Anyone else sick of doing overhauls

[acjourneyman]

I bid 2 CVHE overhauls last month and both of them signed PO's, is anyone else getting tired of doing overhauls.I used to love the heavy work and rigging, not so much anymore. Must be getting old, rather trouble shoot something instead.

[Octopus]

Well with all of the people out of work at least your working. My point is it could be worse.

[triggerhappy]

I saw that coming a mile away.

I am thinking of just quiting altogether and letting the Demacraps take care or me.

[maxpower]

I bid 2 CVHE overhauls last month and both of them signed PO's, is anyone else getting tired of doing overhauls.I used to love the heavy work and rigging, not so much anymore. Must be getting old, rather trouble shoot something instead.

The way I see it. It pays the bills. Maybe you need to train more apprentices, Have them do it for you.;)

[ga1279]

I agree with both points of view, I'm glad to be employed, just tired of pulling on wrenches. I am 59 years old and paying for what I did in the past. I have worked for several contractors including several factory groups. I am a highly skilled and knowledgeable technician and as you can see I am also quite humble. LOL Unfortunately I never was very good at office politics so I paid the price. I have seen many less skilled tech's move up into management and put away their tools as I wish I could have. This includes apprentices that I've taught. I guess this is a lesson we learn too late in life that has a bitter sweet taste to it. You are very good at what you do, but that's all you'll ever do. I have always enjoyed teaching my trade and passing on the knowledge and tricks of the trade, but I wish I could have kept my mouth shut at critical points in my career. Please note I'm not feeling sorry for myself just reflecting on things I would have changed in my past. Anyway wishing all of you on HVAC-TALK.COM a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR-GEO

[bwalley]

I bid 2 CVHE overhauls last month and both of them signed PO's, is anyone else getting tired of doing overhauls.I used to love the heavy work and rigging, not so much anymore. Must be getting old, rather trouble shoot something instead.

It could be worse, you could have lost the bids and be sitting at home watching TV.

I don't work on chillers, but I know enough about them to know, I would rather do something other than overhaul them though.

[klove]

After all those years of sweatin' blood for York, I'm now into my second year of my own business due to the fact that someone came along and screwed up a good thing. If you don't want the overhaul work, I'll be happy to sub it out (if you're close enough) - get all you can and call me!!!

And ga1279: don't feel rained on about the office politics thing - I was offered the area managers position once and they couldn't understand why I wouldn't take it. My reason confused them even more. I told 'em that everyone didn't necessarily look at moving into management as a step up. Maybe I have a screwed up way of seeing things, but my mama raised us on the saying that "It's a blessing to be able to work in the dirt". I have some other reasons to not want to be in management, but if I let them out, a lot of folks on this site would petition to have me removed.

[CaptJackSparrow]

I don't know? Seems to be good and bad in it all. I have been fortunate enough to be the overhaul guy when I was younger then move into corporate managment, then start my own business. I think corp. Mgmt was the worst. Nothing is more discouraging than to have your hands and feet tied and then told to go take over the world. Well maybe being issued responability without athority! I know suffering physicaly is easier than mentally. (for me anyway) even owning a business has a heavy price to pay but at least you have the freedom to do what makes sense. Now days I like doing the overhauls because I can just focus on that one thing! There is surely a blessing in only dealing with one job at a time mentally even if it's hard physicaly. It's kinda like the difference in hearding one cow or 200 yearlings, probably more money with the yearlings but allot more peace with just one. I think anyone who gets to make money doing somthing they love is the lucky one. I want to be a hunting and fishing guide when I grow up!!!????

[jsherhvac]

I bid 2 CVHE overhauls last month and both of them signed PO's, is anyone else getting tired of doing overhauls.I used to love the heavy work and rigging, not so much anymore. Must be getting old, rather trouble shoot something instead.

Like yourself I prefer troubleshooting over teardowns, but overhauls haven't got old yet. It does seem like everytime I turn around here lately they have sold another overhaul. Whatever pays the bills!

[deux]

Umm It is inside. Your not shoveling snow to see the RTU. Your not worried about your ladder falling down. They do not call you at 1AM............

I will trade ya. Come look after 400 RTU's for me here in the 35 below Canada weather for 2 months and I will go do the overhauls!

