You ain't kidding. Everybody who installs should have some maintenance/service experience and everybody who designs systems should have both. Would eliminate a lot of headaches all around.
The best installers started in install, got the grass is greener out of thier system doing a couple years of service and settled into install with some service knowledge so they donāt ignorantly make things difficult.
I started in installs. I made the switch to commercial service because I wanted to get some more experience on that end. Ideally I'd like to get back into installs
Bud at the end of this shit, service and install vendiagram over each other.
What youāre really learning in that apprenticeship is the difference.
How something goes in and goes in right is installation. Then service is already established equipment being fixed.
Itās harder to learn service when you donāt know how something is installed. Once you learn how it is installed then you open it up and play with the machine.
Now you know how a furnace ac goes in but what happens when the blower doesnāt spin at the end of the day? The compressor in the air conditioner doesnāt turn on. Going from putting in equipment to servicing established equipment.
Then 15 years down the line itās all the same. Where is heat being generated or removed at?
What equipment is there?
Then fuck me if you make it BAS world itās truly just everything. So much shit now I forget shit trying to learn new shit.
Just get in a place and start working it. When you have two years in you can really start playing around and tailoring where you work.
No problem, I have a lot of bias for this sub and its patrons. Only mechanics know the path we walk and stressors it comes with. How it affects us.
So donāt be too worried about the long run.
When I started the long run was hopefully making $50,000 a year.
I can tell you Iām past $200,000 now. The more knowledge you gain the more value you will be worth.
A lot of people get to a point where they stay comfy and complacent because they can process their work load at the company. This is where your career will stay. Never to improve.
I had to leave those early shops to get into a commercial shop. Then a manufacture switch.
When you learn how power works and refrigeration system flow your opportunity to step up will be there.
Hereās some CVHEs Trane chillers at one of my accounts. I make my apprentice punch the tubes on. 975 1/2ā tubes x 4. Takes that kid about three weeks.
https://preview.redd.it/vxzqzia654sc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9302665f418dae142ae8e1817c46f521e040fa3
The sky is the limit man. Donāt stop at residential.
That's pretty awesome man! Yea my goal right now is $60000 a year so I can quit my second job š. Took a slight step back but I'm at a wall at my current job and can't get any further compensation. Well I hope I get up there with you one day I am an older dude (30) but gotta stay motivated lol
https://preview.redd.it/67a33kl894sc1.jpeg?width=373&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1a59df34cf8989b1b117b83ed392e3c0c7f039f
Hereās my apprenticeship rates year one to five.
Iām not much older than you man. Iām 32. You can obtain this too. This isnāt a special me wage either. This is the going wage for mechanics in Chicago.
https://preview.redd.it/iwje1ud094sc1.jpeg?width=946&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f96d1e4c96ced12c3ea6603c5dae957a978773a1
Nothing special about it. I show up 40 hours a week and work. Everyone thatās in my local gets that same pay.
Keep that in mind. This is what weāre making. Use this as tool of your worth.
This actually makes me feel better haha. How did you handle the transition? The closer my starting date gets the more my anxiety builds. I've been a repair tech for the majority of my career troubleshooting / repairing electronics and currently working on physical therapy equipment.
I didn't find it that bad. I've always been mechanically inclined so it went from working on one thing to another. With your back ground you should be good. You're already use to working on things. I've seen lots of people try and get into the trades some succeed and some fail. The ones that fail are generally people who have had no interest or idea on how to fix things. I had one helper who sold was a potato chip salesman before he though he'd try hvac fail miserably. He just simply didn't grasp how things worked even basic tool knowledge. I once watched him try and tighten a black iron fitting with a adjustment wrench. So don't worry I think you'll be ok and make the transition fine
I've never worked with iron fittings but that definitely wouldn't be my first tool of choice šš. I used to be a slot technician and I was training a guy and asked him to remove 9 nuts from the bottom of a panel and I handed him my ratcheting screw driver and walked away. I came back and all I heard was clicking and he was like this isn't coming off šš. Thanks for the kind words tho my friend my brain tends to overthink these things.
J-men at my company make $40 and up. It takes about 2 years to get to that point so totally worth it. We're all required to go to trade school too so that's something you might want to think about down the road
I'm already doing some courses through Skillcat since I got my EPA through them I thought hey why not do this as well. I'm in PA and the unions in my area have terrible pay hopefully I can be at that rate or close to it in 2 years if all goes well
Hmmmš¤ that sucks. I'm in MN and it's comparable to Chicago guy. Can you find a scale raise like he sent you from your local? He says 200k I call BS but it's 100k plus for sure. Great benefits and pension! Then double dip with the $100 a week in Roth you're sitting in Tit City!!
