20
FEATURE
20
THIS IS PLUMBING
The Museum of
Plumbing: Part 2
By Eamonn Ryan
Andy Rivers, owner of Rivers Plumbing, has for years
been acquiring the most comprehensive collection of
plumbing tools, pipes, fittings and literature. This is
the second of a two-part series on what is a veritable
museum. “I’ve been collecting these nearly since history
began!” says Rivers.
The purpose of the museum, says Rivers, is to give some insight into how plumbing has
changed, and how it’s changed again. “When I did my plumbing apprenticeship in England
it was considered the Rolls Royce trade. The general concept of plumbing has been that it is
human waste flowing downhill – but it’s a lot more complex than that.
“What’s happened over the last few years with heat pumps and solar, it’s becoming so technical that the
average guy has to be extremely knowledgeable in computers and electrical. When you’re installing a high-
end heat pump and solar system, where they do underfloor heating and air-conditioning – all those things
are what we’re supposed to be knowledgeable in.
“The average plumber needs to become familiar with all these technologies, which are consistent with a
plumbing job today.” PA
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February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12