City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec (York)

The 7 week City & Guilds 6129  Plumbing Course with Bpec has been designed for those people wishing to enter the plumbing industry and gain formal qualifications with hands on training before they move onto the City & Guilds 6089 Plumbing NVQ, which is assessed onsite.

It is an ideal starter plumbing course for those with little or no experience.  The course concentrates on plumbing and allows the addition of further courses such as electrics or gas when the person has gained further experience in the industry and feels confidient to do so.

People with limited practical trade experience may gain from taking the Weekend Introduction plumbing course first, although no prior qualifications or experience in plumbing are necessary.  If you are considering becoming a plumber then you may wish to see our train to be a plumber page before reviewing this course.  The course is full time (Monday to Friday) for 7 weeks - although it may be taken in weekly blocks if this is more convenient for no extra charge.

The course starts with basic pipe work skills and moves onto more complex plumbing tasks, including airing cupboards, bathroom suites, above ground drainage, central heating installation (no gas/oil), lead work and low carbon steel pipework. This course also includes Bpec Water Regulations, Bpec Above Ground Drainage, PPL Pre-Part P Foundation Electrics course, business lectures, tiling and plastering courses.

Theory and practical sessions are mixed on a daily basis with around 3.5 days per week in the practical workshop and the remainder in the classroom. Students are divided into small tutor groups of 6 people led by an experienced plumbing tutor.

The course also contains regular demonstrations, topics include; power flushing, pipe freezing, floorboard lifting, tap maintenance and many more relevant skills. Students also receive a free tool kit and safety equipment pack. This contains all the tools and safety equipment you will need on the course. It is yours to keep at the end of the course.

Once the PPL Pre-Part P course is completed we recommend students take the Bpec Defined Scope Part P electrics course  or the Bpec Full Scope Part P electrics course.  After sucessfully completing a Part P course and registering with a Part P scheme the person will be able to legally offer electrical work in domestic dwellings together with their plumbing work.  The majority of plumbers are asked to carry out minor electrical work such as installing electric showers, central heating wiring or lighting circuits in bathrooms. This work can be sub-contracted out but it means you will be dependant on a sparky turning up.  It is much better to be able to offer the work yourself once you are competent and qualified to do so.

The City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course is part of PPL's no re-assessment fee policy. Should this course take longer than 7 weeks to complete there are no further fees to pay.

After successful completion of the 6129 students often to on to complete the City & Guilds 6089 NVQ while working as a self-employed plumber or for a plumbing company. From February 2011 PPL will be offering the new qualification from City & Guilds, the NVQ Diploma in Plumbing and Heating, at levels 2 and 3.

We may be able to access funding for your particular course for your.  Or you may wish to apply for a Professional and Career Development Loan.  Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning.  You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year’s relevant unpaid practical work).  The Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards.  The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses.  You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants or bursaries.  Because the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, they should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated.  For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Careers Advice on 0800 100 900.

Please take a look at the theory overview tab.

City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec theory overview:

The theory course is taught in our modern, well equipped training rooms and the lively and interactive sessions cover the following topics:

Module 1 -  Induction to the course
Course programme, registration for the 6129 Level 2,  introductions, general procedures for training and assessment.

Module 2 - Health and Safety
The construction industry can be a dangerous place.  It is important to know what hazards you may face and how to avoid injury to yourself and others.

Module 3 - Key Plumbing Principles
Basic processes within plumbing involving hand tools, plumbing materials and science.

Module 4 - Common Plumbing Processes
Copper tube bending and marking out, pipework materials and various fixing devices. Using a spring and machine bender. Compression and plastic fittings.

Module 5 - Being Self-employed
This module covers all the key aspects of being self-employed; tax, VAT, cash flow, marketing and other useful topics to give you the skills required to be a self-employed plumber.

Module 6 - Marketing your Business
This module covers more specific marketing and quoting.  Job pricing, debt collecting, gaining local trade links, expanding your business and working on site are just some of the topics covered.

Module 7 - Cold Water Systems
The supply of water to dwellings, water treatment, water regulations.  Cold water pipework inside buildings, storage cisterns, draining down and flushing pipework.

Module 8 - Hot Water Systems
Hot water services within dwellings.  Properties of hot water, types of hot water systems, air locks, combination boilers and storage systems.

Module 9 - Central Heating Systems
This module covers all types of common central heating system components and controls (no gas, pipework only). Includes fault finding and water pipework maintenance.

Module 10 - Environmental Awareness
Environmental awareness is an understanding of why it is important to conserve energy, dispose of waste properly and prevent wastage of materials.

Module 11 - Effective working relationships
The construction industry and working on sites.

