Service, Repair and Troubleshooting

Residential and light commercial service plumbing in Ontario, followed through an apprentice's rotation with a senior service plumber in Hamilton: a six-step diagnostic method; safety in service work, from sewer gas and confined spaces to asbestos, lead and gas; drain stoppages, drum and sectional machines and jetters; camera inspection and locating; sewer lateral repair options from spot repairs to lining and pipe bursting; leak detection with meter tests, temperature-corrected pressure tests, acoustic and thermal methods; faucet, valve and toilet repair; gas, electric and tankless water heater troubleshooting within licence limits; low pressure, noise and water hammer; water quality and treatment, including hardness, softener sizing and lead service lines; sump pumps, ejectors, backwater valves and Hamilton's Protective Plumbing Program; and customer communication, estimates, documentation and warranties, with capstone service calls.

PLB-420 12 lessons · 4 h 20 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon

Offered by HSM University · Plumbing

This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.

What you'll learn

Apply a systematic diagnostic method to service calls: listen, look, test, think, fix, verify and document, choosing tests by likelihood and cost.
Assess and control the hazards of service work, including sewage, sewer gas and confined spaces, asbestos, lead and mould, electrical and gas hazards, scalding and drain machines.
Diagnose drain stoppages and select and safely operate plungers, augers, drum and sectional machines and water jetters for the line size and blockage.
Carry out and record a sewer camera inspection, identify common defects, and locate the camera head and buried pipes from the surface.
Explain how sewer laterals fail, who is responsible for each part, and compare spot repair, lining, pipe bursting and open-trench replacement for a customer.
Confirm and locate hidden leaks with meter tests, zone isolation, temperature-corrected pressure tests, acoustic listening, thermal imaging and tracer methods.
Diagnose and repair faucets, shower valves, shutoff valves and toilets, set shower temperature limits, and calculate the water wasted by leaks.
Troubleshoot gas, electric and tankless water heaters within the limits of the plumbing licence, and check recovery against the heater's rating.
Measure static pressure, residual pressure and flow to locate restrictions, and diagnose pressure-reducing valve, noise and water hammer problems.
Identify common water quality problems, convert hardness units, size a softener, and explain treatment equipment and lead service line issues fairly.
Size and service sump pumps, sewage ejectors and backwater valves, and explain municipal flood protection programs to homeowners.
Communicate clearly with customers, prepare itemised estimates, document service work and handle warranties and callbacks, applying the whole course to complete service calls.

Course content

12 lessons · 4 h 20 min total · final exam

1 The service plumber's role and a diagnostic method 24 min · quiz
2 Safety in service work 23 min · quiz
3 Drain stoppages and drain cleaning equipment 22 min · quiz
4 Camera inspection and locating 21 min · quiz
5 Sewer lateral problems and repair options 21 min · quiz
6 Leak detection: pressure tests, acoustic and thermal methods 24 min · quiz
7 Faucet, valve and toilet repair 20 min · quiz
8 Water heater troubleshooting: gas, electric and tankless 21 min · quiz
9 Low pressure, noise and water hammer 22 min · quiz
10 Water quality problems and treatment equipment 21 min · quiz
11 Sump pumps, sewage ejectors and backwater valves 20 min · quiz
12 Customer communication, estimates, documentation and warranties; capstone service calls 21 min · quiz
E Final exam 20 questions

Requirements

PLB-220 Fixtures, Appliances and Water Heaters

Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.