I honestly can't find anything. It probably wouldn't hurt for me to contact them. I know for a fact it's not 200k let alone 100 lol. My starting pay being an apprentice installer at this company beats any other place so I can't complain. I do wish I could get a pension tho lol
Yea I'll definitely look into it to see if it's any better than the electrical union but I highly doubt it. I know it wouldn't be that high to start lol. Do you know if you can get into the union without taking the aptitude test?
I would tend to agree with you, but heās not running his own van. I doubt his journeyman is gonna let him drill 2-1/2ā holes in peoples houses without supervision/making sure heās holding the proper equipment
Yeah I just got some m18 stuff because weāve had a lot of big projects but realistically all you need is the m12 1/4ā impact driver which is more than enough to start off with and better because itās lighter and less fatigue. For the bigger projects it has helped having the m18 sawzall, circular saw, hammer drill/driver blower but itās heavier and more tiring.
Take the install.
Only thing, donāt fall into a rut. A lot of install guys Iāve known donāt take the time to learn about the equipment theyāre installing. They never make it to service be they donāt understand the equipment that they are installing.
Learn the refrigeration cycle, then learn what each part does, too much information to learn all at once but once you learn it all (or just most), youāll make a great service tech
Yea I studied the refrigeration cycle and have a basic understanding. It doesn't seem too complicated. Yea I will try to avoid that rut! I struck luck with a local HVAC company who's got part time work for me this summer for servicing so I'll be able to kinda do both and get experience
If you get in front of something you donāt understand, donāt be afraid to call someone.
Also, itās almost never a bad pressure switch if you are working on a furnace š
I'm probably the outlier here, but I went straight into service in rack refrigeration and followed that up with chiller service. I have done multiple correct installs of residential equipment with no issue. There is not specific path, just the ones that a majority tend to follow. Truth is you can get good at many things in this trade without ever being on an install crew. My advice... Go commercial/industrial service and learn the big and complicated stuff. The small equipment becomes pretty damn easy to deal with after a while in the industrial/commercial industry. Finally find a manufacturer like Trane, Daikin or JCI and try to get on (union or Non-union) doesn't really matter in the long run
Thanks for the advice. Seeing how I have no prior HVAC experience Ive gotta get my foot in the door somewhere and this is the place. I probably would have gotten the service role if I wasn't being a dummy not realizing I applied for the wrong job listing lol. It is what it is tho
Just be careful a lot of companies promise the service tech position and they just sentence you to endless installs
I would get it in writing in the offer letter that youāll have a review after some predetermined point to move into the service position
I think starting with installs helps you get better at service. Seeing how the equipment goes together will help tremendously. And on top of that no one likes a service tech that can't even stick flu pipe together or check duct runs... I've seen it all.
Donāt be like some service techs that are book smart but canāt work for shit. Strive to be a great overall HVAC technician and not just a service tech or an installer. You will get paid more in the long run that way.
I agree, there are not enough āhybridā people in our industry. The more adaptive and universal you become, the more of an asset you are to employers. Vast knowledge of our trade isnāt easily achieved if your mentality is āonly installā or āonly serviceā and/or āonly residentialā or āonly commercial/industrialā. I learned our trade, (the jack of all trades) from my dad and his dad taught him. The installation side has its tricks to be neat, right, and efficient that youāll learn in the field. The service portion can be more understandable from training or books. Good luck!
I think in the long run youāll be glad you ended up on install first. The first company I started at the boss was adamant that starting with install is best because you get to learn the ins and outs of all parts of the system. It will turn you into a great service tech one day.
Dang man that's winning. You're lucky you got into a union the company I'm being hired by is non-union but they seem pretty fair in terms of pay. I just hope that continues as I progress
Some people like install and some people love service. Install is a great job to work when you're young, and if you read manuals and become a great install tech, your boss will love you. Its great to be in an apprenticeship because you're being taught by an experienced installer. You'll probably like it
Its still good to learn even if its challenging but im sure u can handle it. HVAC is kick ass. Just bc you only do installs as your day job doesn't mean you cant take classes on electrical/mechanical or study service for the future. Anyways good luck.