[jayguy]

i love doing overhauls, but i only get to be on 1-2 per year with some leak repairs in between. i have heard of large offices where they have an overhaul team...and that is all they do year round...not for me. i like a few every year and i especially like the ones where i get to go back year after year for maintenance. i love seeing those low purge minutes!

i can understand what you mean AC. as for you GA, i am more like you than i thought. i do not want any management roles. i love getting dirty. i would rather see a rebuilt chiller or leaks get fixed or a machine that NOW runs right instead of a pile of papers that i moved from the IN box to the OUT box by the end of the day. i sleep very well knowing that this world is a better place because of my hard work or that some apprentice learned something from me.

peace out everyone!:ghug:

[yorktek37]

After all those years of sweatin' blood for York, I'm now into my second year of my own business due to the fact that someone came along and screwed up a good thing. If you don't want the overhaul work, I'll be happy to sub it out (if you're close enough) - get all you can and call me!!!

And ga1279: don't feel rained on about the office politics thing - I was offered the area managers position once and they couldn't understand why I wouldn't take it. My reason confused them even more. I told 'em that everyone didn't necessarily look at moving into management as a step up. Maybe I have a screwed up way of seeing things, but my mama raised us on the saying that "It's a blessing to be able to work in the dirt". I have some other reasons to not want to be in management, but if I let them out, a lot of folks on this site would petition to have me removed.

Klove,, I like the way you think. Personally I would be happier pulling wrenches than sitting behind a desk and stressing over numbers.

[ga1279]

Thanks K-Love I knew this was was a Great site! Jayguy you are right, that is one thing that has always impressed my apprentices and customers, no matter how bad those purge minutes or cycles were, they are as close to "0" as could be when we finished. Footnote to deux-Yes, but you have never been called out to a site at midnight with a hurricane coming up the Gulf, we all have our pain-GEO

[chiller mekanik]

I bid 2 CVHE overhauls last month and both of them signed PO's, is anyone else getting tired of doing overhauls.I used to love the heavy work and rigging, not so much anymore. Must be getting old, rather trouble shoot something instead.

In my case, I've been tangled up in management & sales for the last couple of years so the idea of doing a teardown is very appealing to me at the moment. I'm still heavily involved in the many that we do in terms of verification of the diagnosis, the estimating & selling of the project, ordering parts, setting up the job & the occasional stopping by to lay a second set of eyes on something.

At the conclusion of my time in the field as I completed a bearing job on an extended capacity 1500 ton CVHF, I actually got a little emotional as I unloaded my van to go trade it in for a pick up truck. I love the industry, always have. Even when it was one teardown after another I don't recall being tired of it. But, I'm probably just the epitome of a gear head, well, or at least I was.

[heavymetaldad]

I have always enjoyed the challenges of overcoming the rigging nitemares associated with a machine that was stuffed into a corner, with piping assembled around it like a stooges episode. I"m still on restrictions, but i'm sure I'll see my share next winter. I'm just happy to be here.

[acjourneyman]

I am happy to be working but overhauls just get stacked onto the 200+ hours of work we already do a month. Also it seems like the young guys turning out aren't really capable or want to be lead guys on jobs, even after doing many overhauls. So it always falls onto the same group of guys.

[heavymetaldad]

i'll agree with you, ac. the young guys want to be professional helpers

[hvac248]

I have always enjoyed the challenges of overcoming the rigging nitemares associated with a machine that was stuffed into a corner, with piping assembled around it like a stooges episode. I"m still on restrictions, but i'm sure I'll see my share next winter. I'm just happy to be here.


I love the challenge and the easy work! Fitting or removing 10# of cr@p in a 2# bag is good on the mind and hard on the back, with a good partner its the most stress free work I get. thank god I have a whirlpool tub!!!

[amickracing]

I wish I was closer to a bigger city that required some rebuilds. I've never done one and would love to learn how to do them. Anyone want to rent me?

[absrbrtek]

Ive done my share. We have a few guys that do them fairly regularly, so they can have them. I dont miss them, but will do them if need be.

[acjourneyman]

I have to think I have done close to 75 Tranes in the last 15 years so the only thing interesting now is having bad rigging access, and I have seen plenty.Maybe I should rent myself out to supervise, not do the work but teach other guys too.

[ChillerWisperer]

I only averaged one or two a year at the satellite office I worked at, so I didn't get too burnt out on them. Haven't done any since I left almost a year ago, and I'm looking forward to getting back to it. The best thing I liked about it was that no one ever bothered you to run calls. Worst thing I think was the poor access for rigging sometimes and the clueless sales people who made no allowance for it.

