The Pipefitter Program will teach a student how to use blueprints and project specifications to construct and repair piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals and fuel. Steamfitters are typically Pipefitters who specialize in pipe systems that move liquids or gases under high pressure.
The Pipefitter Program can usually be completed within a 4 year time frame with roughly 26 weeks designated for in-class study and lectures. After graduation, a Pipefitter will know how to test and maintain the systems once they are in place, using specialized equipment to ensure the safety of the pipes and other components of the system such as the automatic controls that are increasingly being used to monitor these systems.
A Pipefitter will generally take employment in a large industrial plant or in an electric power plant. Pipefitters are expected to know how to work with a wide variety of materials because these systems are made of several different types of materials including steel, copper, plastic and numerous metal alloys.
