Plumber

NOC (National Occupational Classification)

Who am I?

Plumbers in the HVACR industry install, repair and maintain pipes, fixtures and other plumbing equipment used for water distribution related to HVACR systems in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. They are employed in maintenance departments of factories, plants and similar establishments, by HVACR contractors, or they may be self-employed.

Other Titles

Maintenance Plumber
Plumber Apprentice
Plumbing Mechanic
Plumber-Gasfitter or Pipefitter

Essential Skills

Essential Skills are not the technical skills required by particular occupations but rather the skills applied in all occupations. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and apply to careers in HVACR. See Employment and Social Development Canada for more details.

The most important Essential Skills for Plumbers are:

  • Document Use - May be required to cross-reference several pages on a blueprint to establish how plumbing tasks coordinate with other trades for installations
  • Oral Communication - Interact with suppliers and customers by telephone and in person to gather information needed to troubleshoot system problems
  • Thinking Skills - Problem solving to diagnose and solve problems such as inefficient water flow require analysis before proceeding, plumbing is often concealed.

What do I do?

As a Plumber in HVACR you may do some of the following:

  • Read blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine layout of plumbing system, water supply network and drainage systems for heating and air conditioning
  • Install, repair and maintain domestic, commercial or industrial plumbing systems
  • Measure, cut, bend and thread pipes using hand and power tools or machines
  • Join pipes using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement or soldering, brazing and welding equipment
  • Test pipes for leaks using air and water pressure gauges
  • May prepare cost estimates.

Employment/Training

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of a four- to five-year apprenticeship program
    or
    A combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in plumbing is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
  • Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon
  • Interprovincial trade certification (Red Seal) is available to qualified plumbers.