What made you go into the HVAC field

[allenb2626]

So what made everyone on here want to be a hvac tec ???

[Southern Mech]

Funny but true storry. I grew up in PA, we had an old oil burner,and no A/C that my dad always used kero in 5-10 gals at a time, Dad was alway's working on it and we alway's woke up in the morning with no heat, He installed new burner and A/C, when we sold house and moved to NC. I decided when I was 8 I would know how to fix HVAC and would never freeze or be hot again. Later on when I started this trade I then realized everybody is gonna want heat or air and I will have a good steady job.

[rogerk]

I was standing in the backyard at my brothers house with his wife and kid. It was December of 02 and their outdoor unit was running. I asked "you all are running your A/C in the winter? His wife looked at me like I was the dumbest moron she had ever seen and said "Its a heat pump". That started my journey into the HVAC field. I dont like not now knowing things that other people know. Now Im going to install a heat pump system tommorow at someones house.

[hedtedjr]

Knew in high school I was going to work in a trade, didn't know what. Talked with a guy that lived near me who promised me a great job making big bucks if I went into HVAC. Graduated from tech school 3yrs later to find out that he was no longer with the company and they weren't going to hire me. Saw one of my (now) co-workers drive by one day while eating at a local pizza joint. Dropped my application on Monday, started the following Monday (could have been sooner, I wanted a little time off). 3 months later boss showed up on a job I was working on and told me to have someone pick my truck up at the shop, I have been piloting a service van since.

[coolperfect]

So what made everyone on here want to be a hvac tec ???

I had to kill about 40 years

[allenb2626]

I guess i should share my story..Well i got laid off in 08 got my ged at the end of 09 and started tec school in 2010 spring semester. But once i got my ged i didnt know what i wanted to go to school for me and my mom was talking and figured i should go into hvac since everyone needs its and pay isnt all that bad...i am 26 now got one more semester left..I was working at lowes and meet a guy that had a shop we talked and i been working for him ever since and going to school..

[jpsmith1cm]

Fresh out of highschool, tried college and that wasn't for me when I was 18 years old.

Too many 'fumes' in my life. You know, Gas fumes, perfumes.....

Wound up flipping burgers for beer money with no real future. Dad sat me down and gave me two options.

Join the army or learn his trade.

16 years later, here I am.

[coolwhip]

First degree was in Law Enforcement...wanted to be a conservation officer, but found out there was a 5 year hiring freeze nation wide.

Hmmm...what to do???

Went back to school for a 79 credit program in Environmental Systems Technology. Started working in the field during my first semester at 5.25/ hour.

Been doing HVAC now for about 20 years.

[Mr Chesapeake]

Got out of the Marines and got a job as a stock boy at local grocery store for a while. Then saw add in a newspaper that said HVAC company was hiring, no experiance necessary, will train on job. And here I am 25 years later.

[2hot2coolme]

Worked as a machine mechanic setting up and repairing 3OO ton knuckle presses for 7 years on the graveyard shift for an electric company.

Got tired of being taken advantage of with no pay raise for 2 years @ $16 an hour.

Decided I was going to put myself through schooling but was unsure of what to take. My choices were either: Aircraft mechanic, Tool & Die, Auto Mechanics or HVAC.

Aircraft mechanic required 5 years of schooling...No time for that!

Tool & Die would have payed well but I'd still be cooped up in a plant somewhere.

So it was Automotive or HVAC...I chose the 2.5 year HVAC program thinking it would be a nice challenge.

Worked the third shift while going to school during the day, 4 days a week. It was rough but I even made the deans honor list. Fast forward 15 yrs later...I'm the proud owner of Advanced Mechanical & Electrical Services Inc.

I have to thank those greedy lying SOB's at the electric company when I was a machine mechanic....

[Kaleun494]

Originally tried going through college for engineering but the academics really burned me out, switched to the school's HVAC program and still learning the basics in the trade.

[John Culpepper]

So what made everyone on here want to be a hvac tec ???

I had gotten tired of being a painter. Also I wanted my kids to be able to tell their friends that I had a cool job.

[bigbird]

Stupidity 40 year ago.Still stupid at 69.

[alliedmech]

did photo copier repair dealt with owner of co. or bottom clown of co. self inflicted wounds of problems could'nt deal with that.HVAC/R ball in my court really good green stamps and control of my own company!

[yellowirenut]

After getting my college degree and a 6 month internship, found out the carrier i chose was not what i wanted to do. dad knew a guy that needed help and so i started holding the dumb end of ductwork.

[yucan2]

Got out of Marine Corps in 1975, Went to work for Nabisco Bakeries on the graveyard shift loading and unloading pallets.

Watched a couple of guys walking around the plant with some kind of a meter. They seemed to spend an unusually large amount of time having a smoke or doing some other leisurely task. I inquired as to what they were. "Oh we're electricians".

Used my GI Bill, went to trade school for industrial electrical maintenance, later served a 4 year IBEW apprenticeship.

During a span of 30 years, frequently on residential and sometimes commercial installation or repair projects, customer would invariably ask, "hey, think you could take a look at my furnace or my a.c. unit while you're here?"

Currently enrolled in HVAC classes at night

[76olds]

Family,mom's side, are produce wholesalers. Thay have a wherehouse with a few walk in coolers. As a child I was sent down there in summer to keep me out of everyones hair. One day, a cooler was broke. Being a nebby little kid, I went to watch the old guy fix the cooler. He started explaining things to me(txv flare nut was leaking). It just stayed with me. At 21 years old, I had enough of working for family. I was mechanically inclined(fixing cars) and a local school was ready to start class for fall. So I went for it.
And the guy in the admission department said I would make soooooo much money.
I have told people I saw a porno movie and that's why I decided to do this

[local553]

a buddy of mine in late 80's his dad owned company i was working nights at the time in dirty steel mill type setting figured straight days and a van what the hell went to school. best thing i ever done money wise anyhow.

[edward301]

I have always been mechanically inclined, and built homes in the 70's. I was
having a hard time getting the a/c's in my rental homes fixed correctly, so
I started fixing them. Friends, and friends of friends heard about this, so
I started fixing theirs, so on, so on, customer base grew till I was in the
hvac business.

Twist to this is in 2006 when Austin was booming I sold the bulk of my
customer base to a big competitor, they just closed their doors recently.

Now in the landlord business big time, but did keep one big customer with
305 hvac units, which keeps me active in the trade. Old enough now
where I do not want to expand.

[whec720]

Insanity runs in my family.



Seriously, I took interest in it in the Coast Guard. I was a Machinery Tech. (MK) in the Auxiliary Dept. aboard a 378 ft cutter, (notice my avatar). I cut my teeth with marine chillers and WIC/WIFs. Also worked with a good share of steam. Part of my responsibilities included taking care of the ship's boilers and evaporator (used to make distillate from sea water). Cool stuff. The rest is history as I was hooked.