Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

The best plumbing book around!, 28 May 2005
As a plumber who works in many different aspects of the mechanical services, i keep coming back to this book. This book has a limited scope in as much as it concentrates on the service of hot and cold supplies, not gas or oil. however, this means that the content is specific, informative and detailed. not only does the book cover its subject well, it also has diagrams that are spaced well and not squashed onto the page as in the treloar books.
easy to read/decifer, this book is an essential buy for any existing plumber or anyone on an nvq etc. put quite simply, i was reluctant to part with this much money for such a narrow scoped book, i'm so glad i did. i see this book as the foundation for which any career in plumbing can be built. Garret doesnt try and put things in, that would increase the appeal of the book such as gas or oil but simply writes about a subject he knows inside out, a subject that i now know inside out. an absolute gem.

A must for the working plumber, 09 Oct 2001
This is an excellent reference for the various regulations which apply to the plumbing trade. As legislation becomes more onerous, and the water regulations are tightened, you would be a fool to yourself not to have a copy to hand at all times. Should be a cokmpulsory item in any plumber's toolkit.

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

The best plumbing book around!, 28 May 2005
As a plumber who works in many different aspects of the mechanical services, i keep coming back to this book. This book has a limited scope in as much as it concentrates on the service of hot and cold supplies, not gas or oil. however, this means that the content is specific, informative and detailed. not only does the book cover its subject well, it also has diagrams that are spaced well and not squashed onto the page as in the treloar books.
easy to read/decifer, this book is an essential buy for any existing plumber or anyone on an nvq etc. put quite simply, i was reluctant to part with this much money for such a narrow scoped book, i'm so glad i did. i see this book as the foundation for which any career in plumbing can be built. Garret doesnt try and put things in, that would increase the appeal of the book such as gas or oil but simply writes about a subject he knows inside out, a subject that i now know inside out. an absolute gem.

A must for the working plumber, 09 Oct 2001
This is an excellent reference for the various regulations which apply to the plumbing trade. As legislation becomes more onerous, and the water regulations are tightened, you would be a fool to yourself not to have a copy to hand at all times. Should be a cokmpulsory item in any plumber's toolkit.

Complete Plumbing, 06 Feb 2006
Well laid out book if you live in the USA. All measurements in imperial which have no value here now. Also most of the projects were laid out for American homes & informing unskilled people how to fix gas appliances should not be encouraged. Unfortunately I will have to return this book.

Caveat emptor, 29 Dec 2004
My fault. I should have read the other reviews before ordering. I too didn't notice the book was for the American market. I am now almost brainwashed into thinking in metric.(with difficulty!) I would just love to have the equivalent of Lowes Building Store in the UK, you can walk out with a virtual house and load it in the truck. But in the UK we are stuck with metric and B & Q which doesn't even come close. So sorry, I'll have to return this excellent book.

Great Book - if you live in the USA, 18 Oct 2004
This book contains everything in the Synopsis - there are great instructions, lots of helpful photos etc. It also has a refreshing non-sexist approach, with lots of photos of lady plumbers.

It's not obvious from the way it's listed, but it's published in the USA and intended for the American market. The extent to which any of the procedures etc. are compatible with UK building regulations is undefined

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

The best plumbing book around!, 28 May 2005
As a plumber who works in many different aspects of the mechanical services, i keep coming back to this book. This book has a limited scope in as much as it concentrates on the service of hot and cold supplies, not gas or oil. however, this means that the content is specific, informative and detailed. not only does the book cover its subject well, it also has diagrams that are spaced well and not squashed onto the page as in the treloar books.
easy to read/decifer, this book is an essential buy for any existing plumber or anyone on an nvq etc. put quite simply, i was reluctant to part with this much money for such a narrow scoped book, i'm so glad i did. i see this book as the foundation for which any career in plumbing can be built. Garret doesnt try and put things in, that would increase the appeal of the book such as gas or oil but simply writes about a subject he knows inside out, a subject that i now know inside out. an absolute gem.

A must for the working plumber, 09 Oct 2001
This is an excellent reference for the various regulations which apply to the plumbing trade. As legislation becomes more onerous, and the water regulations are tightened, you would be a fool to yourself not to have a copy to hand at all times. Should be a cokmpulsory item in any plumber's toolkit.

Complete Plumbing, 06 Feb 2006
Well laid out book if you live in the USA. All measurements in imperial which have no value here now. Also most of the projects were laid out for American homes & informing unskilled people how to fix gas appliances should not be encouraged. Unfortunately I will have to return this book.

Caveat emptor, 29 Dec 2004
My fault. I should have read the other reviews before ordering. I too didn't notice the book was for the American market. I am now almost brainwashed into thinking in metric.(with difficulty!) I would just love to have the equivalent of Lowes Building Store in the UK, you can walk out with a virtual house and load it in the truck. But in the UK we are stuck with metric and B & Q which doesn't even come close. So sorry, I'll have to return this excellent book.

