Maintenance tech needs some pointers

[Lunicy]

I run a small apartment complex. The management expects me to repair the central AC units. They sent me to get me EPA cert, (which I have) but I know very little.

Is there a guide, pointers, etc...

I can read a manifold, but have little clue what it means.

[Shophound]

You have a good learning curve ahead of you.

At bare minimum, get a good textbook to read, like Refrigeration and Airconditioning Technology or Modern Refrigeration and Airconditioning. Consider enrolling in HVAC classes if they're offered at your local community college.

You must understand how it works before you understand how to fix it. It will always be an uphill struggle for you if you don't get the theory down pat first.

[Lunicy]

I do understand theory. I understand how all the parts work. Electrical is a breeze. I mostly need to know how to interpret pressures.
I can pinpoint most other issues not pertaining to charge pressure.

When I find and repair a leak, how much refrigerant do I put in... etc...

Thanks

[lovecoldair]

You need to either get some training or study with a good book youself....You will not become a tech over night...There are no quick answers...There are rules of thumbs but are pointless to talk about without an understanding of the refrigeration cycle etc...Sound like the company you work for need to hire a contractor to do the repairs while you learn the trade

[Lunicy]

They aren't going to hire a contractor.
Do you have any recommendations for a good book or two.

I don't need to learn about huge chillers, or refrigeration units that cool meat lockers. Are there any books geared toward residential AC units?


Thanks again.

[lovecoldair]

as stated above.... i recommend these books to start with....
Refrigeration and Airconditioning Technology or Modern Refrigeration and Airconditioning

You make it sound like a simple piece of equiptment lol...Trust me ...You need to stud the basics cause there are common things that will happen with a RES system that can through you for a loop...Trust me get a book and study ...Then it will become clear that there is alot to learn even for a home ac system

[Lunicy]

no disrespect meant. Just didnt want to buy an 800 page book if I only need 1-2 chapters.

[martin&sonsa/c]

residential,commercial,big or small refrigeration or a/c its all the same but its differant. until you understand the basic theory of how it works dont make the mistake of thinking one is easier than the other. if they wont hire a contractor than make them pay for your schooling. there is only so much you can learn from a book. either that or go to a a/c company and ask if you can work for free on the weekends if they will teach you. good luck.

[martyinlincoln]

Keep on posting then apply for pro membership. Lots and lots of very good info in the educational forums.

[cuchulain]

There is a BIG difference between the electrical side and the refrigeration side. you need to understand the refrigeration theory for anything that you read here to make sense. Get the books, take classes.

[2old2rock]

"I need to know how to interpret pressures".
That's easy - just think of them as temperatures.
OK, not so easy.
There really are no shortcuts, but if you get pro membership here, and read everyday, you'll learn more than you would in most tech schools. Seriously.
And by the way, are you expected to service the heating side too?
'Cause that's a whole other ball game.

[Shophound]

I do understand theory. I understand how all the parts work. Electrical is a breeze. I mostly need to know how to interpret pressures.
I can pinpoint most other issues not pertaining to charge pressure.

When I find and repair a leak, how much refrigerant do I put in... etc...

Thanks

No disrespect intended, but if you understood refrigeration theory, you would not have asked the question you posed in your original post.

Search online for a pressure-temperature chart for Refrigerant 22. Learn how to interpret that chart. Your gauges also have an abridged "chart" right on the face of them. You need to not only understand the gauge pressure, but also how to get superheat and subcooling readings, and what these readings mean.

I once did apartment work. It's no walk in the park. Doing make-ready one moment and figuring out why Ms. Jones a/c won't cool well in the afternoon but cools fine in the morning and evening. And then the pool pump broke and Mr. Jackson has a pool party planned for the weekend. You want to get to that as Mr. Jackson sweats bullets at the smallest problem, but then there's that fire that just broke out in Building 12, and you don't have a master key to evacuate everyone without kicking their doors in. On your way to the fire Ms. Crabtree cries a fit about her dishwasher overflowing for the umpteenth time because she can't get it through her thick head not to put Joy in the soap dispenser of the machine instead of automatic dishwasher detergent.

Hang in there. :)

[jpsmith1cm]

There is a BIG difference between the electrical side and the refrigeration side. you need to understand the refrigeration theory for anything that you read here to make sense. Get the books, take classes.



Well said.

There aren't any shortcuts.

You can hack 'em and gas 'em if you'd like, but that won't serve you OR your boss well.

Learn the WHY behind the pressures and other reading you will take.

Otherwise, you can guess...

[keviekev70]

I run a small apartment complex. The management expects me to repair the central AC units. They sent me to get me EPA cert, (which I have) but I know very little.

Is there a guide, pointers, etc...

I can read a manifold, but have little clue what it means.

Ask your management to pay for your HVAC education by sending you to school and paying you while you're in school, if they would like you to handle all of their HVAC services.
I'm sure when you got the hang of this trade you would no longer want to be their apartments handyman, rather you would find a higher paying HVAC job.

All in all, if you are not trained to do service work at some point you guys are gona have to call a professional to service your equipments.

Either way management has to spend money to keep their equipment in good working condition. I think the point of you doing the service is to save management money. Well the good news is,this trade has value and it's not cheep for good service.

[zilla]

They aren't going to hire a contractor.
Do you have any recommendations for a good book or two.

I don't need to learn about huge chillers, or refrigeration units that cool meat lockers. Are there any books geared toward residential AC units?


