Plumber (General)
What the work is
Installs and repairs water, drainage, gas and sewerage pipes and systems.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Interprets blueprints to plan plumbing system layout
- Joins pipes and fittings using various techniques
- Installs and repairs water supply, drainage systems and fixtures
- Installs and repairs solar hot water and heat pump systems
- Installs and repairs gas lines and appliances in compliance with safety regulations
- Installs and maintains fire hydrants and hose reels
- Tests plumbing systems for leaks and issues
- Clears blockages in pipes and drains
- Maintains and repairs plumbing systems in various types of buildings
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a plumbing business that does new builds, renovations and weekend emergency call-outs across a city. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Water gushing in a flooded kitchen goes quiet and the owner finally exhales
- A new bathroom is connected, tested and working before the family comes home
- You find a hidden leak that three other people could not trace
Hard days
- A Sunday call-out to a blocked drain in the rain
- Crawling under a house in the dark to reach a pipe you cannot see
- A customer who thinks the price is too high for something nobody can see
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 363131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.