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c/pipelayerssarah774sarah7741mo agoProlific Poster

My son wants to learn the trade, but keeps mixing up PVC and copper fittings

He's 14 and super eager to help me on jobs. But every time I show him how to glue PVC, he grabs the copper solder instead. I've tried labeling everything, but it's still a mess. Any tips for teaching kids the basics without confusing them?
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3 Comments
jamesm38
jamesm381mo ago
Color code everything with spray paint, like bright red for the copper flux can. That visual cue sticks way better than a label.
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victor_henderson
Spray paint is a bold move... works great until you need to read the fine print. Labels still have their place.
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christopher_miller98
Jamesm38 is onto something with the color coding. I used red tape on all my copper solder gear and blue tape on anything for PVC. Put them in different tool bags so he has to think before he grabs. The physical separation builds a habit faster than labels alone. It took my kid about a week to stop mixing them up once everything had its own colored home. Just be strict about keeping the systems separate, and he'll get it.
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