HVAC Guys... career question

[Brandon]

I am considering changing careers and HVAC kind of interests me as it is year round it appears you can make your own side business if you wanted.
So my question is how did you get started in the field? Did you go to school first or do companies train you or pay for your schooling?

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

A good friend of mine got his foot in the door starting as an installer. He learned the systems and operations and then went thru training to become a service tech. I know when he was doing installs he worked long days and it was rough on him with little pay. He makes a pretty good living now as a service tech.

 

[Tactical Dave]

Not HVAC but ask about residential vs commercial. I am a tech in another line of work and have met many guys who say for example were residential electricians and the customers drove them crazy and now they just do industrial... Industrial I'm told you don't have to deal with upset people who expect the world for free among other things. Everything that I have known that went from residential to commercial was glad they did.....

 

[sig-guy]

Roughly how old are ya? Good shape, good back, good knees, hard head? (hope so, they won't be when you retire)

Have any fears? Heights, tight spaces (attics/crawls), gas explosions, electrical, spiders, critters, etc? (hope not, or you won't like it)

Like getting dirty, wet, covered in spider webs? Crawling around in other peoples filth? (hope so, cuz that's what you'll be doing)

Like working your ass off for weeks/months and saving money back for slow times? Good at saving money for a rainy day? (if not, you better find a different profession)

Do you like doing construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal work? (hope so, cause it's all required)

If your not getting the drift, its a very demanding job for someone very healthy and fit. You'll be breathing crappy air, cold/hot conditions, getting cuts/scraps, etc... It can be very rewarding at times and very stressful at others. Good luck with your decision.

 

[jd4320t]

I do not work in HVAC but I work with them at my job. Most of them started out residential and then went commercial or came here to work. Commercial seems to be better. Here at work they've asked me to come to their area a few times and offered to get me trained but the downside is they work long hours during our shutdowns and I enjoy the time off.

 

[Brandon]

Roughly how old are ya? Good shape, good back, good knees, hard head? (hope so, they won't be when you retire) 30, Decent shape, yes and yes.

Have any fears? Heights, tight spaces (attics/crawls), gas explosions, electrical, spiders, critters, etc? (hope not, or you won't like it) Can't say I want to be in a gas explosion, other wise unless the snake is about 10 feet long I wil be ok.

Like getting dirty, wet, covered in spider webs? Crawling around in other peoples filth? (hope so, cuz that's what you'll be doing) Been there done that. Worked Outside lawn and garden for 3 years at lowes. You go in nice and clean, come home covered in cow poo and every other substance in your nose and mouth, hair and down your pants... Also did delivery, loved pulling out fridges that weren't cleaned or the side of a stove that was never cleaned...

Like working your ass off for weeks/months and saving money back for slow times? Good at saving money for a rainy day? (if not, you better find a different profession) Worked at lowes, not the easiest job ever, also drive a school bus as my only job. Saving for the summer is something I have learned.

Do you like doing construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal work? (hope so, cause it's all required)Took building trades in high school to learn construction, love taking stuff apart and putting back together, the only thing I don't have any experience with is sheet metal work.

If your not getting the drift, its a very demanding job for someone very healthy and fit. You'll be breathing crappy air, cold/hot conditions, getting cuts/scraps, etc... It can be very rewarding at times and very stressful at others. Good luck with your decision. I love working outside of an office environment. I like doing the same type of work but at different locations from day to day. When I was at lowes working outside, I would often blow my nose and it would all come out black.

My responses are in the quote

 

[Miller Tyme]

Roughly how old are ya? Good shape, good back, good knees, hard head? (hope so, they won't be when you retire)Have any fears? Heights, tight spaces (attics/crawls), gas explosions, electrical, spiders, critters, etc? (hope not, or you won't like it)Like getting dirty, wet, covered in spider webs? Crawling around in other peoples filth? (hope so, cuz that's what you'll be doing)Like working your ass off for weeks/months and saving money back for slow times? Good at saving money for a rainy day? (if not, you better find a different profession)Do you like doing construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal work? (hope so, cause it's all required)If your not getting the drift, its a very demanding job for someone very healthy and fit. You'll be breathing crappy air, cold/hot conditions, getting cuts/scraps, etc... It can be very rewarding at times and very stressful at others. Good luck with your decision.

