The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers has around eleven thousand members, of which only around fifty are women. The group Women in Plumbing (WPG), was formed as part of the IPHE to support the network of women that work in the plumbing industry and for women that seek information on a career as a plumber. The group offers support and advice to women already in the industry and to those considering becoming plumbers as a career move. This also helps to raise awareness to the attractive opportunities for women within the plumbing and heating sector.
lumbers in the trade have noted that there is currently obvious confusion around whether sanitaryware should be marked by a CE mark. Currently CE marking is not compulsory in the UK. This, however, can change in the future following the revisions of the Construction Products Directive.
Ford transit retained its leading position as the most popular van make among plumbers and tradesmen in the UK. Ford has shifted 6,348 vehicles in 2007, which amounts to 29% of the UK market. General Motors (Vauxhaul Commercial Vehicles) has shifted 3,776 commercial vehicles during 2007, accounting for 16% of the market. In third place, Volkswagen shifted 2,162 light commercial vehicles (10% of the UK market).
Corgi has recently marked the 1,000th member for its student membership scheme, reaching the milestone just nine months into the programme.
Ben Wright from Bradford Collage was presented with a prize to celebrate the milestone. It was presented to him by Sam Browne of Corgi and Paul Bickerdale of Parts Center (part of the Wolseley Group, which also owns Plumb Center).
Recent survey of 1,300 plumbers, heating engineers and installers has confirmed that the overall majority of them are happy with the general format of the Approved Certification Scheme (ACS).
The campaign to cut the VAT from 17.5% to 5% has just added a powerful new member. The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has recently joined the cross-industry ‘Cut the VAT Coalition’.
Plumbing and Heating and Curiosity Curiosity and willingness to make changes - are not necessarily the first things the spring to mind when you think about plumbing and heating. Boilers have made major leaps over the decades, but underneath they still burn fossil fuel to…
Recent feedback from plumbers and heating engineers involved in the solar thermal industry has been very negative regarding the governments’ Low Carbon Buildings Scheme. The government has allocated £87 million of funding to be spent on solar thermal systems in the UK, but it is not being implemented as there are only 31 plumbers that are approved installers under the scheme.
New course for plumbers, using three dimensional virtual technology can help solve the shortage of plumbers in the UK, claims the training course provider.
JTL, which offers the new plumbers’ training course, issued a fresh warning that the UK’s construction industry could soon be hit by a shortage of skilled plumbers.
The Heating & Ventilation Contractors’ Association (HVCA) which counts many plumbers and heating engineers among its members has criticised the government for failing to support its own legislation.