Plumbers need kit that keeps knees and elbows going, survives water and solder flux, and looks tidy in a customer's bathroom. It also has to be ready for emergency callouts at any hour and in any weather.
On your knees and your back
Few trades kneel and lie down as much as plumbers. Kneepad trousers are close to essential, and the pads should be designed to fit the trouser pockets so they sit over the knee. A top with a longer back stays tucked in when you are lying under a basin. Reinforced elbows on sweatshirts and fleeces are worth looking for.
Darker colours hide the grime from old pipes and traps.
Water, waste and hygiene
Leaks, blocked waste and old pipework mean wet, dirty work. Waterproof gloves for drains and waste, and nitrile gloves for general use, protect hands from waste water. Change out of soaked clothing and wash work clothes separately. Overshoes keep a customer's carpet clean between the van and the bathroom. Cover cuts with waterproof plasters before handling waste pipework, and wash hands before eating.
Soldering and hot work
Soldering joints with a blowtorch in a cramped space is a fire risk to you and the house. Synthetic fabrics can melt if they catch, so cotton-rich tops are a better choice for hot work. Keep loose sleeves away from the flame and use a heat mat. Safety glasses protect eyes from flux and solder spits. Check behind the joint for timber and insulation.
First impressions at the door
Customers who call a plumber are often stressed by a leak or no hot water. Turning up in a clean, branded top, wearing overshoes and carrying a dust sheet calms them down. It also helps them remember your name next time. Emergency callouts are often the start of a long relationship: a customer who was impressed at 9pm on a Sunday tends to ring the same number for their next bathroom.
Where to put your logo
Plumbers are judged at the front door, so put an embroidered logo on the left chest of polos, sweatshirts and fleeces. Embroidery handles hot washes after messy jobs better than cheap print. Add your phone number in large print across the back of T-shirts and hoodies, because neighbours and passers-by see you carrying parts from the van. A logo on a cap or beanie is another easy spot that customers notice.
Ordering for plumbers
Most plumbers start with holster pocket trousers, workwear polo shirts and cotton T-shirts. You can order from one garment and add more as you take people on. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, so mixing styles and colours still gets the better price. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.