[mustardman]

I like them personally I always have however I really enjoy it when its an emergency and you are working around the clock busting hump until its done. Had one emergency this year and it was great. I have done lots of centrifugals over the last ten years probably 60 to 70 but lately it seems the water cooled screws are the becoming more popular. Thats kind of boring because there is no real finesse involved unbolt compressor send away change all the gaskets. Recharge. Still heavy work but just not quite as specialized. The thing that I really miss however is a good retube I haven't done one in two years and it is quite a nice change from troubleshooting and for that matter thinking in general. Then again I am kind of weird that way I actually enjoy cleaning tubes. Just don't want to make a career out of it.

[largetonnage]

I like them personally I always have however I really enjoy it when its an emergency and you are working around the clock busting hump until its done. Had one emergency this year and it was great. I have done lots of centrifugals over the last ten years probably 60 to 70 but lately it seems the water cooled screws are the becoming more popular. Thats kind of boring because there is no real finesse involved unbolt compressor send away change all the gaskets. Recharge. Still heavy work but just not quite as specialized. The thing that I really miss however is a good retube I haven't done one in two years and it is quite a nice change from troubleshooting and for that matter thinking in general. Then again I am kind of weird that way I actually enjoy cleaning tubes. Just don't want to make a career out of it.

running tubes is a vacation from thought processing, and it feels really good
after a cooling season

[CaptJackSparrow]

I like them personally I always have however I really enjoy it when its an emergency and you are working around the clock busting hump until its done. Had one emergency this year and it was great. I have done lots of centrifugals over the last ten years probably 60 to 70 but lately it seems the water cooled screws are the becoming more popular. Thats kind of boring because there is no real finesse involved unbolt compressor send away change all the gaskets. Recharge. Still heavy work but just not quite as specialized. The thing that I really miss however is a good retube I haven't done one in two years and it is quite a nice change from troubleshooting and for that matter thinking in general. Then again I am kind of weird that way I actually enjoy cleaning tubes. Just don't want to make a career out of it.


Mustard, anyone who wants to do a re-tube is not wierd, they are just plane crazy!

[CaptJackSparrow]

AC I miss standing on the ground to do an overhaul. The old knees are not what they use to be and sitting on that CVHE evap for a week sucks! I did a CVHB not long ago and it was kina nice to stand flat footed. I miss the sidewinders and spool machines. CVHEs are for the 20 something guys!

[absrbrtek]

LOL, done my share of retubes too. Are you in the Chillergroup?
Mustard, anyone who wants to do a re-tube is not wierd, they are just plane crazy!

[CaptJackSparrow]

LOL, done my share of retubes too. Are you in the Chillergroup? Yes, we were just accepted! Did you ever use a slap hammer and spear to pull the tubes? I pulled the tubes out of a McQuay like that back around 86 or so and my right tricep is still sore today!

[txhvac]

I guess I'm a little out there, but re-tubing ain't that bad, did a couple of CVHE's 2-3 years ago. Also re-tubed 2 McQuay 087's over the summer 100 tubes per 2 chillers. Really hard water (San Antonio)& poor treatment. Hydraulic ram & the cutting tools make it easier than the old collapsing method. Once you get in a groove it goes pretty fast. Same can be said about overhauls. Sitting on evap barrel for a week does suck.

[absrbrtek]

Ive done some tubes with the slap hammer, it sucks.

I thought you were in the group. I just added you to the email list a little while ago.

.
Yes, we were just accepted! Did you ever use a slap hammer and spear to pull the tubes? I pulled the tubes out of a McQuay like that back around 86 or so and my right tricep is still sore today!

[MKnyc]

Overhauls are awesome because you can write all kinds of stuff about supervisors on the inside and only you and your partner know. Unless of course you open a machine up and find someone had already done that 20 yrs before....Then you just add to it.

[Tech Rob]

Never done an overhaul or anything, but I'm quite sure it beats the bull@#$% rooftop unit work I always get stuck with.

Around here, the guys who do this sort of thing always complain about how much they hate doing the work, but they never want to teach someone who wants to learn, either. It could just be that they don't have much to share and what little they divulge is enough to threaten their inflated salaries.

[acjourneyman]

Your right, we wrote on the vanes of a large double ender, something really nasty about the supervisor and laughed our asses of for weeks after that. I always laugh when I see a note on the inside of a chiller.
5 Ton, I learned a long time ago that the guys that don't want to teach anything are the guys that don't know anything. Here, if everyone knows alot, how much easier is the job for everyone. I don't understand this mentality but it is based on low or no self confidence and knowledge.

