actual work experience at a plumbing company, even for really simple tasks, the results can sometimes turn out pretty bad.
The problem is they don't have any formal training but many of them have worked as handymen. This is a problem because, without formal training, they don't realize how little they know. For example, they might take out and clean a clogged kitchen p-trap, but they don't realize the purpose of a high drain loop is and won't put it back up. Or, they'll put on Teflon backward. Or, they'll overtighten and strip threads on fittings which lead to headaches for me later. I don't know much about plumbing, but I can tell when something is not right.
Since supers work all day and during the weekends, I can't send them to work with professional plumbers as apprentices. (This would also be overkill, and it would also cost me too much when I only want them to learn how to do very simple tasks.)
I am considering paying for night plumbing classes at local community colleges for them. How effective are they to learn simple plumbing jobs like replacing a leaking copper pipe?
Can you guys recommend a better way for supers to get basic training in plumbing? There are tons of YouTube videos but none are really comprehensive - they don't teach the basic, practical steps, which is the most important. Are there specific online courses, videos, or textbooks that you guys recommend?
The main purpose is for them to learn practical knowledge for very simple jobs. I don't want them to learn anything complicated or big. Anything that's going to take more than an hour, that's still going to be left to actual licensed plumbers. Just a practical course on basic tasks that might occur daily like how to replace a leaking valve.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.
The problem is they don't have any formal training but many of them have worked as handymen. This is a problem because, without formal training, they don't realize how little they know. For example, they might take out and clean a clogged kitchen p-trap, but they don't realize the purpose of a high drain loop is and won't put it back up. Or, they'll put on Teflon backward. Or, they'll overtighten and strip threads on fittings which lead to headaches for me later. I don't know much about plumbing, but I can tell when something is not right.
Since supers work all day and during the weekends, I can't send them to work with professional plumbers as apprentices. (This would also be overkill, and it would also cost me too much when I only want them to learn how to do very simple tasks.)
I am considering paying for night plumbing classes at local community colleges for them. How effective are they to learn simple plumbing jobs like replacing a leaking copper pipe?
Can you guys recommend a better way for supers to get basic training in plumbing? There are tons of YouTube videos but none are really comprehensive - they don't teach the basic, practical steps, which is the most important. Are there specific online courses, videos, or textbooks that you guys recommend?
The main purpose is for them to learn practical knowledge for very simple jobs. I don't want them to learn anything complicated or big. Anything that's going to take more than an hour, that's still going to be left to actual licensed plumbers. Just a practical course on basic tasks that might occur daily like how to replace a leaking valve.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.
