resi to comm

[shawnIII]

hey gang new member here! just found this site and had to join,
ive been in the resi feild here in MN for 17 years and in two weeks (notice) im jumpin into the commercial end , now the only commercial expierience iv had is combo roof tops. what do you guys think of this move im about to make?
thought id add i do retro and never have done new home!!

[Shophound]

Light commercial or higher tonnage (chillers)? Either way, if you have a good understanding of all aspects of residential work - refrigeration, electrical, air distribution, etc. you have a decent launch point for going commercial. It's the same principles, just has various states of complexity. This will be the majority of your new learning curve...understanding the greater complexity of what's out there.

I'm in the high tonnage end of commercial/institutional, but I still see parallels to what I learned as a residential/light commercial tech. If you like to study to understand more complex systems, you'll do fine.

[fireye03]

there's alot of big stuff out there that can be intimidating.
the basic refrigeration cycle still applies,there's just alot more bells and whistles.once you start learning bigger and better things,resi will be a distant memory.
good luck

[Tech Rob]

It seems to me like anyone who sticks with this line of work for a bit of time ends up on the commercial/industrial side. Most of the guys I know who did residential at any time usually only did for a few years here and there. I'm just curious what could keep someone in attics for 17 years. Again, no offense meant.

On the other hand, I think you're probably a very capable and competent technician (otherwise you wouldn't have been employed for so long ;)), so the transition will be painless. All of the same principles apply like the other guys said, just on a bigger scale.

I think you might eventually be asking yourself the same question I posed in the title of this post.

Good luck!

[dad9299]

comm, resi...service is still the same.....my old super always said, service is 10% knowing it and 90% selling the customer on that you know it. Schematics and ref. cycle are still the same. Once comm. you'll never want to go back to attics.

[shawnIII]

its basements here lol not too many attic jobs
stayed in resi cuz i get paid just shy of comm pay and i can do resi work in my sleep and while ive had a couple, its just become kinda hum drum i guess, kind of stale and i want to keep challenging myself.
beside knowledge is power right!

[coves]

I did the switch about 10 years ago and I'd probably not go back unless I had too. There's just so many interesting things to work on the comm/ind side. Unstead of knocking on people's doors, you'll be signing in at guard shacks from now on....:D

[technut]

I've done industrial ammonia r-717 for about 5 years and have RETA-CER.
got the call from this sevice company for commercial work.Boss told me if i could do the industrial (ammonia) I could do this job.offer $$$ couldnt turn down.
my transfer to commercial was very easy for me the only thing i had problems with is pressure and oil flow. with 3 days of training I was on my way as a out of state field tech.been with the company for over a year now and love it I travel more then work,lol.

[asticot]

Shawn,
I know the wonder/worry you're feeling. After 15 years doing Resi and light commercial I made the switch to full commercial and Industrial about two months ago. The good news is what you know doesn't change only how it is applied. So far all the guys I have worked with were more than willing to explain and guide me in the right direction. Don't lie about what you know, ask questions, take notes and read about what you learn at night. You'll never want to knock on another resi door again.

[air2spare]

....lots of tools, comm requires more

best of luck

[alpha480v]

Commercial has much more variety of equipment. Something new to do every day. Good luck. Start saving now for all the additional tools you will be needing to buy.

[mikelcs]

comm, resi...service is still the same.....my old super always said, service is 10% knowing it and 90% selling the customer on that you know it. Schematics and ref. cycle are still the same. Once comm. you'll never want to go back to attics.

i disagree. the differences between commercial and residential service are many. not only is the equipment different (not necessarily more complex anymore with the changes in residential equipment), but the customers are very different. your interaction with your commercial customers had better be different than it is with a residential customer or you will quickly return to the attic.

[absenceofheat]

Guess the only thing I could give you here is, do not forget the basic's and do not let is overwhelm you just remember get as much training as you can and always remember you are just moving heat from on place to another.

Train Train Train whether by you employer or out of your own pocket you will never loose the training no matter who you work for !

[chadcar]

Commercial is actually easier in some ways. Instead of tearing apart a whole furnace( circuit board, condensate trap, door switch, entire blower housing, etc.) to replace a blower motor, just open the air handler panel or remove the guard. Cleaning evap coils is much easier on commercial units. Need to clean the blower wheel? Shut it off and climb in. No more squeezing a 16x25x1 filter into a field-made 15 3/4 x 22 1/2 x 1 filter rack. No more of the nasty, fix it right now for cheap, I own three hundred cats, moo-moo wearing, my kids are gonna watch you customers. :mad: Commercial is the same basic idea as resi., just bigger.