plumber
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plumber
A tradesperson who installs and repairs water, gas, and wastewater pipes as well as the related sanitary facilities.
Wir mussten einen Klempner rufen, weil der Abfluss verstopft war.
We had to call a plumber because the drain was clogged.
sheet-metal worker
A tradesperson who works with sheet metal and uses it, for example, for roofing or gutters. This meaning is older and today is more regional in use.
Der Klempner hat die neue Dachrinne am Haus montiert.
The sheet-metal worker installed the new gutter on the house.
Although there are two meanings, 'Klempner' (plumber) today almost always refers to the tradesperson who works on water installations. The context then revolves around the bathroom, kitchen, heating, or pipes. The older meaning for roofing work has become rare.
Der Wasserhahn in der Küche tropft, ich muss einen Klempner anrufen.
The faucet in the kitchen is dripping; I need to call a plumber.
You 'ruft' (call) or 'holt' (get) a plumber when, for example, 'der Abfluss verstopft ist' (the drain is clogged), 'der Wasserhahn tropft' (the faucet is dripping), or 'ein Rohr gebrochen ist' (a pipe has burst).
Wegen des Rohrbruchs im Keller haben wir sofort den Klempner gerufen.
Because of the burst pipe in the basement, we called the plumber immediately.
In Austria, the term 'Klempner' (plumber) is not commonly used for a water installer. There, the word 'Installateur' (installer/plumber) is used almost exclusively.
In Wien habe ich einen Installateur für die neue Heizung gesucht.
In Vienna, I looked for an installer for the new heating system.
technician
Technician and plumber can both install and repair technical systems. Techniker is the more general term for a technical specialist, while Klempner is specifically responsible for water, gas, and wastewater pipes as well as sanitary facilities. For such pipes and systems, Klempner is the more precise term.
Der Klempner repariert die Wasserleitung im Gebäude.
The plumber is repairing the water pipe in the building.
Der Techniker prüft die technische Anlage im Gebäude.
The technician is inspecting the technical system in the building.
