Newbie

[lafam1]

Hello,
I went to school for 2 years HVAC but I really want to get into the commercial refrigeration. I have started a small business. Electronics are usually easy to diagnose for me, but the commercial refrigerants are nuts. A friend called me to fix his small reach in bar cooler. Electrically everything was working good. When I put my gauges on i noticed the low side pressure at 60lbs. Every 134a box I've worked on was much lower than that for around the same size box. There is no high side port so i couldn't get a reading. Could there be a blockage in there?

I thought of purchasing the Simtech troubleshooting software to save me time. Does anyone have any feedback about it?

thanks for your time
Lafam1

[tipsrfine]

Hello,
I went to school for 2 years HVAC but I really want to get into the commercial refrigeration. I have started a small business. Electronics are usually easy to diagnose for me, but the commercial refrigerants are nuts. A friend called me to fix his small reach in bar cooler. Electrically everything was working good. When I put my gauges on i noticed the low side pressure at 60lbs. Every 134a box I've worked on was much lower than that for around the same size box. There is no high side port so i couldn't get a reading. Could there be a blockage in there?

I thought of purchasing the Simtech troubleshooting software to save me time. Does anyone have any feedback about it?

thanks for your time
Lafam1

What exactly does your small business offer to the public? Is the business based entirely on what you can provide based on 2 years of HVAC school? I'm very interested 'cause I couldn't imagine such a business getting off the ground. Some tech's don't make it through their first hire in the job with only 2 years of school & no experience.

[pecmsg]

Hello,
I went to school for 2 years HVAC but I really want to get into the commercial refrigeration.

Good Move

I have started a small business.

Bad Move

Electronics are usually easy to diagnose for me, but the commercial refrigerants are nuts.

Last I knew they were the same

A friend called me to fix his small reach in bar cooler. Electrically everything was working good. When I put my gauges on i noticed the low side pressure at 60lbs. Every 134a box I've worked on was much lower than that for around the same size box.

And how many units might that be?

There is no high side port so i couldn't get a reading.

There usually isn’t

Could there be a blockage in there?

No Comment

I thought of purchasing the Simtech troubleshooting software to save me time. Does anyone have any feedback about it?

thanks for your time
Lafam1

Forget Simtech, It’s time for the real education. 2 years of school without hands on experience is just about worthless. The first thing you need to do is “Know Your Limitations”. Put down the tools, get a job as a apprentices and start learning.

[tipsrfine]

Forget Simtech, It’s time for the real education. 2 years of school without hands on experience is just about worthless. The first thing you need to do is “Know Your Limitations”. Put down the tools, get a job as a apprentices and start learning.

Awe, you spoiled my fun.

[brooklyntech]

When I started out everything was easy!!!!! All poblems for me in the beginning-were bad compressors!!!! My uncle kept telling me "u need 5 years before you even realize what it is u r doing". I always laughed at that. Then oneday he went on vacation fo 2 weeks! Boy lt me tell u_ that was a long 2 weeks! Customers were up my a$$ & over my shoulder. Simple capacitor service calls became evap fan motor change outs, bad current relay became compressor changeouts!! Talk about long days!! But u know what even when u dont know what ur doing-u make money-like I did. But soner or later tht cstomer isnt gonna like that u change ut 5-6 comressors a year!!!!!

So after all the blah-blah-blah- suck it up and go and werk for cmmercial hvac/r out fit & after 5 yrs go then go for it.

[lafam1]

You can learn a lot in 2 years when your a fast learner, plus I offer honesty and dependabilty to my customers.

When I say a started a small business I mean small. I dont depend of it for money. I own 3 restaurants which run themselves so I decided to go to school for HVAC since that was the only thing I couldn't fix. Most of the work I do is very small refrigerators or freezers maybe one a month. I have learned a lot just doing my own for 2 years after school. I'm not interested in working for someone to gain experience, I learn as I go. It might not seem right to you "Professionals" but I'm fair to my customers. I know what its like to be on the other side of the stick you equipment goes down. I turn many jobs down because I'm not qualified to do them or it would take me too long to do it like install walkin's. I was just looking for a little help with this cooler. I take what I do seriously!

