Illegal plumber fined for 'defective' work

DODGY: Some plumbers should be looking for other work.

A Christchurch man has been convicted and fined for carrying out plumbing work he was not allowed to do.

A complaint was laid against unauthorised plumber Jacob Betman after he connected a wet-back wood burner to a domestic plumbing system at a house in Linwood North.

Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board chief executive Max Pedersen said the wet-back burner was connected to the house's sanitary plumbing system to heat water, but there could ''serious'' health and safety risks if the work was carried out by an unauthorised person.

''Any defective plumbing work has the potential to cause disease and serious damage to the home,'' Petersen said.

Betman's work was found to be defective and a subsequent investigation found he was not an authorised plumber at the time he carried out the work.

Petersen said all authorised tradespeople were required to carry an authorisation card, and customers should always ask to see the card before work began.

Betman now holds authorisation, but was convicted and fined by the Christchurch District Court last week for the Linwood incident.

- Fairfax NZ News

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Illegal plumber fined for 'defective' work