Module 12 - Bpec Water Regulations (WRAS Approved)
Evening examination for the industry standard Bpec Water Regulations Certificate.

Module 13 -  Basic Plastering
Covers plastering techniques in repairing skimmed surfaces and plastering tools.

Module 14 - Basic Tiling
Comprehensive tiling theory with workshop time to practice tiling splash backs and repairing broken tiles.

Module 15 - Bpec Above Ground Drainage
Covers traps, sanitary systems, soundness, drains and gutter systems.

Module 16 - Basic electrical systems
Covers the required basic electrical theory for the 6129 electrical examination

Please take a moment to look at the Practical Overview tab. 

*PPL Training Ltd. reserve the right to change the content of any of its courses without notice, some modules may be combined with others for lecturing purposes and others may consist of handouts for student self-study to allow more practical time in the workshop.

City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing Course with Bpec practical overview:

6129 Practical sessions:

The practical sessions take place in our 8,500 sq feet training centre. After progressing through basic pipework skills, students aim to complete 60 practical assessments in plumbing and 12 multiple choice theory papers during the 7 weeks contact time.

There are NVQ Assessors on hand to mark your work to City & Guilds standards.  You will be asked to prepare a City & Guilds 6129 Level 2 log for each task including materials list, pipe diagrams and the work you have done. This is then signed off by our NVQ assessors and will count to your 6129 Level 2.  It is also possible to include digital photos within the portfolio which can be shown to future employers or customers.  These are signed by qualified assessors so your future employer or customers can be assured that you have reached the required standard.

A full list of practical and theory tasks for the City & Guilds 6129 Basic Plumbing Certificate level 2 can be downloaded by clicking on the icon below (opens in a new window or right click on icon and 'Save As' to a location on your computer):

 Click here to download - 6129 plumbing course task sheet (1.1MB) 

It will open in a separate webpage if you have a pdf reader installed on your PC/MAC. If you do not have a pdf reader please visit the link below to get a free copy:

Please see our FAQs section for more information on the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course.

City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec FAQs:

Key course facts:

Course times: 9am until approx 4.30pm with 1 hour for lunch (Mon 10am start)
Course duration: 7 weeks (Monday - Friday)
Flexible training: Yes, can be taken in weekly blocks for no extra fees
Payment: £500 Deposit payable on booking, balance in 2 instalments, or weekly payments can be arranged
Assessment: Closed book multiple choice online examinations (12) and practical assessments (60)
Valid for: Lifetime

Q - Do you have open days so I can visit the centre?

A - Yes of course! You may visit our centre at any time, just phone and we will book you an appointment.  Unlike some centres we encourage you to talk to our current 6129 plumbing students whilst you are here.

Q - I have no qualifications, do I need any to take the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec?

A - Our trainees come from a wide range of backgrounds.  You don’t need any qualifications just a willingness to learn and a good sense of humour.

Q - Can I split the 7 weeks into weekly blocks and would I pay extra for this?

A - Yes, no problem - and no, we do not charge extra for split courses.

Q - What type of assessments are they for the 6129 at PPL?

A - Multiple choice online examinations (12) and practical assessments (60)

Q - I am planning on commuting to your centre but I live miles away, are you flexible on hours?

A - The teaching hours are 9.00am to approx 4.30pm.  We start at 10am on a Monday and finish earlier on a Friday (3pm) so you can beat the weekend rush.

Q - What about support after the course?

A - We provide a free helpline for technical support with any plumbing questions you may encounter.  You can also email us plans/diagrams of installations with any questions you have.

Q - What happens if I fail to complete within the 7 weeks?

A - You can stay as long as you wish until you finish for no extra charge.

Q - I have difficulty reading and writing, can you help?

A - Yes, we will give you private one to one support and additional time, but not the answers!

Q - How do I get more information about the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec?

A - Call us on 0845 2600 966 or request a brochure pack

Q- How do I book a place on the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec?

A - Book online for your chosen date or call us on 0845 2600 966.

Q- Where do people come from to take City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with Bpec?

A - We train people from all over the UK for the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course with  Bpec; York, Leeds, Newcastle, Barnsley, Hull, Sheffield, Manchester, Scunthorpe, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Stockport, Liverpool, Bolton, Oldham, Warrington, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Halifax, Harrogate, Derby, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Darlington, Rotherham, Doncaster, Nottingham, Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Humberside, Grimsby, Cleveland, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Lincoln, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Northern England, Midlands, Birmingham, West Midlands; they come from national plumbing and heating companies, self-employed plumbers, builders, gas engineers, solar electrical engineers and renewable energy engineers, London, South East, Bristol, Birmingham, UK.

For more general frequently asked questions please see our main FAQ page or call us on 0845 2600 966.