Less refrigeration Mechanics in general

[goodguyu]

This question is mostly for guys who have been in the trade a while do you find there's less refrigeration mechanics in general then there use to be. Does not matter if there terrible or excellent at being a mechanic just less in general. I've only been in the trade about 8 to 9 years and I've been in 5 company's and it seems like as time went on the resume stack at each company had less mechanics and just more apprentice applicants. That and in the last two or three years there are job offerings for all mechanics regularly even if you did not apply. The company I currently work for hired me only about six months ago and want more mechanics but the resume stack is like 45 deep with not one mechanic in the list. Maybe more Mechanics are retiring then there are apprenticeship completions?

[fitzyfitta]

I think i read a thread on here stating the average age of a refrigeration mechanic is 52 or 53. With that being said there should be good opportunites for apprentices and younger techs to find a good shop to work for.

[Sleuth]

.

It's a fact, around here anyway.
..

[Dchappa21]

We can't find one to fill out an app.... Been looking to hire someone for a couple months now.

[SBres22]

We can't find one to fill out an app.... Been looking to hire someone for a couple months now.

Where abouts in NH? I live in MA, Have been in field for 2 years, 1 year only part time though so I could get the school hours under my belt. I am looking to start full time again in October.

[flange]

there is less of that work around in general, and when it is, customers are difficult to deal with, expecting service for free. many guys moved away for it, or hunker down at specialty companies.

[Greend88]

Baby Boomers are all starting to retire.....

[DeltaT]

There are less true refri guys. One reason is a lot of cooling/freezing stuff is self contained so it does not, by design, require a trained person to install or start these systems.

As for the built up system the refri guys who installed them use to be the one to start and test them. No more for the most part.

A lot of installers now only trained to run lines and set the equipment. And only a few who actually comes out to start and test those built-up systems.

Plus, refig work is the hardest and dirtiest but the best paying and most secure in our industry if you are with the right company.

[klove]

Techs are a dime a ton - you can't turn around without tripping over one. Mechanics, however, are verging on extinction.

[blitz]

well, coz no body is wanna spend the money training the green guy... I got my foot at the door and I jammed it open, hard. big boiler? bring it on. I'll take it. old junky incremental ptac crap? gimme sum. dirty social housing furnce inspection? I tried to avoid it, but if it gotta be done I'll do it. something I've never seen before with lots of zoning and sensor? ummm... ok... anybody I could call when I'm stuck? oozing ice machine? actually never had to deal with it... hahaha. so if you don't take the challenge u aint getting it.

as in refrigeration, unless you're doing anything big/critical charge and/or temperature, the attitude for comfort cooling unfortunately is always: it's cold enough, who cares about the correct charge or energy consumption. economizer broken? never get fixed. it's always how much??? can you make it work? sure, I'll by pass it. but don't complain about big hydro bill.

so in short. no gov training incentive and now they're stuck with green guys trying to run service calls, and some doesn't have the knack of doing it at all. or atleast keep themself involved after work by ie hanging out this great forum for example. just open some thread and learn from it. and owners, specially foreign origin owner seems doesn't get the point of correctly running piece of equipment. and I'm an immigrant. it's really that bad when an immigrant saying something like that about other immigrants.

[tuba]

You're right. I went to school to be a refrigeration mechanic, but it's all about how much they are willing to pay. When I graduated, I had a start date for Source Refrigeration. A few days before I was to start, someone called me and offered me seven more dollars an hour to work on a fast food chain. I told my boss and he just shrugged and said they could not do anything about it. Seven bucks is seven bucks, so I went the restaurant route. A few years later and a few companies later, I was back in front of a Source Refrigeration manager because they called and wanted me. I told him what I had been making on the East Coast (the low end of the scale) and that is what I expected, and all he had to say was "That is East Coast wages....." and that was the end of the interview. I still want to be a refrigeration mechanic, but I am not willing to take a cut in pay to do it. Every few months the Source Recruiter calls me, I tell them what I want for pay, and they decline. Then they ask if I know anyone who would be interested, and I say everyone I know is making the same as me. I worked for one big company, and it seems like they like to have the inexperienced techs that they can run ragged for little pay, then they have a few really experienced guys to clean up after the inexperienced guys. It's kinda a big game and you have to keep looking till you get what you like. Given the shortage of refrigeration mechanics, you would think the wages would go up.......

[MechanicallyInclined]

Where' you having trouble with Source? I ran into the same thing in ABQ.
I directed a guy here in TUC to Source, our shop wouldn't sponsor him into the UA Apprenticeship. The Apprenticeship starts about $15/Hr. & Source started him at $18/Hr., give it being non-union he has to pay for his own benies. Anyways, I call Source, just for laughs. I tell the guy I'm a Chiller Mechanic (as they need one out here for their main communications account), but I know rack systems & even dable in food equipment. The guy tells me I'm gold and I'd be around $30/Hr. I tell the guy I'm at $30/Hr already and if I work on over 100TR, I'm at $35/Hr. Plus my employer pays for my health & welfare and retirement. I haven't heard anything since then.
I guess all that glitters ain't gold.

[frodea]

most of the large refrigerated warehouses that had built up equiptment left my state. I used to love that work.