Plumbing and drainage
Understanding plumbing and drains in domestic buildings
Understanding how plumbing and drainage systems work is an essential element of effective property maintenance. This introductory course will provide the skills needed to identify problems and instruct effective repairs reduce the risk of defects leading to further damage to the fabric of the building.
Problems with plumbing and drainage systems can cause significant damage to property and have a negative impact of the health of the occupants. They can also lead to expensive repairs well beyond the original problem as damage can be caused to decoration; walls; ceilings and to ground works. It is essential that housing staff understand how these systems work in order that they can identify problems and instruct the relevant repairs.
Course Content
This training module will provide you with the knowledge and understanding which is necessary for diagnosing common problems relating to the plumbing and drainage systems in domestic properties.
From the point at which water enters the home until it leaves as waste-water there are a range of possible problems that can arise. These can cause significant damage to property and have a negative impact on the health of the occupants. If the appropriate repairs are not carried out in time it could lead to expensive repairs well beyond the original problem as damage can be caused to decoration, walls, ceilings and to ground works.
- Cold water distribution systems in a property
- Water storage
- Plumbing materials and components
- Pipework and fittings
- Hot water services
- Toilets, baths and showers
- Medical adaptations
- Plumbing maintenance
- Waste water management and drainage
Learning outcomes
As a result of attending this module you will —
- Know about the types of water supply in a house plus the hot and cold water systems
- Know the materials, components and fittings used in domestic plumbing and drainage systems
- Understand how boilers work and the problems that can occur
- Understand how drainage systems work for baths, showers & toilets
- Understand how the external drainage systems and sewers work
- Be aware of common plumbing and drainage problems and their remedies.
Who is it for?
The course has been designed for non-technical staff working in local authorities or housing associations. If your organisation has staff who carry out property inspections or take repairs requests and instruct repair works this guide will equip them with a working knowledge of plumbing and drainage systems and their
City & Guilds accredited programme
Plumbing and drainage can be taken as a standalone course (which will be un-accredited) or as one of five modules that make up Understanding Buildings and Managing Repairs, a training course accredited by City & Guilds through our collaborating partner SHARE, a long-established training provider to the housing sector in Scotland. All five modules have to be taken in a 12-month period.
Once candidates have attended all five units they can sit a short assessment and on successful completion receive a certificate. The 2.5 hour assessment will cover the key topics from the modules that relate to common repairs and maintenance requests from tenants. The questions will be similar to those used in the classroom exercises for each module and will include 10 multiple choice and 26 short answer questions. Preparation for the assessment will be discussed in more detail during the fifth module – Building maintenance and reporting repairs.
When and where are our courses held?
Our public courses are held at fully-equipped training facility in London with many practical examples of household fittings, allowing candidates to get hands-on experience of dealing with commonly found faults and defects.
If you have eight or more participants our highly experienced tutors will come to your workplace to deliver any of our courses. For those organisations with fewer than eight participants we run public courses on various dates throughout the year.
If you are interested in this course or the City&Guilds Understanding Buildings and Managing Repair programme give us a call on 0333 355 4165