Thanks for your help!
Lafam1

[brooklyntech]

Ur just cheating by asking questions for ur problems in this forum. Ur smart just read up on it + let us experienced guys(who put our time in) just sit here and tell our war stories.

[HVACJOEK]

Start with cleaning the condenser coil.

Then hire a good mechanic and go with him on the calls untill you learn something about what you are offering to the public.

[lafam1]

I wont wake up you ol timers again!
Lafam1

PS. Coils were the first thing I checked!

[surenuff]

Don't hang your head too low. Sometimes it is hard to remember what it was like for us xxxxxxxx years ago when we started. But really, after two years, you should know that a restriction would not give you high suction pressure. But to me, the fact that your out here asking questions shows you are serious about what you are doing.(or trying to do.) Just keep plugging and learning and be as careful as you can. But experience is everything. I should know, not only do I do this for a living, but I am an instructor at a accredited two year college, and after two years, the most I can promise a student after four classes a week for two years is an entry level tech job. There is just a lot to learn to become effective with the skills you have gained. Slow down and enjoy your ride up, or you may be in for a hard fall. Good luck and hope to see ya out here more.

[lafam1]

Thanks Surenuff,
I have let go of that job. The owner of course was a freind of mine. Most of the restaurants I do are freinds and they understand so I can talk my time and learn. I will find out what it was by the tech. I usually do that so I know what I missed. Like I said most of my jobs are small,caps. relays, the biggest thing I do is change compressers.
When I spent my time in school, it was 10 hrs days and I really got into it. Most of the stuff was HVAC which I learned but some commercial too.
It's hard to find an commercial tech that will let me ride with them which is what I was trying to do. Not get paid just learn.
Well i guess i'll just have to spend more time on the golf course! What a shame!
Thanks Again!
Lafam1

[surenuff]

Don't let anyone bull you out of what you want to do. I don't care what it is, someone will always try to keep you from getting where you wnat to go, and when you get there there will always be buttheads. Do what you want, just take your time and do it right. Get those books back out and read instead of T.V. and work on all the equipment you can. That is the only way to learn and get some experience. Just be really careful about what you do. This stuff could hurt or kill you or someone else, or at a minimum, could cost someone (maybe you) a lot of money.

[jpsmith1cm]

You can learn a lot in 2 years when your a fast learner, plus I offer honesty and dependabilty to my customers.

When I say a started a small business I mean small. I dont depend of it for money. I own 3 restaurants which run themselves so I decided to go to school for HVAC since that was the only thing I couldn't fix. Most of the work I do is very small refrigerators or freezers maybe one a month. I have learned a lot just doing my own for 2 years after school. I'm not interested in working for someone to gain experience, I learn as I go. It might not seem right to you "Professionals" but I'm fair to my customers. I know what its like to be on the other side of the stick you equipment goes down. I turn many jobs down because I'm not qualified to do them or it would take me too long to do it like install walkin's. I was just looking for a little help with this cooler. I take what I do seriously!

Thanks for your help!
Lafam1

From a gruppy ol timer.

If you can't solve this one in a few minutes, you shouldn't be in business for yourself.

Yes, you can learn a lot in 2 years. Not nearly enough to be a one-man show though.

[Brimm]

Hi the first thing you need to know is more info what is the super heat what is the condensing temp. is thier any subcooling. is thier a delta t across the evap. you dont have all the info you need to make a good guess. but keep working at it it will come in time

[kiwicontroller]

Hi the first thing you need to know is more info what is the super heat what is the condensing temp. is thier any subcooling. is thier a delta t across the evap. you dont have all the info you need to make a good guess. but keep working at it it will come in time

Some how I don’t think lafam1 is aspiring to be a full time Ref tech. He is the type of guy that likes to know what he has how it works and most importantly doesn’t like to pay for things he doesn’t have to. So what you are doing is fine. Diagnose a problem if he can repair it or replace it good luck for him but if not he calls in a "PRO" gets feedback on the problem and them keeps that info handy incase a similar problem accurse. Sounds good to me.

Me personally, I would much rather be on the golf course.