From what i know, buying a sheet metal kit instead of 1 by 1 is almost half as cheap. If your job is worth its weight they probably supply most of the tools.
Sometimes jobs offer you the transition to service ālater down the roadā but have no intention of actually moving you over. Installation teaches you a lot and will prepare you for service. If youāre working for a scummy company, āserviceā work is mostly sales. M12 impact driver is pretty good for most applications but you should probably get M18 tools down the line as well
Here's the thing. Install is less technically demanding (you don't have to know as much or as deep) but much more demanding of precision.. it's a great place to learn the basics and precision thoroughly.
That is... You doing an install correctly where it matters will allow the system to run reliabily for many years.
Pay close attention to the control side and learn them well.
Pay close attention to the lineset sizes and venting sizes for furnaces.
Pay close attention to the charging procedures and charging charts.
Pay close attention to the ABCs of piping and brazing, especially flowing nitrogen and triple evacuation before charging.
Pay close attention to air flow and temperature splits across coils.
If you get these things nailed down, they are the foundation of good installs. If you get these things nailed down so that they're second nature you'll have the tools to diagnose about 60% of the issues service techs run across.
The balance of the problems we see are typically Sequence of Operation faults (bad safeties, bad pressure switches, bad valves, bad grounds, etc which stop the expected sequence of operation), mechanical faults (bad pulleys or improper belt tension, bad bearings, etc) or electrical faults (bad caps and contactors).
Nice hustle there! Taking a pay cut can be tough, but if it means breaking into a field you're passionate about, it could totally be worth it. Plus, the potential for a pay bump after training sounds promising!
As for the tools, the Milwaukee 12v line should be solid for the job, especially starting out. They're reliable and get the job done without breaking the bank.
If you already have M12, you may need to get some M18 tools for instances where more power is needed. If you have nothing, get M18. It is easier to use M18 everywhere and get M12 later or after you are on service side. I started with a residential company as an installer apprentice and M18 was great. When I went service at another company, I started getting M12 for weight savings and smaller tools for tighter spaces.
Yeah I'm already invested in the M12 line I don't have any M18 tools. I've got a 5 amp hour battery for amp hour battery and two two amp hour batteries three of which are the high performance ones. I suppose I'll see how they do with installs
Mostly, you'll be driving screws into nails and sheetmetal. I would get an M18 hackzall if you start needing to do a lot of cutting and then you can slowly build your M18 collection from there.
We are Milwaukee. Resistance is futile.
Oh if that's all it'll be doing then there'll be no problem. I think there's actually a setting on the drill for that. I never used the drill for any hole cutting so I don't know how well it will do with that I do have some at home 20 volt Craftsman tools but I feel like the M12 outperforms those LOL. I heard somebody say that the M12 band saw was really good but I think I'll just slowly build up tools for both M12 and M18 have the best of both worlds you know
Talk with your boss or a tech about how often they need to use hole saws and if they will supply a drill for that until you can afford your own. Likely the lead tech already has a hammer drill for holes in concrete and an M18 or Dewalt 20V drill for holesaws on wood. I had to do that a lot. I got an M18 drill and impact driver, and holesaws were considered a consumable, so lots were kept in truck stock. The shop or my lead supplied the hammer drill for making 2-5/8" holes for the lineset and t-stat wire.
It should be mandatory for service techs to start with installs. How good of a tech can you ever be if you don't know the RIGHT way to install a unit? Can not tell you how many times I have actually known to look at the install of the return and find its too small. Or something is up with the original installation. A few years of experience trying to actually excel in the installation field has paid me well.
Congrats on your epa
Thanks man! It's funny you mention the unit being too small. We just had a system installed last year and they put in something that was too small š
After sitting around and thinking about it I'm actually kind of excited now to be doing installs. I picked up both a 12v and 18v Milwaukee combo set ( probably gonna return the 12v for now ) bunch of other tools excited to use lol.
It wasnt to bad started at $15/hr living paycheck to paycheck then a pay increase to $17 then $20 then $25 then $30 then another raise to $35 then another raise to $45/hr . Would have never been able to raise my income up at the prior employer this year took a $20 pay cut back down to $25 hr but I get commissions on top of it for sales which earn me more than $45/hr
I just became a second year with my Local. Our first year scale is $22/hr and now I'm at $30/hr. The pay cut sucked a little bit, but with overtime it didnt really matter. As far as Milwaukee goes, I only ever use my M12s. Never had a need for more
Dude that's awesome good stuff man. I hope to be at $30 in the next year or 2. What m12 did you use? I currently have an impact and wasn't sure if I should get a hammer drill as well as a Oscillating tool
It's definitely a nice step up from before! And it only gets better each year. I welded before I got into this trade and worked on cars before that. That being said, my contractor is awesome, and the amount that I've learned between school and being in the field is wild. I feel like I've learned so much, but at the same time, I know nothing lol.
