Hot take: a plumber friend said 'your job is just vertical plumbing' and it stuck with me

We were grabbing a beer after a long day, and he was complaining about a tricky drain line in a high-rise. He looked at me and said, 'Man, your whole trade is just vertical plumbing, pressure and flow but up and down.' I'd never thought of it that simple before. Does that comparison ever help you explain what we do to people outside the trade?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_thomas24d ago

Ever try to explain a heat pump to your neighbor? That vertical plumbing line is about as close as you can get without drawing pictures. It cuts through all the technical noise and gets to the heart of the thing, moving a fluid to make a space livable. I might borrow that next time someone asks.

drewsullivan24d ago

Vertical plumbing" is a great way to put it. I always overcomplicated it before. Your friend's take actually makes it click for people.

the_andrew16d ago

Wait, you mean people actually get it when you say that? I've been drawing little arrows and boxes for years and they just stare at me. That's way too simple to work, but I guess it does. I'm honestly kind of mad I never thought of it myself. Next time I'm just calling it a fancy pipe.