MA The Maintenance Academy Maintenance 215 · Black Boots Initiative · shared with Foundational Fundamentals

Plumbing

Plumbing Technician

13 weeks · 20 lessons · 7 section tests · 8 written questions · final exam · 14 hands-on skills

A full plumbing course following the topics of first-year plumbing apprenticeship training, reviewed by licensed plumbers.

What you will be able to do

  • Work safely with sewage, chemicals, heat, gas and trenches.
  • Do plumbing math: slope and fall, 45° offsets, pressure and height, pipe volume.
  • Read plumbing plans and isometrics and rough in fixtures to their spec sheets.
  • Join copper (soldered and pressed), PEX, PVC and ABS, cast iron and threaded steel.
  • Size drains with fixture units, lay out traps and vents to code, and place cleanouts.
  • Protect drinking water from backflow, control pressure and thermal expansion, and stop water hammer.
  • Install and service fixtures, tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters, and test gas piping.
  • Clear drains, inspect lines with a camera, repair leaks and explain the work to customers.

How the course works

Lessons and check questions online, a test at the end of each section, and a final exam drawn from every section (80% to pass). Hands-on skills are signed off by an Academy instructor on a job site or in the shop and listed on your certificate.

A note on credentials

This course covers topic areas of NCCER Plumbing Level 1 but is not accredited by NCCER and does not count as licensed apprenticeship hours. Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license; Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other cities license plumbers and require permits. Code references use IPC and IFGC numbering; Philadelphia enforces its own plumbing code, so confirm local rules with L&I.

Course outline

  1. Week 1

    The Plumbing Profession

    Careers, licensing, codes and plumbing safety.

    1. Careers, licensing and codes Video 30 min
    2. Plumbing safety Video 30 min
    3. Section test (5 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  2. Weeks 2-3

    Tools, Math and Drawings

    Tools of the trade, plumbing math, and reading plumbing drawings and isometrics.

    1. Tools of the trade Video 25 min
    2. Plumbing math: slope, offsets and volume Video 35 min
    3. Reading plumbing drawings and isometrics Video 25 min
    4. Section test (6 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  3. Weeks 4-5

    Pipe and Fittings

    Plastic pipe and PEX, copper, and cast iron and steel: uses and joining.

    1. Plastic pipe: PVC, CPVC, ABS and PEX Video 35 min
    2. Copper tube and fittings Video 35 min
    3. Cast iron and steel pipe Video 30 min
    4. Section test (7 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  4. Weeks 6-7

    Drain, Waste and Vent Systems

    How DWV systems work, traps and venting methods, and sizing, slope and cleanouts.

    1. How DWV systems work Video 30 min
    2. Traps and venting methods Video 35 min
    3. Sizing, slope and cleanouts Video 35 min
    4. Section test (8 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  5. Weeks 8-9

    Water Distribution

    Supply, pressure and sizing; backflow prevention and water hammer.

    1. Supply, pressure and sizing Video 35 min
    2. Backflow and water hammer Video 30 min
    3. Section test (7 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  6. Weeks 10-11

    Fixtures, Valves, Water Heaters and Gas

    Fixtures and valves, tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters, and fuel gas basics.

    1. Fixtures and valves Video 35 min
    2. Water heaters Video 40 min
    3. Tankless and heat pump water heaters Video 30 min
    4. Fuel gas basics Video 35 min
    5. Section test (8 questions)
    6. Written answers (2 questions)
  7. Weeks 12-13

    Service and Repair

    Common service calls, drain cleaning and camera inspection, and leak repair.

    1. Common service calls Video 30 min
    2. Drain cleaning and camera inspection Video 30 min
    3. Leak repair, documentation and the customer Video 25 min
    4. Section test (6 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)

  8. Final exam

    50 questions from every section, 80% to pass.

    1. Final exam

Hands-on skills

Show these to a Maintenance Academy instructor on a job site or in the shop. Each one they sign off appears on your certificate as a verified skill.

    1. Cut, ream and solder a copper joint
      Cuts square, reams, cleans to bright metal, fluxes, heats the fitting, and makes a full, clean lead-free solder joint that passes a pressure test, with a flame shield and extinguisher in place.
    2. Make a press or push-fit copper connection
      Deburrs, marks insertion depth, fully inserts, presses (or seats) the fitting, and verifies with a pressure test.
    3. Make a PEX connection and check it
      Cuts square, installs the ring or sleeve for the system used, makes the connection, and checks crimps with a go/no-go gauge or expansions by the manufacturer's method.
    4. Solvent-weld a PVC DWV assembly
      Cuts square, deburrs, dry-fits, primes and cements both surfaces, pushes with a quarter turn and holds; uses the correct DWV fittings for each direction change.
    5. Lay out and install a drain at the correct slope
      Calculates total drop for a given run and slope and installs the pipe to within ⅛ in of the calculated fall, supported correctly.
    6. Join cast iron with a no-hub coupling
      Cuts with a snap cutter, centers the gasket, and torques the bands to the specified value with a torque wrench.
    7. Cut and thread steel pipe
      Cuts, reams, threads with a sharp die and cutting oil, applies the correct sealant, and makes up a tight joint using a backup wrench.
    8. Test DWV with water or air
      Plugs openings, performs a water test (10 ft of head, 15 minutes) or air test (5 psi, 15 minutes) as allowed, and finds and documents any leak.
    9. Measure static water pressure and set a PRV
      Measures static and working pressure with a gauge, adjusts a pressure-reducing valve to the target, and explains when an expansion tank is needed.
    10. Set a toilet
      Checks the flange, installs a new seal and bolts, sets the bowl level and tight without cracking it, connects the supply, adjusts the fill level, and confirms no leaks after several flushes.
    11. Repair a faucet cartridge or stem
      Shuts off and relieves pressure, protects the drain, removes and replaces the correct cartridge or washers, reassembles in order, and tests for leaks and correct hot/cold.
    12. Install or inspect a water heater's safety features
      Verifies the T&P valve and a compliant discharge pipe, the expansion tank, gas sediment trap, shutoff and venting (or electrical circuit), and fills the tank before energizing.
    13. Pressure-test and leak-check gas piping
      Isolates appliances, tests at 1.5 times working pressure and not less than 3 psig for 10 minutes with no drop, and leak-checks joints with solution.
    14. Clear a main line and inspect it with a camera
      Uses the correct machine and cutter with leather gloves and a foot switch, clears the line, runs a camera to identify the cause, and explains the footage to the customer.