The Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 166 was chartered on June 12, 1899 in to the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada. We currently have 907 members carried on our Local Union roster. Local 166 has seen many changes over the years. In 1977, Elkhart Local 278 and in 1981, Marion Local 689 merged with local 166 to make up the 14 counties in Northeast Indiana that we cover. Local 166 consist of the following counties: Adams, Allen, Blackford, Dekalb, Elkhart, Grant, Huntington, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley Counties. Local 166 in partnership with The Mechanical Contractors Association of Indiana train skilled craftsmen in the Plumbing, Pipefitting, and HVAC Technician fields. For over 100 years Local 166 threw Apprenticeship and Journeymen training have been an Industry leader in training for our community.

The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada have approximately 340,000 skilled members who belong to 418 local unions across North America. Below is a brief decryption of crafts in our Local Union.

Plumbers : Install piping that carries potable water (water suitable for human consumption) to the building. They are also responsible for drains that carry water and sewage away from the building. They also install the gas lines in buildings.

Pipefitters: Install and repair high-pressure and low-pressure process piping, as well as piping for heating & cooling. Pipe fitters assemble, install, and maintain pipes to carry water, steam, compressed air, gases, and fluids needed for processing, manufacturing, heating, or cooling. A fitter must be able to adapt and repair pipe systems and install appliances, heating and refrigeration units and do all types of pipe welding.

Steamfitters: Install the supply lines and return lines of boilers.

HVAC Technicians : An HVAC Technician installs, makes diagnoses, and services heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Technicians must be aware of information concerning the installation and use of solid state controls, state of the art equipment,

CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS:

The plumbing and piping industry has undergone many changes in recent years. With the technical and highly specialized work that must be performed, our local Union is at the forefront for ensuring that our workers’ skills are routinely tested and that our workers are certified in their respective areas. Our local Union’s Certification Programs include:

Backflow Device Installer/Inspector Certification The backflow certification is important to the community, since the backflow device installer protects the potable water systems of the buildings they work on by installing and maintaining backflow prevention devices. These backflow prevention devices prevent the undesirable reversal of water, or mixtures of water and other liquids or substances, into the potable water supply.

CFC Certification This training ensures that all of the air-conditioning service men and women of our local Union are protecting the environment from the harmful effects of chloro-fluorocarbons.

Medical Gas Installation Certification This certification is required for installing medical gas systems in hospitals and medical clinics, as well as nursing homes.

Welding Certifications Each of our pipe welders holds a welding certification. We are an Authorized Testing Facility and the procedures for our program are audited regularly by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.