Great Book - if you live in the USA, 18 Oct 2004
This book contains everything in the Synopsis - there are great instructions, lots of helpful photos etc. It also has a refreshing non-sexist approach, with lots of photos of lady plumbers.

It's not obvious from the way it's listed, but it's published in the USA and intended for the American market. The extent to which any of the procedures etc. are compatible with UK building regulations is undefined

Be aware of units., 03 Jun 2003
Should be a very useful book, small enough to fit in a top pocket. UK be aware of having to convert from USA units, for example, page 170 a cubic foot contains 7.5 gallons, and a gallon weighs 8.33 lbs. In the UK it is 6.25 gallons and 10 lbs, etc.

I need A metric version and I was not told it was imperial, 12 Mar 2000
I have found the book very useful, but find it awkward when I have to convert to metric. Can any body tell me if there is A metric version.

A must have for any pipe fitter!, 21 Sep 1998
The most comprehensive manual of its kind in my opinion. I am a veteran pipe fitter of 20 years. Just like master card, "don't leave for work with out it!"

excellent book, 03 Jul 1998
I have read and used this book in the past and found it a must have for anyone in the pipe trades

great reference however i did find one erroe, 17 Aug 1997
on page 168 in estimating the weight of steel pipe the multiplier should be .2225 instead of .2199. I use this book quite often in the trade and recomend it to many of the people entering the workforce.

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

The best plumbing book around!, 28 May 2005
As a plumber who works in many different aspects of the mechanical services, i keep coming back to this book. This book has a limited scope in as much as it concentrates on the service of hot and cold supplies, not gas or oil. however, this means that the content is specific, informative and detailed. not only does the book cover its subject well, it also has diagrams that are spaced well and not squashed onto the page as in the treloar books.
easy to read/decifer, this book is an essential buy for any existing plumber or anyone on an nvq etc. put quite simply, i was reluctant to part with this much money for such a narrow scoped book, i'm so glad i did. i see this book as the foundation for which any career in plumbing can be built. Garret doesnt try and put things in, that would increase the appeal of the book such as gas or oil but simply writes about a subject he knows inside out, a subject that i now know inside out. an absolute gem.

A must for the working plumber, 09 Oct 2001
This is an excellent reference for the various regulations which apply to the plumbing trade. As legislation becomes more onerous, and the water regulations are tightened, you would be a fool to yourself not to have a copy to hand at all times. Should be a cokmpulsory item in any plumber's toolkit.

Complete Plumbing, 06 Feb 2006
Well laid out book if you live in the USA. All measurements in imperial which have no value here now. Also most of the projects were laid out for American homes & informing unskilled people how to fix gas appliances should not be encouraged. Unfortunately I will have to return this book.

Caveat emptor, 29 Dec 2004
My fault. I should have read the other reviews before ordering. I too didn't notice the book was for the American market. I am now almost brainwashed into thinking in metric.(with difficulty!) I would just love to have the equivalent of Lowes Building Store in the UK, you can walk out with a virtual house and load it in the truck. But in the UK we are stuck with metric and B & Q which doesn't even come close. So sorry, I'll have to return this excellent book.

Great Book - if you live in the USA, 18 Oct 2004
This book contains everything in the Synopsis - there are great instructions, lots of helpful photos etc. It also has a refreshing non-sexist approach, with lots of photos of lady plumbers.

It's not obvious from the way it's listed, but it's published in the USA and intended for the American market. The extent to which any of the procedures etc. are compatible with UK building regulations is undefined

Be aware of units., 03 Jun 2003
Should be a very useful book, small enough to fit in a top pocket. UK be aware of having to convert from USA units, for example, page 170 a cubic foot contains 7.5 gallons, and a gallon weighs 8.33 lbs. In the UK it is 6.25 gallons and 10 lbs, etc.

I need A metric version and I was not told it was imperial, 12 Mar 2000
I have found the book very useful, but find it awkward when I have to convert to metric. Can any body tell me if there is A metric version.

A must have for any pipe fitter!, 21 Sep 1998
The most comprehensive manual of its kind in my opinion. I am a veteran pipe fitter of 20 years. Just like master card, "don't leave for work with out it!"

excellent book, 03 Jul 1998
I have read and used this book in the past and found it a must have for anyone in the pipe trades

great reference however i did find one erroe, 17 Aug 1997
on page 168 in estimating the weight of steel pipe the multiplier should be .2225 instead of .2199. I use this book quite often in the trade and recomend it to many of the people entering the workforce.

Excellent companion book, 07 May 2007
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, 28 Aug 2006
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., 03 Feb 2006
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, 17 Mar 2003
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., 08 May 2002
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.

Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.

The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.

Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general.

I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out.

Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!

The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard!

An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill).
This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way.
It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail:
1) What Central Heating is
2) What can go wrong with it
3) How to diagnose the fault
4) How to repair it
Fault finding diagrams are v. useful.
This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you?
To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!!

From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber.

I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago.

When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it.

Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold.

I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual.

Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way.

Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked.

A great book that I will make oily myself in time.

Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.

Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"

Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.

These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.

Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer

A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!

Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.

Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"

basic, 07 Jul 2008
This is a very basic text, probably good for total beginners but if you know what a blowtorch and a lathe are and don't need it explaining to you with poor pencil renderings then it's not the book for you (yes, I returned it!)

A great reference book , 29 Feb 2008
If you are like me a plumbing student then this book is a must. It clearly explains no end of principles and procedures.
I would recommend this to all fellow students.


As good as they get!, 28 Oct 2004
A very good referance book, and a real must have, if you are a plumbing student!

Great book for students, 24 Oct 2001
This is an excellent book. This book is a must have for students doing an nvq course, it is all in alphabetical order from above ground drainage to zinc weathering. It has all the basics of plumbing to the more advanced topic. This book helps with all assignment you have to compelete to get your nvq. It is a must have refrence book for all in the trade, because it give you vital information and british standards to conform too. I would as recomened you to get yourself a copy of Plumbing, Heating and gas installations, by R.D. Treloar (ISBN 0-632-05332-1). These two together give you an essential guide to plumbing and all you will need to know for your NVQ course.

The best plumbing book around!, 28 May 2005
As a plumber who works in many different aspects of the mechanical services, i keep coming back to this book. This book has a limited scope in as much as it concentrates on the service of hot and cold supplies, not gas or oil. however, this means that the content is specific, informative and detailed. not only does the book cover its subject well, it also has diagrams that are spaced well and not squashed onto the page as in the treloar books.
easy to read/decifer, this book is an essential buy for any existing plumber or anyone on an nvq etc. put quite simply, i was reluctant to part with this much money for such a narrow scoped book, i'm so glad i did. i see this book as the foundation for which any career in plumbing can be built. Garret doesnt try and put things in, that would increase the appeal of the book such as gas or oil but simply writes about a subject he knows inside out, a subject that i now know inside out. an absolute gem.

A must for the working plumber, 09 Oct 2001
This is an excellent reference for the various regulations which apply to the plumbing trade. As legislation becomes more onerous, and the water regulations are tightened, you would be a fool to yourself not to have a copy to hand at all times. Should be a cokmpulsory item in any plumber's toolkit.

Complete Plumbing, 06 Feb 2006
Well laid out book if you live in the USA. All measurements in imperial which have no value here now. Also most of the projects were laid out for American homes & informing unskilled people how to fix gas appliances should not be encouraged. Unfortunately I will have to return this book.

Caveat emptor, 29 Dec 2004
My fault. I should have read the other reviews before ordering. I too didn't notice the book was for the American market. I am now almost brainwashed into thinking in metric.(with difficulty!) I would just love to have the equivalent of Lowes Building Store in the UK, you can walk out with a virtual house and load it in the truck. But in the UK we are stuck with metric and B & Q which doesn't even come close. So sorry, I'll have to return this excellent book.

Great Book - if you live in the USA, 18 Oct 2004
This book contains everything in the Synopsis - there are great instructions, lots of helpful photos etc. It also has a refreshing non-sexist approach, with lots of photos of lady plumbers.

It's not obvious from the way it's listed, but it's published in the USA and intended for the American market. The extent to which any of the procedures etc. are compatible with UK building regulations is undefined

Be aware of units., 03 Jun 2003
Should be a very useful book, small enough to fit in a top pocket. UK be aware of having to convert from USA units, for example, page 170 a cubic foot contains 7.5 gallons, and a gallon weighs 8.33 lbs. In the UK it is 6.25 gallons and 10 lbs, etc.

I need A metric version and I was not told it was imperial, 12 Mar 2000
I have found the book very useful, but find it awkward when I have to convert to metric. Can any body tell me if there is A metric version.

A must have for any pipe fitter!, 21 Sep 1998
The most comprehensive manual of its kind in my opinion. I am a veteran pipe fitter of 20 years. Just like master card, "don't leave for work with out it!"

excellent book, 03 Jul 1998
I have read and used this book in the past and found it a must have for anyone in the pipe trades

great reference however i did find one erroe, 17 Aug 1997
on page 168 in estimating the weight of steel pipe the multiplier should be .2225 instead of .2199. I use this book quite often in the trade and recomend it to many of the people entering the workforce.

Excellent companion book, 07 May 2007
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, 28 Aug 2006
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., 03 Feb 2006
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, 17 Mar 2003
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.

Disap