New Guests going Pro?

[ironpit]

Well, I did it -- I took the first real step into the HVAC field. Yesterday I signed up for an online course at Ashley College to get my HVAC certification.

I'll probably get kicked for revealing this, but my primary motivation for getting into the field is to help our residential rental business save money. Our margins are thin, and way too much of it gets blown on HVAC issues. Not complaining about honest folks in an honest industry doing their job, but it really bites when we have to pay for service and replacements.

I want to do my own work, just as I already do for electrical, plumbing, and construction. Then, who knows? Maybe I'll branch out to friends, family, neighbors, and other folks. I'll leave open the possibility of starting another business just for HVAC.

Anyway, I'm very excited about learning something new and useful. Looking forward to gaining knowledge from those who have been there and done that before.

rquad, glad to have you on the site! For a real first step you might want to follow pierre1811 to the ARP section of the main menu. If he starts talking about flying condensers with those guys, it will be more than a kicking. He's gonna need some backup .

Cause a small distraction for him. You might want to share YOUR STORY with them.

[ironpit]

I have been involved in all aspects of this industry. I grew up working for my fathers business sweeping floors and cleaning up jobsites starting when I was 8 years old in the summers. I began working for him in highschool on the co-op program. I ran service calls with my older brother to learn the ropes during the school year. During summer breaks I worked as a new construction plumber and hvac installer. I was a service technician for two different residential companies after my father's business closed in 1996. I was pretty sucessfull in selling add ons and upgrades so when I hurt my back I was moved into a sales position and have been there since. I also had a short stint as an operations manager to help out a friend. I have BPI building analyst training, RESNET training, HVAC air side fundimentals training, Trane's psychrometric training and several more miscellaneous training classes. I am in the early stages of planning to open my own business. I have a good friend with 30+ years of experience that will be a partner. I have used this forum as a resource many time but have not joined until now. I hope to be able to share as much experience and information as I am looking to gain.

Welcome to the site! Good to have an experienced man here! You might want to wait a few days before you go to ARP. I have a feeling it's going to be a bloodbath after rquad shows up there. No sense trying to bluff an experienced man.

ARP (ASK REAL PROFESSIONALS) !!!!!! They have lots of experience "SHARING'" information.

[HVACRoy]

Sorry I didn't respond sooner Roy, We have been extremely busy due to the weather.
Yes, the power company reconnected the supply power to the building and had swapped 2 of the three legs of power which isn't an issue with most compressors except scrolls.
Most three phase motors have to be wired for rotation but the exceptions are non-scroll (rotary / most semi-hermetics). I wish I'd have known you were so close! I would have asked you to stop by and maybe even help!

Hello Scott,

No worries man, I just saw the reply today, so I guess we are in the same boat! I'm working in the trade now so I don't have the freedom I did before. I work 7-3:30 in the trade, and help out the non profit I previously worked for in the evenings and Saturday, just finished HVACR school, and start apprentice school Thursday. I spent a lot of time studying for the ICE/NATE also.

Thanks for the tips on the compressors, I'm still learning so anything I'm offered I try to retain.

Catch ya next time!

Roy

[OpenDrive]

I started as a maintenance man and NC Programmer at a radiator plant. One day we needed a 7.5 ton system replaced, and hired a local contractor. They did such a crappy job, I thought I could do better, so I went to School and earned a second AAS in HVAC. But instead of going to work for a residential or light commercial service Co.; I lucked out and met a man who had worked for Carrier International for 15years on Large Chillers. I went to work for him, and 3 days later answered my first service call on a 450 ton, 20F 17 Carrier machine at 2 am. BTW it had cold oil and was lifting the shaft seal. 18 years later I am still working on Process Machines in the chemical plants, and learned the AC part on the way. Freon, Suva, Propylene, Ammonia, and Absorption. I rebuild Centrifugal, Screws, and Recips. Most are open drive, electric motor and gearbox, or steam turbine. Hence the name OPENDRIVE.

[OpenDrive]

It's funny. I'm currently attending school for hvacr. Reading this forum makes me feel better. Cause when I started I knew nothing, after afew weeks in class I thought I learned alot. But the more I learn the more I relize that I don't understand somethings that I thought I was getting proficiant in, and that I'm not alone. I also understand that there's so many different applications and systems that I could keep learning and never know it all. Thats makes me think I'll never get bored.

This field is so huge you cant possibly know it all. My specialty is large process chillers. When someone calls me and asks a question about process chillers I happily answer, the only thing I ask in return is that they will someday answer my phone call. I had to actually do that one day while working on my dad's Infinity Split System. My greatest fear is when another mechanic tells me he knows it all. I guage the success of my day after 18 years of doing this by 3 rulers: Is the Customer Happy? Is the machine fixed? and most of all.....Did I learn something today?

[CallaDrilling]

I have been looking for a way to get in contact with Site moderator "dad". I was asked to contact him about my situation with Pro Membership acceptance. How can I go about contacting him?

[ironpit]

I have been looking for a way to get in contact with Site moderator "dad". I was asked to contact him about my situation with Pro Membership acceptance. How can I go about contacting him?

Good way or just any way? I've seen several of the options. I suggest you contact one of the moderators and ask them. Just click on one of them and private message them.

[CallaDrilling]

I currently have no abilities to private message.

[Dad]

I currently have no abilities to private message.

You do now.

[Dad]

If anyone needs to contact me simply scroll down to the bottom of any site page and click on "CONTACT US"

Easy

[ironpit]

I thought we were supposed to prey.

[ironpit]

On each other. get it?

[Dad]

Uhhhh... no, not really but as long as there is no porn or abusive language you can get all you want.