Illegal plumber fined for ‘defective’ work

Do you have a plumbing horror story? Try top this one! A Christchurch man has been convicted and fined for carrying out plumbing work that he was not legally allowed to do. Unauthorised plumber Jcob Betman was caught out when a complaint was laid against him. He connected a wet-back wood burner to a domestic plumbing system at a house in Linwood North.

This mistake was not to be taken lightly. Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board chief executive Max Pedersen said the wet-back burner was connected to the house’s sanitary plumbing system to heat water, but there could ”serious” health and safety risks if the work was carried out by an unauthorised person.” Any defective plumbing work has the potential to cause disease and serious damage to the home,” Petersen said.

After Betman’s work was found to be defective, a subsequent investigation found that he was not an authorised plumbed when he carried out the work. Petersen said all authorised tradespeople were required to carry an authorisation card, and customers should always ask to see the card before work began.

Betman now holds authorisation, but was convicted and fined by the Christchurch District Court last week for the Linwood incident.

Information plumbed from The Press.