LMAO, I guess you just worked for the wrong company, I have been doing it for 30 years and it is nowhere as bad as you portray it. O.P. 1st you need to be honest with yourself.....are you mechanically minded, do you think fast on your feet, do you like overtime, and do you work well without close supervision ?If the answer to all these is yes then i would encourage you to get some training and yet a kob doing install while you are going to school. Once out of school you need to move to service and i would recommend commerical/ industrial service since the money is better ($28/$38 hr non-union) . If you are computer savy controls is a fast growing field and a little easier on the body.P.S. in 30 + years i have never been layed off or had a week with less than 40 hours

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Go talk to the Local 440. They hire a new HVAC apprenticeship class every June. You don't have to believe in union politics to be a union member (trust me, I don't). Great pay, van full of tools, and if you're a hard worker, you'll never have "slow" times. I had ZERO experience when I started 6 years ago, now I fix quarter million dollar chillers every day.

PM me if you want more details.

 

[LtScott14]

The work in NWI can literally be hot or cold. We were on rooftops always, even rain, snow, 100 Degrees, then it would drop off to zero. Nada. Most shops have lost people, never replaced them, Union or not. Smaller places trickle along praying for extreme weather to set the tempo.

After 20 yrs, knees shot, back, eyesight, hearing all suffers. New stuff out always, constant schooling required. It pays, but you work. Hours can be long on call, always Memorial Day to Labor Day, commercial was better than resedential. People expect 200% and try to skimp you on a bill. Try that on a 100 degree day, you learn to be less sympathetic.

Always their emergency first, everyone else later. Equipment is usually filthy dirty, filters plugged, drain pans overflowing in slimy water. Bad parts, Freon leaks for years, fan motors so rusted you have to saw/torch the bolts out.
Got dog bit once. Had to get stitches, and a Tetnaus shot. You can guess where it occurred.

It isn't a bad business, if you side job, most bosses will fire you. They figure you are stealing from your Service Truck to feed your side gigs.
I bought my own truck, stock, tools and insurance. You need liability to install jobs in case the place burns to the ground. Not even your fault, you get sued anyway.
My side jobs weren't really much cheaper than a contractors. Actually brought most to the shop, boss would bid and I would install them. Cut's the loss, and competition.

Also should mention I did Commercial Refrigeration. That means going wherever they call, whenever. 2am, 4am, 12 midnite. Mostly BS calls-frozen drains, plugged, bad electrical, melted ice cream, On Cor gravy dripping on your head while fixing. (wear a hat, don't last long).
Again, it pays, but you do also.
Good luck.

 

[Hoosier8]

Been in HVAC since around 84 as a controls tech. Lots of the same issues as above but without the physical damage that pipe fitters end up with. Almost fell off a rooftop once. So far it has been mergers that were the most threatening to my job.

 

[CitiusFortius]

Not HVAC but ask about residential vs commercial. I am a tech in another line of work and have met many guys who say for example were residential electricians and the customers drove them crazy and now they just do industrial... Industrial I'm told you don't have to deal with upset people who expect the world for free among other things. Everything that I have known that went from residential to commercial was glad they did.....

I have a good friend who does commercial HVAC work, mainly install work now. He went to a tech school, then had to do a lengthy apprenticeship. Got through that and he really enjoys it.

I do remember when he did residential work, remember that most people call you when they're stuff breaks. You'll spend lots of 90 degree days in crawl spaces and attics of houses with no AC. By the time you get the AC workin and the house starts to cool, you're off to the next gig.

If you're a handy guy and don't mind extreme temps, could be the job for you!

 

[Lectric102002]

I work for a nationwide MEP contractor. My top electricians make $ 30-32/hr. We've got HVAC techs making north of $40. It's a good field, but you want to strive for a service tech path. Sheet metal workers do OK, but service is where it's at.

 

[sig-guy]

LMAO, I guess you just worked for the wrong company, I have been doing it for 30 years and it is nowhere as bad as you portray it.

The only thing you can debate is hours worked (during slow times). The rest of it is a fact of this industry. And usually a new hire will not be on top when time needs to be cut from the payroll.

After 20-30 yrs., you can pretty much write your own ticket (if you're good).

 

[Miller Tyme]

The only thing you can debate is hours worked (during slow times). The rest of it is a fact of this industry. And usually a new hire will not be on top when time needs to be cut from the payroll.

After 20-30 yrs., you can pretty much write your own ticket (if you're good).

