Yesterday I went to sort out a “boiling hot water tap” that hasn’t worked since Christmas, having reassembled the tap which had fell apart and fixing a water leak, I discovered that no water actually flowed through it.

I disconnected the pipe work and found the water flowed as far as the heater, so tried blowing down the pipework using my mouth, this did not clear the blockage but did dislodge some blue plastic swarm presumably from someone cutting an underground MDPE blue plastic water pipe somewhere out in the ground with a hacksaw or the like.

Having failed to dislodge the blockage by blowing down the pipe using my mouth I went out to the van and got my Makita 18 volt cordless tyre inflator, then selected a suitable nozzle and blew air into the water heater at 35 psi, as that was what the inflator was set at being the pressure of the front tyres on my van and did not seem excessive.

There was a blast of air, water and some blue plastic swarf flew into the ladies Pyrex measuring jug I had borrowed, then I reassembled the pipework and it all worked perfectly.

I passed comment to the lady “They don’t teach you how to do that at college”, I know that experience is hard to measure and quantify, but sometimes experience actually trumps training and qualifications.

Yesterday I went to sort out a “boiling hot water tap” that hasn’t worked since Christmas, having reassembled the tap which had fell apart and fixing a water leak, I discovered that no water actually flowed through it.

I disconnected the pipe work and found the water flowed as far as the heater, so tried blowing down the pipework using my mouth, this did not clear the blockage but did dislodge some blue plastic swarm presumably from someone cutting an underground MDPE blue plastic water pipe somewhere out in the ground with a hacksaw or the like.

Having failed to dislodge the blockage by blowing down the pipe using my mouth I went out to the van and got my Makita 18 volt cordless tyre inflator, then selected a suitable nozzle and blew air into the water heater at 35 psi, as that was what the inflator was set at being the pressure of the front tyres on my van and did not seem excessive.

There was a blast of air, water and some blue plastic swarf flew into the ladies Pyrex measuring jug I had borrowed, then I reassembled the pipework and it all worked perfectly.

I passed comment to the lady “They don’t teach you how to do that at college”, I know that experience is hard to measure and quantify, but sometimes experience actually trumps training and qualifications.

Sparkingchip said:

They don’t teach you how to do that at college”, I know that experience is hard to measure and quantify, but sometimes experience actually trumps training and qualifications.

Indeed, that’s why it’s called the Experienced Worker Qualification. Really only experience is required.

Qualifications and Credentials used to be the same thing.

lyledunn said:

Really only experience is required.

But then you're saying there's assessment (once the experience has been assessed) because no-one believes the assessment ? And the assessment is not a qualification (as qualifications have a legal definition now)?

Or am I getting the two confused?

To clarify; to gain entry to the qualification requires only 5 years of generally concurrent experience working as an electrician. No other qualifications required although useful.