Residential Plumbing Overview for Inspectors Course

Welcome to InterNACHI's free, online "Residential Plumbing Overview for Inspectors Course." This course is provided by our tuition-free college, InterNACHI® School 

Goal:

The goal of this course is to teach inspectors how to perform an inspection of the plumbing system of a home. It includes a review of leaks, inadequate water supplies, water contamination, and incorrect installations of components.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • inspect the various components of the plumbing system;
  • identify the components of the plumbing system;
  • understand how the components of the plumbing system function and perform;
  • describe to clients defects observed at the plumbing system.

Course includes:

  • 36,339 words;
  • 6.6 hours of training video;
  • inspection and writing assignment;
  • research and writing assignment;
  • 88 quiz questions in 13 quizzes;
  • 70-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool);
  • instant grading; and
  • a downloadable, printable Certificate of Completion.

You will learn the following: 

  • InterNACHI Standards of Practice
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Fixtures
  • Minimum Number of Plumbing Fixtures
  • Access for Cleaning
  • Clearance for Water Closets, Lavatories
  • Connections, Flanges and Joints
  • Overflows
  • Automatic Clothes Washer
  • Bathtubs
  • Glazing
  • Bidets
  • Dishwashing Machines
  • Floor and Trench Drains
  • Food Waste Grinders
  • Laundry Tubs and Trays
  • Lavatories or Washbasins
  • Showers
  • Sinks
  • Urinals
  • Water Closets
  • Whirlpool Tubs
  • Faucets and Other Fixtures
  • Faucet and Fixture Temperature Control
  • Fixture Tailpieces
  • Water Heaters
  • Water Heater as a Space Heater
  • Sacrificial Rod
  • Drain Valves
  • Access
  • Water Heater Labeling
  • Tankless Water Heaters
  • Tankless Coils from Boilers
  • Water Heater Tank Locations
  • Confined Space and Combustion Air
  • Seismic Supports for Tanks
  • Water Valves for Tanks
  • Dip Tube Hole Inside Tanks
  • Fuel Shutoff Valves or Electric Disconnect
  • TPR Valves
  • Expansion Tank on Boiler
  • Discharge Pipe on TPR Valve
  • Water Leak Catch Pan
  • Hot Water Tank Defects
  • Potable Water
  • Wells
  • Potable Water Contamination
  • Solar Energy
  • Water Service Pipe
  • Water Distribution Pipe Material
  • Water Pressure Regulator
  • Water Pressure, Friction and Others
  • Water Consumption
  • Size of Water Supply Pipe to Fixture
  • Thermal Expansion Control
  • Gridded and Parallel Water Distribution
  • Lead Content of Pipes and Fittings
  • Water Distribution Pipe
  • Valves
  • Hot Water
  • Sanitary Drainage
  • Trenching
  • Separate Sewers
  • Sewage Treatment
  • Sanitary Drainage Pipe Material
  • Slope of Drainage Pipe
  • Change in Drain Pipe Size
  • Breakage and Corrosion of Pipes
  • Fittings
  • Prohibited Joints
  • Cleanouts
  • Drainage System Sumps and Ejectors
  • Vents
  • Air Valves
  • Vent Distances
  • Vent Terminations
  • Traps
  • Minimum Trap Size
  • Prohibited Traps
  • Trap Cleanout
  • Trap Defects
  • Protection
  • Protection Against Pipe Damage
  • Plumbing Support
  • Storm Drainage
  • Dryer System
  • Dryer Exhaust System
  • Oil Storage Tanks
  • Underground Fuel Gas Piping
  • Support for Fuel Gas Piping
  • Fuel Gas Sediment Traps
  • Shut-off Valves for Fuel Gas Appliances
  • Fuel Connectors
  • Fuel Gas Venting Systems
  • Insulation Shields
  • Factory-Built Chimney Serving Fuel Gas
  • Chimney Connection
  • Fuel Gas Vent Terminations
  • Automatic Dampers
  • Procedural Inspection Checklist
  • Checklist for Bathroom Fixtures

