Plumbing and Central Heating

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Excellent companion book - Rated
I am a time served qualified plumber and oil heating engineer with over 20 years experience in the industry. This book is concise and objective for all those wishing to learn the craft of plumbing. I believe others imagine this book to be a 'quick fix' guide to plumbing. Like with any other profession, experience over time is the most valuable training tool and excellent books such as this one just accompany that experience.

Its The Basics - Rated
I've been in the building trade for 20 years and I have my city and guilds advanced in two trades plus I am a trained assessor and verifier. However I do beleive the old school qualifications are far better than those today as I meet so many so called NVQ advanced tradesmen that have not got a clue.

Anyhoots I think some of the reviews are totally unfair here for what the book is meant to be. Its the basics. I dont have this version. I have the 1991 version and I find it is just brilliant. Plumbing a home can be taught in 1 to 2 weeks max its so easy it hurts! That though is not the trade, the trade involves large scale developments, but the plumbing needs for a home are simple. The good thing about this book is it gives the basics. IE how to fit a rad, fit a bathroom suite and even a basic gravity fed system. Plus in my version I dont see no errors that are dangerous! This book is a great first book - if your wishing to design a complicated heating system then this is not for you. If yyou wish to fit taps, bathrooms, outdoor taps, run some new pipe, conduct maintanence and even fit a basic gravity fed system then this book is for you. But if like me you just fitted a multifuel burner gravity fed system with solar heater backup all running to a thermal store with solar PV running all electrics off grid and a neutraliser fitted to allow a gas boiler to be fitted as back up energy errrrrr then this book will not have all that info. For any novice this is a good buy and it is one book I will never part with. Hope it helps Phil ;-)

Bought to save some money, but no use to me. - Rated
I had hoped to be able to do my own plumbing using this book. But the drawings are not detailed enough, in fact if one was to use the drawings it could be dangerious, there is nowhere for the water to go if all the radiators are closed, and I couldn't find any explanation in the text as to why the writer has done this. Sorry, but when one finds thing like that what other things are there, so I will only give it one star.

Misleading Title, not enought details - Rated
Bought this book to help sort out my central heating problems, mainly on how to flush it out. I hoped to find all the information I need in printed form that I can read anywhere.

The 2 star rating because I feel the book has a misleading title, namely the "& Central Heating" bit, for it puts very little emphasis on central heating. This is a predominately a general plumbing maintenance book. I am tempted to give it only 1 star, but it might be unfair since it is not totally useless.

There is only one short paragraph outlining the difference between a combi boilder and a condensing boilder, no mention of open vent vs closed vented central heating, Y-plan scheme vs S plan or W plan etc etc are all missing. One cannot start to understand an existing central heating system from this book, let alone trying to upgrade or maintain it.

There are more detailed information available in various free diy websites, just they require time and effort to search and filter through.

Disappointing. Dated and too basic. - Rated
I am completely replacing the plumbing system in my house, installing new bathrooms, showers and hot and cold water tanks. I bought this book as my guide. I was disappointed to find sections stating that a professional plumber should undertake certain tasks e.g. installing more than the most basic shower systems.

Great for the real basics, repairing leaks, running pipes etc. but the overview of how plumbing systems should be set up is a simple description of what you may find, not a comprehensive explanation of how to understand, plan and install the most effective plumbing systems.