Everyone jokes about how expensive it is to call in a plumber, but a professional plumber has to study and learn some pretty complicated mechanics to become qualified. There are a few things you don’t know about plumbers and the skills they bring to the job.

Plumbing seems to mystify a lot of homeowners, and the plumbers themselves seem to be an even bigger puzzle.

Academic Skills – Your Plumber Has Them

In the United States, plumbers are required to study and test on various local and national codes. To perform their job, they also need a good working knowledge of mechanical engineering concepts and tools, including:

  • Algebra

  • Geometry

  • Hydronics

  • Blueprints/CAD drawings

They Have Patience

It can take several years to become a certified plumber. After technical training in a trade school or community college, they then need to complete an apprenticeship with a licensed certified plumber. Most apprenticeships last about four to five years.

Once they have experience, they must apply and test for a license to become a journeyman plumber.

It takes another three to five years to become a “master plumber.”

Even after all that, and despite the jokes, the average earnings for a plumber is about $25 an hour. The national median salary for a plumber in 2019 was just around $55K.

Sense of Humor

Plumbers can straight-face like pros when they discover what you’ve accidentally flushed down the toilet. But they do have a sense of humor.

In 1954, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to The Reporter stating that if he had to do it all again, he’d be a plumber instead of a scientist because of the independence he would enjoy.

In response, he was given honorary membership in the D.C. Plumbers and Steamfitters A.F.I. A New York based plumber’s union presented him with a set of gold-plated plumbing tools. The Local 130 in Chicago sent him a membership card.

They Can Multitask

In the State of Florida, a certified and registered plumbing contractor is able to provide a very broad range of services. Some of them may surprise you. They may install, repair, and even design several different types of plumbing systems:

  • Sanitary and sewer drains

  • Septic tanks

  • Swimming pool piping

  • Irrigation for landscaping or agriculture

  • Solar water heating systems

  • Air and gas piping for vacuums, oxygen, nitrous oxide, and other medical gases

  • Fire sprinkler systems

  • Fuel oil and gasoline piping

  • Pneumatic control piping

Finding Your Favorite Plumber

Now that you know a little bit more about plumbers, you may wonder how they manage to do it all. Like other professionals, teamwork makes it easier to ensure that you, their customer, can draw on a wide range of skills and talents to get the job done.

Make an appointment with the team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Port St. Lucie the next time you need a plumber.