Residential Plumbing Overview for Inspectors Course 

Course # 3500

nachi.org/plumbingcoursereleased2008

Activity

Assignments

Estimated hours for the average student

Academic Engagement

Reading online course material at 140 words per minute

10.1

Watching and listening to instructional video

6.6

Taking quizzes

2.7

Taking the exam

2.1

Conducting a directed and independent inspection study performed according to the Standards of Practice, including the development of an inspection report

4.0
Submitting an inspection and writing assignment
0.5

Submitting a research and writing assignment

0.5

Total

26.5




Preparation

Studying & reviewing instructional material in preparation for taking quizzes and exam

27.0

Reading the downloaded student course book including taking the quizzes with the book

10.0

Reading, research, and studying related to completing the research and writing assignment
4.0
Studying and preparing for inspection processes according to a Standards of Practice, including capturing and storing digital images with a camera or device, making observations, evaluating conditions, deducing, formulating opinions, communicating observations in written form, attaining competency in performing inspections and using an inspection checklist or software and other inspection tools in producing a report.
10.0
Homework

Total

51.0


Sub Total

77.5


Overall Total


  • 78.0 clock hours
  • 78.0 InterNACHI CE credit hours 
  • 7.8 CEU


And, in keeping with InterNACHI's commitment to Continuing Education, this plumbing course is open and free to all members, and can be taken again and again, without limit.
Reminder to members: InterNACHI's Code of Ethics 1.10 requires that you comply with all government rules and licensing requirements of the jurisdiction where you conduct business. InterNACHI's courses and Standards generally exceed the Standards of Practice that you are required to abide by locally. 
This course has been approved by:

Upon completion of this course and passing of the 70-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool), the student can download and print their own Certificate of Completion which is auto-generated in their own name.

The student's (InterNACHI member's) information is recorded on InterNACHI's servers for membership compliance verification, and automatically logs completion into InterNACHI's online Continuing Education log.
Non-members may view only the first page of the course.
Members will need their username and password. If you have forgotten your password, CLICK HERE (instant response) or email fastreply@internachi.org and request it (don't forget your name).
InterNACHI... #1 in inspection education.

InterNACHI® Members:

Take the free, online Residential Plumbing Overview for Inspectors course now (free to InterNACHI members).

Not a member yet?

Join today for access to this and thousands of other InterNACHI® membership benefits.
 

Some features that make InterNACHI's courses superior to existing continuing education options:
  • The course is free for all InterNACHI members.
  • The course is written in pure XHTML code for quick loading. The course loads fine on old computers and loads fast, even with dial-up.
  • The course is designed using a hierarchal menu coupled with a sequential page navigation. This provides the student with the option to easily repeat areas of weakness.
  • The course permits the student to start, stop and restart any part of the course as often as desired.
  • There are a variety of images within the course, including diagrams, illustrations and photos.
  • The illustrations can be enlarged for clearer viewing by clicking on them.
  • The text is integrated into InterNACHI's Inspector Glossary. Rolling over blue-colored terms provides their definition.
  • The final exam uses multiple-choice questions that reference the images.
  • The course's quizzes and final exam have numerous advantages over traditional exam systems:
    1. The course, quizzes and final exam incorporate built-in intelligence which identifies and strengthens each student's unique subject weaknesses.
    2. Not only is each question weighted with regard to score, but each answer is weighted, as well as the correctness of each answer being weighted.
      1. Answers to easy questions are weighted such that the student is penalized, in terms of score, for answering incorrectly, but rewarded modestly for answering correctly.
      2. Answers to difficult questions are weighted such that the student is rewarded, in terms of score, for answering correctly, but not penalized for answering incorrectly.
      3. Answers to questions regarding basic safety, or questions every inspector should know the answer to, are weighted such that the student is severely penalized, in terms of score, for answering incorrectly.
  • Upon passing the final exam, the student can print out a Certificate of Completion, which is auto-generated in their own name.
The student's (InterNACHI member's) information is recorded on InterNACHI's servers for membership compliance verification, and automatically logs completion into InterNACHI's online Continuing Education log.

Why online inspector education is better than classroom inspector education.

InterNACHI® Members:

Take the free, online Residential Plumbing Overview for Inspectors course now (free to InterNACHI members).

Not a member yet?

Join today for access to this and thousands of other InterNACHI® membership benefits.