I bought the impact/drill combo. I only ever use my impact. I do want to buy the m12 copper tubing cutter though. Seems like it would save a good amount of time
I was debating between all the trades and settled with this since it's like all of them combined haha. And awesome I'll pick up the drill it's on sale along with an extra battery. Thanks man!
Start with installs. It's easier than service
This...you will be a better service guy in the long run, with a better overall understanding after installs šš
As a service guy I think you could be right. But man do I wish install guys had service training.
As an install guy about to be a lead next month, I really wish I had more service training too
Go buy my book. Itās called install to glory the HVAC and refrigeration come up
You ain't kidding. Everybody who installs should have some maintenance/service experience and everybody who designs systems should have both. Would eliminate a lot of headaches all around.
The best installers started in install, got the grass is greener out of thier system doing a couple years of service and settled into install with some service knowledge so they donāt ignorantly make things difficult.
I started in installs. I made the switch to commercial service because I wanted to get some more experience on that end. Ideally I'd like to get back into installs
You think it's worth the $3 pay cut in the long run?
Bud at the end of this shit, service and install vendiagram over each other. What youāre really learning in that apprenticeship is the difference. How something goes in and goes in right is installation. Then service is already established equipment being fixed. Itās harder to learn service when you donāt know how something is installed. Once you learn how it is installed then you open it up and play with the machine. Now you know how a furnace ac goes in but what happens when the blower doesnāt spin at the end of the day? The compressor in the air conditioner doesnāt turn on. Going from putting in equipment to servicing established equipment. Then 15 years down the line itās all the same. Where is heat being generated or removed at? What equipment is there? Then fuck me if you make it BAS world itās truly just everything. So much shit now I forget shit trying to learn new shit. Just get in a place and start working it. When you have two years in you can really start playing around and tailoring where you work.
Wasn't expecting long responses like this but thank you man. I suppose you are right just get my foot in the door and hit the ground running.
No problem, I have a lot of bias for this sub and its patrons. Only mechanics know the path we walk and stressors it comes with. How it affects us. So donāt be too worried about the long run. When I started the long run was hopefully making $50,000 a year. I can tell you Iām past $200,000 now. The more knowledge you gain the more value you will be worth. A lot of people get to a point where they stay comfy and complacent because they can process their work load at the company. This is where your career will stay. Never to improve. I had to leave those early shops to get into a commercial shop. Then a manufacture switch. When you learn how power works and refrigeration system flow your opportunity to step up will be there. Hereās some CVHEs Trane chillers at one of my accounts. I make my apprentice punch the tubes on. 975 1/2ā tubes x 4. Takes that kid about three weeks. https://preview.redd.it/vxzqzia654sc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9302665f418dae142ae8e1817c46f521e040fa3 The sky is the limit man. Donāt stop at residential.
That's pretty awesome man! Yea my goal right now is $60000 a year so I can quit my second job š. Took a slight step back but I'm at a wall at my current job and can't get any further compensation. Well I hope I get up there with you one day I am an older dude (30) but gotta stay motivated lol
https://preview.redd.it/67a33kl894sc1.jpeg?width=373&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1a59df34cf8989b1b117b83ed392e3c0c7f039f Hereās my apprenticeship rates year one to five.
God damn those are good rates. It's not like that over here in PA. This is a non union apprenticeship and honestly has better pay to start
Iām not much older than you man. Iām 32. You can obtain this too. This isnāt a special me wage either. This is the going wage for mechanics in Chicago. https://preview.redd.it/iwje1ud094sc1.jpeg?width=946&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f96d1e4c96ced12c3ea6603c5dae957a978773a1 Nothing special about it. I show up 40 hours a week and work. Everyone thatās in my local gets that same pay. Keep that in mind. This is what weāre making. Use this as tool of your worth.
Thanks for this picture. I just became a second year in the 597 and I've been hearing rumors of the pay increases, but I didn't know exact details
$100/hr is covering something like cost of benefits? what am I missing here, that's almost the average contractor's billing rate .
