Plumbing Advice Blog

He likes the simple things in life – loves growing his own veg, and you won’t believe the one thing he doesn’t drink, even though he’s Italian. Let’s meet Antonio.

How long have you been working at the Italian Plumber, Antonio?
Just a few months, but I feel very at home here. Everyone is so friendly and helpful.

It’s like a nice family – very supportive.

I’ve actually been working as a plumber for 15 years though.

What first made you want to get into plumbing?
I wanted to help people, and plumbing gives you the chance to do that every day.

You also need to be very calm in this work. It’s not a job for everyone. Many people pass the exams, but never continue doing the actual job because it can be very difficult.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Potenza, near Naples in Italy.

What’s the strangest job you’ve ever had to attend?
It was actually a blocked basin; nothing unusual about that. I did the usual and got the plunger out, but it didn’t work.

In the end, I had to get my hand down there and pulled out over a metre of matted hair and horrible stuff. It was like one long sausage… it just kept coming and coming!

What’s the most common plumbing problem you get called out to?
At the moment, probably replacing taps.

There seem to be lots of dripping taps recently.

Tea or coffee on the job?
Neither. Only water.
People probably think I’m a water delivery driver because I carry so much of it around with me. I currently have six litres of water in the van.

What’s your favourite part of working for The Italian Plumber?
The team. Samuele is the best boss ever.

We all work together like it’s our own business – it’s very much one for all and all for one.

Vicki and Sharon are also great in their office roles – very supportive and helpful.

What’s been your proudest plumbing moment so far?
I had one very challenging job involving a leak and an overflowing tank.

A deaf lady had a leak caused by her basin waste pipe, so I fixed the leaking pipe. Afterwards, though, I noticed the basin still wasn’t draining properly.

I started plunging it and suddenly water began coming back faster and faster. I was scooping water into the bath with one hand while calling my old company for help with the other.

The strange thing was, the water was completely clean.

It eventually turned out that a water tank in the bedroom next door had been overflowing into the waste pipe for a long time. Obviously she couldn’t hear it, so she had no idea it was happening. In the end, we replaced the ball valve and fixed the problem.

If you weren’t a plumber, what do you think you’d be doing?
Maybe something in a hospital. I would have liked to become a doctor.

Though sometimes I think being a plumber is a little like being a doctor.

Or perhaps finance or business, because I like mathematics.

I also quite like the idea of becoming a priest one day… or a philosopher, psychologist, professor, or actor.

What’s one plumbing mistake people make all the time?
Blocking sinks with food.

I once even saw a blocked bath tub caused by spaghetti!

You don’t really see this with homeowners, it’s mainly tenants. 

What’s your go-to lunch when you’re out on the road?
It depends what I prepared the night before.

Sometimes pizza, sometimes a sandwich, sometimes just fruit. It depends how busy I am and how much concentration the job needs.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I have an allotment.

It’s like having children – you need to spend lots of time there nurturing.

I grow everything from Italian seeds: broad beans, peas, sweetcorn, garlic, and rapini, which is similar to broccoli.

What’s one thing customers would be surprised to learn about you?
Probably that I spend so much time at the allotment, because not many people seem to use them much anymore. I’m a very simple person, I like growing things.

How would other people describe you?
Probably as a simple and modest person.

Antonio, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you and learning about your day to day.

Prego!

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