How to become the best plumber in the UK with the 2019 UK plumber of the year

Last year, Martin Warnes from M L Warnes Plumbing & Gas Services, was crowned the 2019 UK Plumber of the Year.

When we delivered Martin’s £2,000 worth of Bristan products prize, we caught up with him to find out how he feels about being crowned Plumber of the Year 2019, his expert tips to budding installers and his tips to prepare homes for the winter.


HOW DOES IT FEEL WINNING THE 2019 UK PLUMBER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION?

It’s amazing and a bit overwhelming. So many people have been congratulating us, it’s a bit of a strange feeling.


WHAT’S YOUR THREE SECRETS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS?

Firstly, be yourself. Try being honest with your customers and if you can’t make it to a job, it’s important to tell them.

Second is pricing. You’ll get some plumbers who are over-charging their customers, and others who are charging too low – you need to find a happy medium.

Finally, if you employ staff, be nice to them and treat them well.


DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE TRYING TO BECOME AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN THE PLUMBING WORLD?

Keep on top of what’s happening in the industry and stay ahead of the game. You’ve got to know what’s happening in your local area. Also, I would say you need to become the person people look to for advice, not the person who’s looking for advice. This means it’s important to have really good industry knowledge.




WHEN INSTALLING, WHY DO YOU CHOOSE BRISTAN?

Since winning the competition and seeing the variety Bristan offer and its quality – I’m impressed. The quality is superior, it’s made me turn my head.

We’ve used Bristan bathroom taps in two of our latest installations. I’ll certainly be sticking with Bristan going forward.


WHAT’S YOUR MOST COMMON CALLOUT IN THE WINTER?

Boiler breakdowns and central heating faults are the most common. We always recommend a customer gets their boiler health checked at the middle of Autumn.

Burst and frozen pipes are also quite common.


WINTER CAN CAUSE A FEW HOT WATER MISHAPS, DO YOU HAVE ANY TOP TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS TO BE READY FOR WINTER?

Test your central heating in the middle of Autumn! Make sure everything’s okay and working before you’re in the real cold snap.

Have your boiler serviced by a gas registered engineer to make sure it’s safe and working. Also, simple things, like making sure the radiators are working correctly and bled of air are some of the most important things to make sure your heating system is working efficiently.


GOT ANY TOP TIPS FOR PLUMBERS APPLYING TO THE 2020 PLUMBER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION?

You don’t have to be the best mechanical plumber, but you’ve got to offer the whole package. Be friendly, have an expansive skill set and a good customer base.

It’s always beneficial to have a good industry standard and be up to date with what’s going on in the industry and what’s going to be happening in the future.

Do you have any questions for the 2019 Plumber of the Year? Join our Bristan On Tap Plumbers Facebook Group today and you can send Martin a message!