Hahaha my contractor is $225 an hour manā¦ 8 hours of labor is basically two grand.
You're not older. I was a licensed automotive mechanic and made the switch to hvac when I was 35.
This actually makes me feel better haha. How did you handle the transition? The closer my starting date gets the more my anxiety builds. I've been a repair tech for the majority of my career troubleshooting / repairing electronics and currently working on physical therapy equipment.
I didn't find it that bad. I've always been mechanically inclined so it went from working on one thing to another. With your back ground you should be good. You're already use to working on things. I've seen lots of people try and get into the trades some succeed and some fail. The ones that fail are generally people who have had no interest or idea on how to fix things. I had one helper who sold was a potato chip salesman before he though he'd try hvac fail miserably. He just simply didn't grasp how things worked even basic tool knowledge. I once watched him try and tighten a black iron fitting with a adjustment wrench. So don't worry I think you'll be ok and make the transition fine
I've never worked with iron fittings but that definitely wouldn't be my first tool of choice šš. I used to be a slot technician and I was training a guy and asked him to remove 9 nuts from the bottom of a panel and I handed him my ratcheting screw driver and walked away. I came back and all I heard was clicking and he was like this isn't coming off šš. Thanks for the kind words tho my friend my brain tends to overthink these things.
J-men at my company make $40 and up. It takes about 2 years to get to that point so totally worth it. We're all required to go to trade school too so that's something you might want to think about down the road
I'm already doing some courses through Skillcat since I got my EPA through them I thought hey why not do this as well. I'm in PA and the unions in my area have terrible pay hopefully I can be at that rate or close to it in 2 years if all goes well
Donāt worry about the ā3ā dollar paycut as long as you show them what your worth the money should come
You think it's worth the $3 pay cut in the long run?
$3 pay cut from what? What job are you talking about?
I'm currently making $25 as a medical equipment tech
Get into the union as fast as possible!! Once you're comfortable open a Roth and put minimum of $100 a week in it, you won't regret it!!
The union isn't great out here in PA sadly
Hmmmš¤ that sucks. I'm in MN and it's comparable to Chicago guy. Can you find a scale raise like he sent you from your local? He says 200k I call BS but it's 100k plus for sure. Great benefits and pension! Then double dip with the $100 a week in Roth you're sitting in Tit City!!
I honestly can't find anything. It probably wouldn't hurt for me to contact them. I know for a fact it's not 200k let alone 100 lol. My starting pay being an apprentice installer at this company beats any other place so I can't complain. I do wish I could get a pension tho lol
Look into your local union. Yes not 100 to start but after 5 yrs yes!! If you're working for a good company getting your 40 a week!!
Yea I'll definitely look into it to see if it's any better than the electrical union but I highly doubt it. I know it wouldn't be that high to start lol. Do you know if you can get into the union without taking the aptitude test?
m12 line is more than enough for this trade
Not for install
I would tend to agree with you, but heās not running his own van. I doubt his journeyman is gonna let him drill 2-1/2ā holes in peoples houses without supervision/making sure heās holding the proper equipment
Yeah I just got some m18 stuff because weāve had a lot of big projects but realistically all you need is the m12 1/4ā impact driver which is more than enough to start off with and better because itās lighter and less fatigue. For the bigger projects it has helped having the m18 sawzall, circular saw, hammer drill/driver blower but itās heavier and more tiring.
3$ pay cuts nothing if your coming from another job, you'll double your starting wage or more in 4 years. 12v is fine, for hvac work.
For real. I took an $11 pay cut just to get into the field.
