A plumbing course built for builders in Montecito: do the math, learn the tools in 3D, then check yourself.
sections: the full CPC-based guide with a 30-day plan, job checklists and a self-test. Keep it open as the reference.
Open the guideanimated scenes: slope, offsets, fittings, sizing and the other numbers you use daily. Tick each one when you can do it cold.
Open the mathtools with a 3D model that shows how each one works, a Milwaukee match where one exists, and a Montecito note on ten of them. Mark what you own.
Open the toolsThe three links open in a new tab. Each page keeps its own progress in that browser only, so use the same browser each time.
Read guide sections 1–5. Do math scenes 1–4. Open the Day 1 kit in the tools page and look at every tool.
Guide 1–5Math 1–4Day 1 kitLearn cutters, saws, reamers, torch, press, crimp and expansion tools by watching each one run. Then do math scenes 5–8.
Math 5–8Join kitSlope, no-hub couplings, augers, camera, locator and test plugs. Math scenes 9–11.
Math 9–11Drain kitTest kitMontecito permit path, inspections, then the self-test below and math scenes 12–13.
Math 12–13Self-testThe County adopted the 2025 California Plumbing Code on 11-18-2025, and we read it on a third-party code host. Still unconfirmed: fee schedule, owner-builder rules, remodel sprinkler thresholds, current ADU plumbing rules and the inspection scheduling cutoffs. Call before you plan around any of them.
The flame goes on the fitting. The copper melts the solder, not the flame. Touch the solder to the joint opposite the flame.
It grips only when pulled in the direction the hook faces. Leave a little slack so the jaw can float and bite.
A quarter turn per lap, not more. Over-tightening crushes the tube and spirals the cut.
Teeth point away from the handle. It cuts on the push; ease off on the pull.
Torque to 60 in-lb with a torque driver, not an impact driver. Larger sizes and makers differ, so read the coupling's own sheet.
Cold expansion works only on PEX-A, because it remembers its shape. Put the ring on first, then expand.
Use the job kits on the tools page to gather what you need before you start. Questions or corrections: purchasing@amnbuild.com. — Nic
Illustration and training only. This is not a code opinion and does not replace the County's adopted plumbing code, the manufacturer's instructions or your inspector. Tool models are drawn in code, not photographs. Contact numbers and local rules were gathered from public sources and should be confirmed before you rely on them.
Sources behind the quiz and tips: Wikipedia on the tape measure, Bourdon gauge, plumb bob and spirit level; McWane Tyler no-hub guide; Uponor cold expansion page; Viega ProPress instructions. Several tool notes come from general trade practice and are marked as such in our research files.