Boat Plumbing, Heating & Engine Installation

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at those who are keen to tackle plumbing refits, or a complete fit-out of a sail-away project.  It offers a practical introduction to the design, materials, tools and techniques that you’ll need to consider. The course requires no previous knowledge, so is ideal whatever your level of experience.

By the end of the two days you’ll have a great understanding of the skills necessary to design and install all of the plumbing, heating and engine installations elements of a narrowboat.

What does the course involve?

In a mixture of classroom and workshop sessions, you’ll get a very practical introduction to the design, materials, tools and techniques of boat plumbing work. It’s a hands-on course, so in conjunction with some of the theory that you’ll learn, you’ll be ’on the tools’ designing, making, connecting and testing various plumbing systems.

As you’ll see below, the course covers a wide range of topics – and even if you don’t understand all these terms yet, you will by the end of your course!

The course includes:

• RCD and BSS requirements
• System Design i.e.
  • Domestic hot and cold water
  • Grey water disposal
  • Black water storage
  • Engine cooling and fuel systems
• Plumbing components and materials
• Pump Selection and installation i.e.
  • Water
  • Circulation
  • Sump
  • Bilge
• Central Heating systems selection and system design
• Tank Selection i.e.
  • Types
  • Design
  • Installation
  • Tank level indicators
• Loos and loo installation i.e.
  • Macerator
  • Cassette
  • Composting
  • Incinerating
• Solid fuel ranges i.e.
  • Selection
  • Installation
  • Ventilation
• Practical pipework i.e.
  • Copper pipework including bending
  • Plastic pipework
  • Fittings, endfeed solder, compression, pushfit
  • Gas pipework
  • Exhaust pipework

As well as these subjects, and if time permits, other subjects can be covered by request.

Why take this course with us?

We’d like to think that we’ve worked out ‘real’ courses that are genuinely of help to anyone considering such an undertaking. With this course in particular we have constantly modified and improved it based on feedback from students. We listen to what boat owners want -we don’t just run an arbitrary syllabus!

Your instructor (and mentor) has a lifetime of experience as a boat engineer, so has plenty of real-life experience to pass on.

But mainly, because we know that a course like this is only the beginning of a self-build, we encourage students to keep in-touch with their instructor afterwards. If any questions arise during your project, your instructor is still available to give advice. It’s an ongoing thing!

Our training classroom

Our dedicated training building at Debdale Wharf is a purposely configured part classroom and part workshop. It has specially designed basic water, fuel and gas installations for you to investigate and work on. The classroom area has all the teaching props and visual aids required to help you throughout the course.

When do the courses run?

We schedule a number of these courses throughout the year. You can view the full list of dates on our booking calendar. If demand is high enough, we can add extra course dates. Please just get in touch.

What’s provided (& included)?

• Fully qualified instructor
• Endless teas, coffees and biscuits
• Free parking

What you need to provide

• Your lunches
• Comfortable and protective clothing
• A willingness to get stuck in!

Here’s a few common questions

• Do I need any previous technical knowledge? No. This course is suited to all levels of experience.
• Do I need to bring any tools? No. Our workshop is equipped with everything you’ll need.