When I was a plumbing apprentice in 1989, we used to solder two pipes at connecting joints using lead. Wild, no? At the start of my career as a plumber, the widespread usage of lead was being phased out (the Safe Drinking Water Act was passed in 1986); besides the regulatory environment, there have been many other changes in terms of design, functionality, and efficiency.
If you think back to your high-school chemistry class, you might remember the Periodic Table of Elements. Notice that the 82nd element is lead, and has the symbol Pb – from the Latin plumbum. The word “plumber” was used to refer to anyone who worked with lead. Less expensive and more durable than iron, the highly stable and pliant metal has been a common material used for piping for thousands of years, dating back to possibly as far back as 312 BC when Romans began building aqueducts to better distribute water throughout the empire.
In terms of product, price points, technology, consumers, public awareness, and customer education, it is amazing how much a profession that is at least 2,000+ years old has evolved in the past three decades. My varied work experience has given me first hand exposure to many of those changes in different capacities.
I started out as plumber apprentice. My initial experience was working for independent custom home builders to community developers, ranging from Sequoia Contracting to Toll Brothers. Working with new homes provides a “clean slate” to installing plumbing. While there are many overlaps, I learned that there are important differences when working with older homes where there is a greater need to integrate into existing systems. Another experience that added to my plumbing education early in my career was doing laboratory work. I tested plumbing products such as pipes and fixtures at IBM’s Research and Development Center and I help set up labs for Consumer Reports Testing Facility. Understanding the composition, material, and functionality of a product from a design perspective and in a laboratory-setting compared to its practical implementation in a home is an additional insight that I’ve developed that few plumbers have.
That education has informed how I’ve trained over 60 apprentices and served thousands of customers in my three decades of working as a plumber.
But as much as the field will continue to evolve, one thing that never gets old and is always appreciated is good customer service. It is the cornerstone of my business. I love engaging with customers, determining what the problems are and providing the best long-term solution at a reasonable price. When plumbing is at its very best, it should be a background “given”. If you turn the water temperature warmer for your morning shower, at most levels, you just want to know that it works. Perhaps when you have a moment to look at your water or heating bill, you want to know that it works efficiently and you are getting the most for your money.
That is the philosophy at AMS Plumbing & Heating. First, we address any immediate problem that you are encountering and you can take for granted that we will provide a working solution. Then we go to that next level and along with your input, determine the solution that serves your need within your budget for the next several years to a decade. Our objective at AMS Plumbing & Heating has been and is to provide great service at a fair price and everything else will take care of itself. Contact us today for your plumbing needs and join the growing list of satisfied customers.
