Electrical or HVAC?

[ThePipeMan]

I want to say thank you very much for the interesting conversations and information.

I think I'm going to stick with HVAC .

[Twilly]

Twilly is both, Twilly says do both.

[ChristopherNJ]

I Started off as an electrician. Did a 5 year union apprenticeship. Worked on everything from powerhouses, high rises, data centers, roadwork, you name it.

If I was choosing trade unions, I'd pick the UA service division over the IBEW. IBEW is a construction driven. If it was between the IBEW and a UA construction division its a toss up, but the IBEW is always on every single union construction job, whereas the UA is not. For example, even in a down economy, the IBEW can stay busy doing small remodeling jobs; office/tenant fitouts, roadwork/traffic lights, rail work, solar farms ect.

If your goal was to go out on your own, I'd pick HVAC. Electrical residential is hard to build a business on. You don't get many service calls, a bulk of the work is renovations; kitchens, baths, pools, things like that.

If you want the best of everything, do like I did, work as an electrician for a while, then work as an HVAC guy. Go to school for both. They are very closely related. Both require some of the same exact skills. They require the same sort of analytical skills.

[ChristopherNJ]

Pros and cons as I see it:

-For your goal of flipping homes, electrical industry experience is good, as an EC you work with EVERY trade, you are always coordinating things and as an EC you have to bow to them (typically) you deal with the interior designer, landscaper, roofer, home theater, fire alarm, plumber, painters, tapers, etc. That's how you learn construction management. If construction experience is your goal electric is the way to go.

-when I worked for an EC my day stared at 7 and ended at 330, OT if the job needed to be done sooner. But it was a predictable day. When im running HVAC service, it can be a 24 hour gig. oh yea, summer and winter vacations? that is the busy season, and its hard to take time off.

-I tend to see alot more niche ECs. Ive worked for ones that ONLY do roadwork and traffic signals, or only do data centers, only do powerhouses/utility work, only do BMS, only do fitouts, only do high rise resi, only do solar, only do fire/security alarms, only resi, only commercial. Maybe its a NJ thing. Plenty of HVAC of companies can take on multiple tasks, such as resi, commercial, and even refrigeration. Ive seen guys on this website answer IAQ questions, then answer questions about chillers.

-I find HVAC to be more stressful when doing service work. The days can be longer, and your running around to get parts, trying to troubleshoot can be a PITA when its freezing or really hot. Customers aren't happy when stuff is broken. Yet if im wiring their jacuzzi, they are happy as pie. However, the stress can make the day go by quick, you blink and a whole season went by! And when you get good at troubleshooting its very rewarding!

this list can go on forever, these have just been my observations

[Gib's Son]

Electrical is allot easier on the body...allot easier. Not many electricians with destroyed backs like us in the HVAC trade. You wont be young forever. Going with HAVC, I would highly recommend learning the design engineering side so you can design/ layout systems.

[Tool-Slinger]

I like hvac its like all trades in one. I like diagnose equipment it is allways a challange . You never know what you will run into, you allways have some thing new to learn about and the typs of equipment are endless . The pay is realy good when you reach a higher leval. You can even specialise in area's . Like duct diesighn, geo loops. Combustion, ect.. And you never stop learning, you can do strickly comercial . Residental. Refrigeration, hydronics. Ect...water treatment. HVAC is a realy big sand box, now every trade has its ups and downs no matter what one your in. but this trade is not just a job its a adventure. You decide in my right hand there is a blue pill take it and you can return home and forget this ever happend in my left hand is a red pill take it and unlock the matrix and I will show you a world you have never seen. I hope you join us .

I sort of agree with this assessment. HVAC is a bit 'on the wild side', whereas electrician is more steady and predictable. While HVAC has many niches because it is such a massive field of work, it is generally a wild ride of ups and downs, boom and bust, compared to the electrician job.

I am not willing to advocate one over the other, both are fine and respectable occupations. One or the other may suit your personality type better. HVAC lends better opportunity to the cowboy or privateer type, Electrician lends better opportunity to the steady-Eddie or 8-5 type.

Just my observation, but either pursuit is worthy.

[ChristopherNJ]

Electrical is allot easier on the body...allot easier. Not many electricians with destroyed backs like us in the HVAC trade. You wont be young forever. Going with HAVC, I would highly recommend learning the design engineering side so you can design/ layout systems.

I disagree with that. I suppose it depends on what type of work your doing. But I know plenty of guys that have bad backs and knees. Do one solar job and then talk to me LOL! You knees and back will be fried!

[SolarMike]

Not to mention that electricians have a greater incidence of heart attacks later in life. You think PV is hard, try solar hot water....panels are much heaver

[John Markl]

I disagree with that. I suppose it depends on what type of work your doing. But I know plenty of guys that have bad backs and knees. Do one solar job and then talk to me LOL! You knees and back will be fried!

Bendin' conduit and pulllin wire ain't easy on a body...