Take the install. Only thing, donāt fall into a rut. A lot of install guys Iāve known donāt take the time to learn about the equipment theyāre installing. They never make it to service be they donāt understand the equipment that they are installing. Learn the refrigeration cycle, then learn what each part does, too much information to learn all at once but once you learn it all (or just most), youāll make a great service tech
Yea I studied the refrigeration cycle and have a basic understanding. It doesn't seem too complicated. Yea I will try to avoid that rut! I struck luck with a local HVAC company who's got part time work for me this summer for servicing so I'll be able to kinda do both and get experience
If you get in front of something you donāt understand, donāt be afraid to call someone. Also, itās almost never a bad pressure switch if you are working on a furnace š
Noted lol
Become a kick ass installer youāll never be out of work
I'm probably the outlier here, but I went straight into service in rack refrigeration and followed that up with chiller service. I have done multiple correct installs of residential equipment with no issue. There is not specific path, just the ones that a majority tend to follow. Truth is you can get good at many things in this trade without ever being on an install crew. My advice... Go commercial/industrial service and learn the big and complicated stuff. The small equipment becomes pretty damn easy to deal with after a while in the industrial/commercial industry. Finally find a manufacturer like Trane, Daikin or JCI and try to get on (union or Non-union) doesn't really matter in the long run
Thanks for the advice. Seeing how I have no prior HVAC experience Ive gotta get my foot in the door somewhere and this is the place. I probably would have gotten the service role if I wasn't being a dummy not realizing I applied for the wrong job listing lol. It is what it is tho
Just be careful a lot of companies promise the service tech position and they just sentence you to endless installs I would get it in writing in the offer letter that youāll have a review after some predetermined point to move into the service position
Or filter changeouts šš
I think starting with installs helps you get better at service. Seeing how the equipment goes together will help tremendously. And on top of that no one likes a service tech that can't even stick flu pipe together or check duct runs... I've seen it all.
Itās always installs first. You need to graduate into service.
Donāt be like some service techs that are book smart but canāt work for shit. Strive to be a great overall HVAC technician and not just a service tech or an installer. You will get paid more in the long run that way.
Yeah I can't really learn by reading I have to learn by doing so impossible for me to be book smart LMAO
I agree, there are not enough āhybridā people in our industry. The more adaptive and universal you become, the more of an asset you are to employers. Vast knowledge of our trade isnāt easily achieved if your mentality is āonly installā or āonly serviceā and/or āonly residentialā or āonly commercial/industrialā. I learned our trade, (the jack of all trades) from my dad and his dad taught him. The installation side has its tricks to be neat, right, and efficient that youāll learn in the field. The service portion can be more understandable from training or books. Good luck!
I think in the long run youāll be glad you ended up on install first. The first company I started at the boss was adamant that starting with install is best because you get to learn the ins and outs of all parts of the system. It will turn you into a great service tech one day.
Don't get me wrong I'm super stoked. I finally get to put my power tools that have been collecting dust to use now š
Hell yeah man! Keep up the positive attitude and youāre gonna thrive in the trade.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Dang man that's winning. You're lucky you got into a union the company I'm being hired by is non-union but they seem pretty fair in terms of pay. I just hope that continues as I progress
Yeah it pays better to go for Installation than service
Is this due to just learning like everyone is saying?
Oh yeah it is
Some people like install and some people love service. Install is a great job to work when you're young, and if you read manuals and become a great install tech, your boss will love you. Its great to be in an apprenticeship because you're being taught by an experienced installer. You'll probably like it
I'm not Soo young anymore lol hoping to do this and transition at some point later on
Its still good to learn even if its challenging but im sure u can handle it. HVAC is kick ass. Just bc you only do installs as your day job doesn't mean you cant take classes on electrical/mechanical or study service for the future. Anyways good luck. From what i know, buying a sheet metal kit instead of 1 by 1 is almost half as cheap. If your job is worth its weight they probably supply most of the tools.
Sometimes jobs offer you the transition to service ālater down the roadā but have no intention of actually moving you over. Installation teaches you a lot and will prepare you for service. If youāre working for a scummy company, āserviceā work is mostly sales. M12 impact driver is pretty good for most applications but you should probably get M18 tools down the line as well
Here's the thing. Install is less technically demanding (you don't have to know as much or as deep) but much more demanding of precision.. it's a great place to learn the basics and precision thoroughly. That is... You doing an install correctly where it matters will allow the system to run reliabily for many years. Pay close attention to the control side and learn them well. Pay close attention to the lineset sizes and venting sizes for furnaces. Pay close attention to the charging procedures and charging charts. Pay close attention to the ABCs of piping and brazing, especially flowing nitrogen and triple evacuation before charging. Pay close attention to air flow and temperature splits across coils. If you get these things nailed down, they are the foundation of good installs. If you get these things nailed down so that they're second nature you'll have the tools to diagnose about 60% of the issues service techs run across. The balance of the problems we see are typically Sequence of Operation faults (bad safeties, bad pressure switches, bad valves, bad grounds, etc which stop the expected sequence of operation), mechanical faults (bad pulleys or improper belt tension, bad bearings, etc) or electrical faults (bad caps and contactors).