Thanks again.

when half or more of the renters start calling the manager at all hours of the day and night... I bet they call in a contractor

[zilla]

I do understand theory. I understand how all the parts work. Electrical is a breeze. I mostly need to know how to interpret pressures.
I can pinpoint most other issues not pertaining to charge pressure.

When I find and repair a leak, how much refrigerant do I put in... etc...

Thanks

Electrical is a breeze????? so you know what to look for when LRA is 75 but the unit is pullin 70 and tripping the breaker? there is a lot more than just making sure you have 240v to a unit

[bubba_v2008]

you need to understand the basics of hvac and electrical and you can pretty much teach your self with a book i had a guy come work for me that never did any a/c work in his life it was pretty funny but with a little no alot of teaching and the book from when my dad went to a/c school "the doolin bible" i was able to teach him enough for apartment maintenance air conditioning which is compleatly different from workin for a licenced company

[zilla]

apartment mgrs want guys to do all kinds of repairs but the dont wanna pay what one should get paid to do such tasks.... if they want him to repair a/c's they should send him to school.... but then after he learned the trade he would just leave to work for a better wage

[bubba_v2008]

the post says your a maintenance tech do you not have a maintenance supervisor that knows how to work on them or a regional director that could come down and train you dont wait and let the residents start calling in an complaining because then they will fire you the best thing to do is to try and learn on your own if there is absoulty No OTHER WAY but its better than loosing your job right

[randyjoe]

This is a tough situation to be in... I have a couple of friends that are in apartment maintenance and going to HVAC school at the tech college. Those who haven't been promoted to management are counting the days they can hire into a HVAC company. It's amazing how quickly they realize that the guy training them at the apartments has no clue how to service anything. After a couple of classes they student becomes the master... (which is very scary)

I agree with the other posters... you are doing yourself and your career a favor by enrolling in an HVAC program. If that's not an option, self study is mandatory. Refrigeration cycle is the same no matter how big the equipment is, temp/pressure relationships are key areas to master.

And lastly, I can't say enough good things about this forum, there are some of the best in the industry willing to share freely.

Good Luck Brother.

[Saturated Suter]

You have a good learning curve ahead of you.

At bare minimum, get a good textbook to read, like Refrigeration and Airconditioning Technology or Modern Refrigeration and Airconditioning. Consider enrolling in HVAC classes if they're offered at your local community college.

You must understand how it works before you understand how to fix it. It will always be an uphill struggle for you if you don't get the theory down pat first..

Wise words!!! I bought Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology 6th Edition because my school uses a different one that isn't as detailed. A+ book!

There really are no shortcuts, but if you get pro membership here, and read everyday, you'll learn more than you would in most tech schools. Seriously.
Ain't that the truth.

As far as all technical schools go: you only get out, what you put in!
I work full-time and go to school. I invest every bit of my free time reading HVACR books I've bought, reading the posts on this site and replying sometimes just to verify I've learned it correctly. Because when I'm wrong someone always lets me know and every bit of it helps.

Bottom line is theories and sequences are just the beginning. Like potatos and carrots of a beef stew. They're just the base. You must continue to add to the base to get a good stew or you can choose to P.I.D. (park in denial) and be content to be stuPID. The choice is always yours.

[lmci]

I agree going to school is a good idea, but I would also add that schooling is about 20% and working you learn the final 80% of the trade

[Midlyph]

Get in a tech school HVAC program if you can. Learn what you can from books and from here.

Here is a "cheat sheet" once you learn the theory this is a great help in troubleshooting.

cheat sheet (http://efficientcomfort.net/jsp/ACanalyzer_Web.jsp)

[shaygetz]

I once did apartment work. It's no walk in the park. Doing make-ready one moment and figuring out why Ms. Jones a/c won't cool well in the afternoon but cools fine in the morning and evening. And then the pool pump broke and Mr. Jackson has a pool party planned for the weekend. You want to get to that as Mr. Jackson sweats bullets at the smallest problem, but then there's that fire that just broke out in Building 12, and you don't have a master key to evacuate everyone without kicking their doors in. On your way to the fire Ms. Crabtree cries a fit about her dishwasher overflowing for the umpteenth time because she can't get it through her thick head not to put Joy in the soap dispenser of the machine instead of automatic dishwasher detergent.

Hang in there. :)

Roger that, Houston:cheers:

One thing that will help is getting management to understand that calling a vendor that's willing to allow you to look over their shoulder while doing the work is cheap tuition---he should never have to come back for the same repair twice. I owe most of what I know to a tech who patiently walked me through everything he was doing and why it had to be done. I owe more to a sales rep who owned his own truck at one time who was willing to answer my questions as I was standing at the unit, cell phone in one hand, gauges in the other. I can't forget the patient answers I get here as well, now that I'm management and have hung up my gauges with 4000 units to watch over and R410a creeping in.

[beenthere]

Good luck, you are being thrown between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately, there is no short cut for learning refrigeration skills.

[beshvac]

Good luck, you are being thrown between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately, there is no short cut for learning refrigeration skills.

:LOL: Yep, this work is more that 1 or 2 chapters everyday::DD: But that's why I LIKE IT!

[stonewallred]

Eh, the company will hire a contractor, sooner or later.
Had an apartment complex offer my business partner a job, as long as he could pull the permits. He would have been responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing all the HVAC equipment, along with plumbing, painting drywall, grounds maintenance and pool maintenance. He asked ho much they were offering, and they told him $12.00 an hour, but they'd go up to $13.00 bucks an hour if he also had his Electrical license.

I still don't understand why my partner did not suffer a hernia from laughing so hard at them people.