Again, if you are good as a service tech you will never be for want of work. Like I said I have NEVER been laid off or got a less than 40 hour pay check. Now being non union helps because my employers are not imcumbered by the rules of what i can and can't do. The company I work for tried to hire a couple of techs for the Indy market a couple of years ago and we offered jobs to over 20 techs, only to have everyone either fail there drug screen or had a driving record with to many violations. We now run Indy calls out of our Cincinnati office.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been in the construction side of commercial/industrial controls for around 20 years. It can be service oriented as well, but I prefer to start from scratch as opposed to deciphering someone else's madness. There are opportunities for programming, networking, engineering and commissioning and typically work is done during normal business hours. The biggest difference is that we are working with chillers, boilers, air handlers, unit heaters, fan coils, volume boxes and all of the other peripherals more on a "control level", instead of residential furnaces or commercial equipment on a "mechanical/service level". Plus there's the networking side and web-based graphic interfaces that can also be developed for the customer.

To answer your questions: A degree was the prerequisite for my first job, and then the company sent me to several week long classes for specific training.

If that interests you, look for companies like Johnson Controls, Trane and Honeywell that have openings for entry level positions.

 

[churchmouse]

Roughly how old are ya? Good shape, good back, good knees, hard head? (hope so, they won't be when you retire)

Have any fears? Heights, tight spaces (attics/crawls), gas explosions, electrical, spiders, critters, etc? (hope not, or you won't like it)

Like getting dirty, wet, covered in spider webs? Crawling around in other peoples filth? (hope so, cuz that's what you'll be doing)

Like working your ass off for weeks/months and saving money back for slow times? Good at saving money for a rainy day? (if not, you better find a different profession)

Do you like doing construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal work? (hope so, cause it's all required)

If your not getting the drift, its a very demanding job for someone very healthy and fit. You'll be breathing crappy air, cold/hot conditions, getting cuts/scraps, etc... It can be very rewarding at times and very stressful at others. Good luck with your decision.

Oh yeah^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Go light commercial and work up if you do come into the trade. Residential is very seasonal at least around here.
Many good things about the trade. Good pay, new places all the time. Meet some really neat people. Get to experience things you will never see or do in any other field. So many things to know in this trade. You make your own work once you get established and learn the ropes.
Some bad things....High stress at times. Slow times seasonally and economy driven. Meet some serious A$$hats and nut bags. People want everything for nothing and they want it all yesterday. Everything is your fault.....period. Most Employers will can your a$$ if they catch you doing side work as it is seen as competing.

I have been in this my whole life with brief ventures into other areas but always back to HVAC. Retired last August and my phone still rings with projects. The trade has changed dramatically.
If you want to gab about it PM me and I will give you my insight.

 

[churchmouse]

Go talk to the Local 440. They hire a new HVAC apprenticeship class every June. You don't have to believe in union politics to be a union member (trust me, I don't). Great pay, van full of tools, and if you're a hard worker, you'll never have "slow" times. I had ZERO experience when I started 6 years ago, now I fix quarter million dollar chillers every day.

PM me if you want more details.

And the politics of dancing. Been there done that. OK if you like it. Slow times depends on the contractor you are signed on with. Same as non-union. Worked both.

 

[Brandon]

It would almost be weird to have a job that didn't have stressful moments or slow at times.
I just can't imagine it would be worse then driving a school bus (stress wise or slow times).

 

[churchmouse]

It would almost be weird to have a job that didn't have stressful moments or slow at times.
I just can't imagine it would be worse then driving a school bus (stress wise or slow times).

The stress comes when you are under the gun on a project or running refrigeration service. Refer. service is very stressful if you let it be. Traffic getting job to job, trying to find parts and customer does not understand why you do not have an obscure control relay for a foreign made P-tac unit on your truck. Normal stuff.
There are a lot of neat things with the trade as well. Especially when you are a nooby and the learning curve is vertical. Something new and exciting everyday.
If you do the trade school route you will know just enough to get a job and then the crazy starts until you get some experience.

 

[sig-guy]

Again, if you are good as a service tech you will never be for want of work.

Again, he won't be a "good service tech" from the start. Area's very and my statements are facts. Try opening your eyes to something other then your 30 yrs. of experience with a large company, covering such a large territory.

I guess you must be LYAO at the other postings here, which side with my post?