80 hours a week?

[indy2000]

80hrs/week better be in the double time zone.

[MR.CPRO]

I think it is in the job description being to busy is a good problem to have. Take em while you can get em!

[jvillehvac]

This is one of the reasons i left my last place, Uncle Sam is loving your overtime.

[OldSchoolMech]

So where do I sign up??

I am looking for an employer like that.

[SeanH]

They definetly need more help. The last company I worked for also could not find help. This is a great job.

That's because they can't find guys to work 40 hr weeks sitting at a desk, never mind the work we do. This is a dying trade, everybody wants to go to college and learn computer skills and then they wonder why they can't get a job when there is 1 position open and 10,000 applicants. If you stick it out, it will pay off.

[Dchappa21]

80 hours a week is nice, once a year. If its all the time I would look be looking for another job or talking the company into hiring another guy. I would rather be spending that time with family.

45-50 hours a week is perfect for me.

[WMG]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. This trade is cool because you directly affect someones life by simply showing up when the temperature is 100 degrees outside and fixing the A/C. The "Knight in Shining armour" effect if you will. Can't count how many people got beer and water for you when you show up. And it is always a challenge.

[Hate2obey]

I went to A/C crash course (2 weeks) a year and a half ago. After that I read the text book and every installation guide, youtube video and HVAC-talk forum I could. I am now working for the biggest HVAC company in the US. Or so they claim. Any guesses? Aside from all the safety rules and corporate BS I have to deal with it is the best job I have ever had. It is also a great place to learn because they do everything by the book. Micron guages, static pressures, subcool are things that were never mentioned at my last place of employment. However it is February and I currently work about 55 hours a week and in the summer we will be pushing 80 hours a week. Is it too much to ask to work for a company that says "go home" at 40 hours? I am all about the 40 hour work week and I absolutely hate working while I am tired. Overtime pay is nice but with me bieng a generation X brat I think we can all understand. I might have to go back to mom and pop and crawl under rusty trailer houses with Brown Recluse spiders and chiggers. Thanks guys

80 hours a week! But are you truly working 80 hours. I used to work for a shop that did a lot of quoted work. So techs would bill themselves out for 80 but in reality only do 50-60 hours of actual work. Just saying those long weeks catch up with you quick and burn you out.

[northstarair]

I hate 40 hour weeks. I had 40 hour weeks when I was still in school. Right now, I get anywhere from 48-52 hrs in a regular week. If I'm on call, a few more hours isnt out of the ordinary.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Source and non-Union Hussmann (here in the SW) works 50-60 Hr Wks, 70-80 Hr Wks when on-call stand-by. They can keep those Hrs, I'd rather do a Union 40 Hr Wk at $5 more an Hr!

[Tommy knocker]

It's your call. If you don't want those hrs go somewhere else. Last place I was at I averaged 70 hrs a week. 1 year and I was done. Left on good terms, at least I thought I did, and went some where else. Been there about 8 yrs now. Work about what I want, sometimes more sometimes less but its balanced. Sometimes you gotta suck it up. I pulled a 36hr day awhile back. Me and another tech. Customer had to have the machine up, frozen fluid cooler with about 100 ruptures and a 2 week minimum lead on new coil. Had to be done so we sucked it up and got it done. That's the job, on the refrigeration or industrial side anyway. It was about 20 degrees outside and windy but we got in a rythem and actually had a good time pulling it off. Point is your gonna have to put in some OT in this trade or starve.

[2141]

I think we may work for the same company the only difference is I'm in ohio and only worked about 7 hours last week. In the summer we work 70 + hours a week it sucks but at times like right now when I'm "on vacation" it evens out.

[martyinlincoln]

That's way too many hours unless you're young and single. I can see an extra busy week once in a while but month after month means they need more help. Paying 40 hours a week overtime for each employee can't be good for the bottom line.