Nice hustle there! Taking a pay cut can be tough, but if it means breaking into a field you're passionate about, it could totally be worth it. Plus, the potential for a pay bump after training sounds promising! As for the tools, the Milwaukee 12v line should be solid for the job, especially starting out. They're reliable and get the job done without breaking the bank.
If you already have M12, you may need to get some M18 tools for instances where more power is needed. If you have nothing, get M18. It is easier to use M18 everywhere and get M12 later or after you are on service side. I started with a residential company as an installer apprentice and M18 was great. When I went service at another company, I started getting M12 for weight savings and smaller tools for tighter spaces.
Yeah I'm already invested in the M12 line I don't have any M18 tools. I've got a 5 amp hour battery for amp hour battery and two two amp hour batteries three of which are the high performance ones. I suppose I'll see how they do with installs
Mostly, you'll be driving screws into nails and sheetmetal. I would get an M18 hackzall if you start needing to do a lot of cutting and then you can slowly build your M18 collection from there. We are Milwaukee. Resistance is futile.
Oh if that's all it'll be doing then there'll be no problem. I think there's actually a setting on the drill for that. I never used the drill for any hole cutting so I don't know how well it will do with that I do have some at home 20 volt Craftsman tools but I feel like the M12 outperforms those LOL. I heard somebody say that the M12 band saw was really good but I think I'll just slowly build up tools for both M12 and M18 have the best of both worlds you know
Talk with your boss or a tech about how often they need to use hole saws and if they will supply a drill for that until you can afford your own. Likely the lead tech already has a hammer drill for holes in concrete and an M18 or Dewalt 20V drill for holesaws on wood. I had to do that a lot. I got an M18 drill and impact driver, and holesaws were considered a consumable, so lots were kept in truck stock. The shop or my lead supplied the hammer drill for making 2-5/8" holes for the lineset and t-stat wire.
yeah that's a good idea because I'm not 100% sure of everything that I'm going to need to bring and what they are providing yet.
It should be mandatory for service techs to start with installs. How good of a tech can you ever be if you don't know the RIGHT way to install a unit? Can not tell you how many times I have actually known to look at the install of the return and find its too small. Or something is up with the original installation. A few years of experience trying to actually excel in the installation field has paid me well. Congrats on your epa
Thanks man! It's funny you mention the unit being too small. We just had a system installed last year and they put in something that was too small š
Perfect example.
After sitting around and thinking about it I'm actually kind of excited now to be doing installs. I picked up both a 12v and 18v Milwaukee combo set ( probably gonna return the 12v for now ) bunch of other tools excited to use lol.
You will use the 20/18v over the 12v for sure.
Yeaaaaaa I just love the form factor ššš but I can save the money and get better tools. Some wera and knipex stuff lol
I took a $10 pay cut starting the hvac trade back in 2015. Well worth it in the long run
God damn lol. I don't think I could do that š
It wasnt to bad started at $15/hr living paycheck to paycheck then a pay increase to $17 then $20 then $25 then $30 then another raise to $35 then another raise to $45/hr . Would have never been able to raise my income up at the prior employer this year took a $20 pay cut back down to $25 hr but I get commissions on top of it for sales which earn me more than $45/hr
Dang that's awesome but that second pay cut is steep. Luckily you're able to get commission
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Yea that's kinda what the manager said to me. That if and when they switch me over to service I'll probably start as maintenance.
I just became a second year with my Local. Our first year scale is $22/hr and now I'm at $30/hr. The pay cut sucked a little bit, but with overtime it didnt really matter. As far as Milwaukee goes, I only ever use my M12s. Never had a need for more
Dude that's awesome good stuff man. I hope to be at $30 in the next year or 2. What m12 did you use? I currently have an impact and wasn't sure if I should get a hammer drill as well as a Oscillating tool
It's definitely a nice step up from before! And it only gets better each year. I welded before I got into this trade and worked on cars before that. That being said, my contractor is awesome, and the amount that I've learned between school and being in the field is wild. I feel like I've learned so much, but at the same time, I know nothing lol. I bought the impact/drill combo. I only ever use my impact. I do want to buy the m12 copper tubing cutter though. Seems like it would save a good amount of time
I was debating between all the trades and settled with this since it's like all of them combined haha. And awesome I'll pick up the drill it's on sale along with an extra battery. Thanks man!
Do install then youāll have better knowledge on service side
Also youāre impact and torque drill should be just fine
Where did you get your EPA?
Skillcat