Home > Apprenticeship Standards > Construction Trades > Sprinklerfitter Apprenticeship

Sprinklerfitter Apprenticeship

What Does a Sprinklerfitter Do?
What Are the Working Conditions?
How is the Training Structured?
What are the Application Requirements?
What Skills Should I Possess?
Who Do I Contact?
Additional Resources

Did you know?*

• Job opportunities should be very good, especially for workers with welding experience.
• Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters comprise one of the largest and highest paid construction occupations.
• Most States and localities require plumbers to be licensed.
• Apprenticeship programs generally provide the most comprehensive training, but many workers train in career or technical schools or community colleges.

*Statistics retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Return to top of page

What Does a Sprinklerfitter Do?

Sprinklerfitters install automatic fire sprinkler systems in new and existing buildings in all types of construction, mostly commercial, using valves, hangers, steel and plastic pipe. They lay out, assemble, install, and maintain pipe systems, pipe supports, and related hydraulic and pneumatic equipment for steam, hot water, heating, cooling, lubricating, sprinkling, and industrial production and processing systems.

Tasks:

• Overhead pipe installation, including: steel overhead sprinkler piping, wet, dry, pre-action and deluge, standpipe and hose systems.
• Install residential systems, including: CPVC residential pipe and copper residential pipe installation.
• Install and service underground pipe including: private service fire mains, hydrants, pits and underground control valves.
• Install and service valves, devices and trim for system risers, alarm valves, dry pipe valves, pre action and deluge valves, backflow prevention devices, sprinkler system alarms.
• Fabricating, assembling, installing and maintaining piping, fixtures and equipment for gas, steam, hot water, fire sprinkler system or oil heating, cooling, lubricating and industrial processing systems.
• Inspects installation of equipment such as lockers, heating and air conditioning units and lavatory facilities to ensure standard requirements.
• Performs National Fire Protection Association Inspections.
• Cut, thread, and hammer pipe to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, and pipe threaders and benders.
• Assemble and secure pipes, tubes, fittings, and related equipment, according to specifications, by welding, brazing, cementing, soldering, and threading joints.
• Attach pipes to walls, structures and fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools or welding equipment.
• Inspect, examine, and test installed systems and pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.
• Measure and mark pipes for cutting and threading.
• Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, and related equipment, following blueprints.
• Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair according to specifications.
• Select pipe sizes and types and related materials, such as supports, hangers, and hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.
• Cut and bore holes in structures, such as bulkheads, decks, walls, and mains, prior to pipe installation, using hand and power tools.
• Modify, clean, and maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, and related machines and equipment, following specifications and using hand and power tools.

Return to top of page

What Are the Working Conditions?

Most work is at the ceiling level using ladders and lift platforms at heights ranging from 8-20 feet and in some cases up to 100 feet. The work is performed at varying degrees of height indoors between the roofs and ceilings of buildings or outside installing underground pipe work in a variety of weather conditions. Work requires physical stamina with considerable climbing, bending and carrying heavy pieces of pipe while working in elements ranging from hot boiler rooms to unheated open buildings. Apprentices receive safety training to improve manual dexterity in handling the tools of the trade without injury and to reduce the risk of injuries from falls. Traveling is required to various job sites.

Return to top of page

How is the Training Structured?

• 5 year training program
• 8,400 hours on-the-job training
• 400 hours paid related instruction
• Additional unpaid hours of related instruction

Return to top of page

What are the Application Requirements?

• Applicants must be at least 17 years of age
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Meet required norms on an aptitude test (if required)
• Physically able to perform trade work
• Valid driver's license or reliable transportation

Return to top of page

What Skills Should I Possess?

• Building and Construction- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Designs- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Engineering and Technology- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Public Safety and Security- Knowledge of relevant equipment, high pressure safety, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions, including OSHA regulations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
• Installation- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, rigging or programs to meet specifications.
• Active Listening- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Mathematics- Using mathematics, including measuring, counting, basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, calculate ratios, percentages, and dimensions with and without the aid of a calculator.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment- Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Time Management- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Analyzing Data or Information- Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Deductive Reasoning- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Dependability- Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Independence- Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Inspection- inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Information Ordering- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Near Vision- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Return to top of page

Who Should I Contact In My Area?

Committee Name	Contact This Committee:	OR Contact Your BAS Representative:
ABC of Wisconsin	5330 Wall St. Madison, WI 53718 Phone: (608) 244-6056 Fax: (608) 244-2401	Jane Kramer Mary Harrington
Milwaukee Area Sprinkler Fitting JAC	W175 N5700 Technology Dr Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 Phone: (262) 252-0183 Fax: (262) 252-7183	Barbara Robakowski

Return to top of page

Additional Resources

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains information on all occupations. For more information on the Sprinklerfitter trade in the United States, visit:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos211.htm 

Return to top of page

Sources: Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards Position Descriptions,
Apprenticeship in Wisconsin Handbook

---

Wisconsin.gov | Site Map | Search | Accessibility | Legal | Feedback | DWD Home