Plumbing Made Simple

About the Book

My name is Rodney McAlpin and I am a third generation plumber.

This book is to convey my experience to the everyday do-it-yourself homeowner in the hope that a little additional knowledge will help homeowners across the nation weed out the Jake legs that give my profession a bad name. I also hope this book will inspire the average homeowner to attempt many of the simple plumbing repairs on his or her own.

Another reason for writing this book is to give new and inexperienced plumbers a reference guide. Having been in the plumbing business now for over forty years and having to continually teach the correct plumbing procedures to new employees, a guide is long overdue. Reinforcing the fact that a guide is needed are the many daily repair calls I go on, simply to correct other plumbers mistakes, and I see the same mistakes over and over again.

About the Author

Rodney with over 40 years of plumbing experience to his credit, is a third generation Master Plumber who not only owns his own Plumbing business but also owns a house plan service. He graduated from Belhaven College, Jackson, Ms. earning a computer science degree and is known for his attention to detail and precision. Rodney decided to become an Author after being challenged by a customer to put in writing things they should know about plumbing in general. Readers of Rodney's Book "Plumbing Made Simple", should be able to install their own faucets, toilets, dishwashers and disposals. As well readers will become more informed and will be able to spot shoddy work performed by their local contractors. Rodney's book is also intended to aid the new apprentice plumbers learn the trade more quickly.    My name is Rodney McAlpin and I am a third generation plumber. My grandfather owned plumbing companies in Jackson, Mississippi and in Denver, Colorado. He started his career in plumbing as a pipe fitter. At that time, pipefitting and plumbing were inter-connected. My grandfather died before I was born, and although I never met him, his legacy lives on.

    My father worked for a brief time with my grandfather before his death. Dad was taught many of the same skills I now use. My father continued to work for my grandfather’s business even after his death. Dad later joined the plumbing union and worked his way up the ladder. In the sixties he became a local plumbing inspector for the City of Jackson, Mississippi. Dad eventually left the city, opened his own plumbing business and continued to work as a plumber well into his seventies.

   I began working part-time as a plumber’s helper at the age of 12. Frankly, at that time, I had no intention of becoming a plumber. After completing high school, I attended a local community college to learn drafting, a skill I continue to use today. I also have a BS degree in Computer Science. While my grandfather’s company grew to be very large, with many employees, my father and I chose not to base our business plan on quantity of work but on quality.

    This book is to convey my experience to the everyday do-it-yourself homeowner and I also hope this book will inspire the average homeowner to attempt many of the simple plumbing repairs on his or her own.