65-year-old Anthony Culkin, who operated the business Planet Power, was not licensed in the appropriate classes for work carried out at 11 sites over a 5-year period.
Culkin either refused to issue compliance certificates or he issued fraudulent certificates for defective work that he wasn't licensed to do or that required supervision.
A plumbing inquiry, which Culkin failed to attend, heard a Castlemaine homeowner had employed him to replace a gas space heater.
Culkin used a second-hand heater that was leaking gas, missing parts and would cut out. When he returned to repair it, he used the wrong parts causing the unit to catch fire and fill the home with smoke.
The owner then purchased a new heater which Culkin installed but the work was again defective.
The BPC found 37 non-compliances across 7 sites mainly relating to the installation of heat pumps, ducted air-conditioners and gas boilers.
The illegal work was carried out in the Bendigo suburbs of Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat, Bagshot and Woodvale and in the Macedon Ranges town of Chintin.
Culkin was also disciplined for work in Campbells Creek, Kilmore, Eildon, Daylesford, Walmer and Castlemaine.
The BPC has cancelled Culkin's accreditation and disqualified him for the statutory maximum 3 years. He was also fined $4000 including costs.
Culkin was previously licensed or registered in a number of plumbing classes, but carried out and issued compliance certificates for work in classes he was not licensed in.
Most of the homeowners, who employed Culkin, used digital job-sharing platforms such as hipages and Gumtree.
These platforms make it easier for unqualified practitioners to target consumers looking for a cheap option at a time when builders and plumbers are in short supply.
BPC Commissioner and CEO Anna Cronin says it's important people understand the risks associated with hiring practitioners who don't hold the right qualifications.
"Unregistered or unlicensed practitioners are a threat to safety and can leave consumers with no course of action when their work is seriously defective," she said.
Only a licensed plumber can issue a compliance certificate, and they must be licensed in each appropriate class for the work undertaken. Registered plumbers must be supervised by a licensed plumber.
You can check a practitioner's licence, registration or disciplinary and prosecution history at bpc.vic.gov.au/check .