[jayguy]

i put one chiller back together and wrote a message in reverse. on the oil seal i wrote "You made it!". and on the vanes i wrote "Hello, how are you today?". in between i wrote a bunch of stuff about how many hours until the next message and stuff.

it will be funny...someday.

[mustardman]

Your right, we wrote on the vanes of a large double ender, something really nasty about the supervisor and laughed our asses of for weeks after that. I always laugh when I see a note on the inside of a chiller.
5 Ton, I learned a long time ago that the guys that don't want to teach anything are the guys that don't know anything. Here, if everyone knows alot, how much easier is the job for everyone. I don't understand this mentality but it is based on low or no self confidence and knowledge.

There is still a lovely message at oceanic plaza's big guy visible through the sight glass. I believe it has something to do with goats lol

[ga1279]

Just got back to reading this thread. We did an overhaul, conversion on a 890 ton Trane CVHE back when it was a big deal to do one. As we pulled all the volutes and sections out an idea occurred to me. We had a supervisor at Trane who always said he could teach a monkey to rebuild a Trane and have it run correctly. So we kind of went with that idea as we started re-assembly. We set it up so as each section came off you were instructed to eat a banana or nuts as your reward along with other indignities and when you got all the way down to the discharge volute, discharge side bearing we simply said congratulations. The ironic part is about 10 years later I heard this machine had to come apart for cause and the supervisor had been let go from Trane. In his new job he had to do this job with a minimum of help. Funny how things work out in the scheme of things-GEO

[heavymetaldad]

ga's post reminded me of a funny one. i've been always known as a tool collector, always buying neat shiny things for my toolbox. supervisor gave me a 1200T 19CB to tear down and told me that the only tool he would need to tear it down is a 3/4 combo. wrench. i knew when he was visiting my job site, and put everything away, far away, except for a 3/4 wrench. he didn't think it was too funny.

[acjourneyman]

I know exactly what that says Mustard,LOL.

[jayguy]

ga's post reminded me of a funny one. i've been always known as a tool collector, always buying neat shiny things for my toolbox. supervisor gave me a 1200T 19CB to tear down and told me that the only tool he would need to tear it down is a 3/4 combo. wrench. i knew when he was visiting my job site, and put everything away, far away, except for a 3/4 wrench. he didn't think it was too funny.

i was helping one of our techs do some leak repairs on the suction elbow of a 300 or 400 ton cvhe. the customer was real concerned about "all of that weight" hanging out there and how are we going to pull off the elbow and support those casings?

so, we got the elbow off at the customers lunch time, found a twig in the parking lot, and put it between the suction volute and the evaporator barrel and then we went to lunch...he did not think that we were very funny! :censored:

[heavymetaldad]

i was helping one of our techs do some leak repairs on the suction elbow of a 300 or 400 ton cvhe. the customer was real concerned about "all of that weight" hanging out there and how are we going to pull off the elbow and support those casings?

so, we got the elbow off at the customers lunch time, found a twig in the parking lot, and put it between the suction volute and the evaporator barrel and then we went to lunch...he did not think that we were very funny! :censored:

hahahahahahaha.....................good one, i'm going to have to 'jones' that one

[chiller mekanik]

i put one chiller back together and wrote a message in reverse. on the oil seal i wrote "You made it!". and on the vanes i wrote "Hello, how are you today?". in between i wrote a bunch of stuff about how many hours until the next message and stuff.

it will be funny...someday.

At least that's what I was taught. I always make it custom as it pertains to that job somehow in terms of the building or the people that run it or something that happened during the job & it always involves stick figures.

[jayguy]

At least that's what I was taught. I always make it custom as it pertains to that job somehow in terms of the building or the people that run it or something that happened during the job & it always involves stick figures.

stick figures featuring inappropriate and compromising positions?

[MKnyc]

i was helping one of our techs do some leak repairs on the suction elbow of a 300 or 400 ton cvhe. the customer was real concerned about "all of that weight" hanging out there and how are we going to pull off the elbow and support those casings?

so, we got the elbow off at the customers lunch time, found a twig in the parking lot, and put it between the suction volute and the evaporator barrel and then we went to lunch...he did not think that we were very funny! :censored:

Laughed my arse off. Too funny. I'm going to use this technique next time I pull apart a CVHE with a newbie. Just jam up a twig between the suction cover and the evap.