Trades Plumber

Trades Specialists (Plumber & Steamfitter) perform journey-level plumbing and steamfitting work and may supervise others in the installation, alteration, and repair of pipes, fittings and fixtures of heating, ventilating, heating control, water, and drainage systems, according to specifications and plumbing codes.

Trades Specialist (Plumber & Steamfitter): responsible for all plumbing and steamfitting work, including the planning and laying out of work and determining the cause of trouble in plumbing and heating systems and equipment in an assigned area, on an assigned project, or for an entire facility. A Trades Specialist (Plumber & Steamfitter) may supervise others in this work including semiskilled and relatively unskilled workers.

Employees engaged in other building and maintenance trades are classified under a variety of other commonly used titles descriptive of their work; i.e., Trades Specialist (Carpenter), Trades Specialist (Plumber & Steamfitter).

Illustrative Tasks
Repairs, maintains, and installs plumbing fixtures and appliances such as sinks, shower baths, commodes, drinking fountains, dishwashers, valves including pneumatic controls, gas and water meters, gas hot water heaters, and other gas appliances, heating systems and controls, and various steam equipment used in laundries, kitchens and cafeterias, water pumps, irrigation, and hydrotherapy equipment.

• In cases of malfunction or breakdown, discusses problem with user, visually inspects the fixtures or equipment, and uses appropriate test equipment such as pressure and vacuum gauges to determine cause and location of trouble.
• Following technical manuals, codes, diagrams and previous experience, plans work procedures to make repairs and orders replacement parts indicating quality and type and any other materials required.
• Makes necessary repairs or adjustments or directs others in performing such activities.
• Installs or directs the installation of plumbing fixtures and appliances following diagrams, codes and previous experience.

• Plans new installations, alterations to existing installations, and major repairs consistent with specifications, plans and plumbing codes.
• Reviews building plans and working drawings to determine work aids required, and sequence of installation.
• Locates and marks position of pipes, pipe connections, and passage holes for pipes in walls and floors and cuts openings required to accommodate pipes and fittings.
• According to plan, measures, cuts, threads, and bends pipe to required angle.
• Assembles and installs a variety of metal and nonmetal pipe and pipe fittings.
• Joins piping by means of threaded, caulked, wiped, soldered, brazed, fused, or cemented joints.
• Tests pipe system for leaks by filling with liquid or air and reading pressure gauges.
• May weld holding fixtures to steel members.

• May supervise and instruct others in performing plumbing and steamfitting work.

Minimum Qualifications

Trades Specialist (Plumber)
Four years of full-time experience in plumbing under a skilled tradesperson which would provide training equivalent to that given in a training, apprenticeship, or equivalent program, or an equivalent combination of experience and training gained by completion of technical courses in plumbing at a school, institute, or branch of the Armed Services; OR successful completion of the two-year Trades Specialist (Plumber & Steamfitter) traineeship or a two-year plumbing training, apprenticeship, or equivalent program* such as the New York State Civil Service Employees Association-Partnership Applied Skilled Trades Traineeship and Certificate Program.

* Successful completion of the traineeship and the training program includes a total of 288 hours of trade-specific class room instruction, 45 hours of technical math course work, 45 hours of technical communications course work, and 15 hours of blueprint/schematic reading course work. Course work must be completed with an average of “C” or better. Additionally, successful completion of the traineeship also includes 4,000 hours of on-the-job training.

When required to operate motor vehicles, candidates must possess a valid New York State driver's license appropriate for the type of vehicle to be operated.