New Guests going Pro?

[Klay]

Im a service Tech but the place im working on hired me as a maintenance guy. they figured it was cheaper to hire and keep a service tech on staff than call someone every week. They want me to save the coil. so I will do my best, they have alot of these spray coil cleaner bottles and all the time in the world. ill post my results later on

Sounds tedious. Guess you know what you'll be doing for a while huh? Best of luck. Keep us posted, let me know what you find to work best. One of our tech's had four outdoor coils all next to each other in a corner, the hotel decided to run a sprikler on them for a few years. Poor guy had to clean the walls, the units, and the coils. All of them covered in calcium build up. I'm sure the bill will prompt them next time to get service sooner rather then later.

[Techman49]

Hello all. I am so glad that I have taken the time to register to this site. I love what I do and the company I work for. My name is Darrell and I live in ky. I will do my best to help those that come on here and ask questions and I f I do not know the answer right then I will find the answerand get back with you. I myself need help sometimes just like the rest off the world. If I can be of anyhelp ,just let me know ok. Thank you Darrell

[mrsparky85]

Hey to everyone out there. I'm new to the trade though it seems very interesting. So I'm originally from upstate SC. I moved to western NC and I worked as a residential electrician with a company there for a few years until the housing market crashed then I did side work to keep busy. I couldn't pass the PSI electrical exam so I decided to change direction. I got enrolled in school for HVAC last term and I'm really glad I did. I've got a great instructor that's been in the field for over 40 years originally navy trained. One day I'd like to own my own refrigeration company.

[Tech23]

Hey to everyone out there. I'm new to the trade though it seems very interesting. So I'm originally from upstate SC. I moved to western NC and I worked as a residential electrician with a company there for a few years until the housing market crashed then I did side work to keep busy. I couldn't pass the PSI electrical exam so I decided to change direction. I got enrolled in school for HVAC last term and I'm really glad I did. I've got a great instructor that's been in the field for over 40 years originally navy trained. One day I'd like to own my own refrigeration company.

Hello all. I am so glad that I have taken the time to register to this site. I love what I do and the company I work for. My name is Darrell and I live in ky. I will do my best to help those that come on here and ask questions and I f I do not know the answer right then I will find the answerand get back with you. I myself need help sometimes just like the rest off the world. If I can be of anyhelp ,just let me know ok. Thank you Darrell

Welcome to you both! Hope you enjoy the forums.

[supertek65]

welcome Sparky, welcome Darrell!!!!!!!!!!

[Tlaloc289]

update on the coil. i used some cans of a Snake expandanding foam. it helpped take out a layer of dirt. I still have alot to go and was informed that they did some construction and had alot of sheetrock dust in coming out of the register. this stuff seems to be coming out but is too thick to go anywhere. Tomorrow i will grab the preasure washer and spray it. Again the other problem that i have is this is for a computer room that cannot have the AC off for more than 15 minutes at a time so i think this is an all week project. If i save the coil it will save them XXX amount of money (at least on peper) so thats the only option I have.

[uzzo2]

Hi guys, new to the forum and fairly new to the business. I've been in the trucking industry most of my life. Out of everything I've worked on with a truck, the A/C system was my favorite part. Don't ask me why, its just always intrigued me. I met a fellow about 10 years ago that was doing residential but started out doing mobile A/C repair. We were talking one day and he told me how much easier doing residential was. We've been friends ever since and I've spent as much time tooling around with him as possible. I got hurt on the job in 2008 and had to have a 3 level ACDF done on my cervical spine. The doctors told me that I would probably never be able to drive a truck again. So I decided to change direction and sign up at the local technical school for HVAC classes. My friend that's in the business told me that I to just go try and take the test to get the EPA certification. He seems to think I'm a real smart fellow, boy do I have him fooled Anyway, I went and took the test and passed it first shot, I took all of them and got the universal certification. My friend tells me that going to school is just going to be a waste of time and money. He went to the same school that i was enrolled for and said that he didn't really learn anything that really helped him once he got out in the field. So I went looking for a job and couldn't find one, there was plenty of interest, just not enough work. So I had to have a job, I wound up getting back in the truck, how I passed the physical, God only knows. I just can't keep doing it though, it's killing me, I just decided last year that I was going to go to work for myself. I bought a service truck and have most of my tools bought up. I just need to start stocking parts on it now so I'll be ready when spring gets here. I have a lot of questions and I'm sure there'll be more once I get going, so I'm glad I found this resource. Here's one to get started with, we put in a new split system heat pump for a guy a month of so ago on my days off. My friend went back and wired it up and couldn't get it to work. So yesterday, I went back over there with him and I got the schematic out and started pouring over it. I'm pretty good at it for some reason and my friend is up three in age so he don't see so good anymore. I figured out what was wrong and rewired it and got it going. This particular unit has heat strips for back up as most of them do here in GA. Here's my question, I've asked my friend and he's not real sure either. Some of these heat pumps, when they start up, the strips come on for a few minutes and then drop out. I can only assume it's to get some instant heat until the heat pump starts generating some heat. I've also seen some of them kick the strips on if you raise the temp. on the t-stat up 4 or 5 degrees. But it doesn't seem that all of them work the same way. Does anyone here know how they are supposed to work or does it differ with manufacturers?

[Tech23]

Welcome to the site uzzo2,

The EPA license only means you can legally hook up gauges to an A/C unit...but in order to do HVAC service work (in most places I know of) you need to have a Journeyman license and work under someone who has a Master's license and cannot run a company without the Master's license.

If I am reading your post right, then what you are doing is illegal and makes you a handyman do it yourself guy...not an HVAC guy.

I personally would recommend getting into the trade legitimately.

[uzzo2]

Welcome to the site uzzo2,

The EPA license only means you can legally hook up gauges to an A/C unit...but in order to do HVAC service work (in most places I know of) you need to have a Journeyman license and work under someone who has a Master's license and cannot run a company without the Master's license.

If I am reading your post right, then what you are doing is illegal and makes you a handyman do it yourself guy...not an HVAC guy.

I personally would recommend getting into the trade legitimately.

Not here as far as I can tell, Only if you're doing new construction and contracting you have to have a contractors license. I'm just going to do maintenance and repair, but I've been behind a bunch of these guys that have the big License. I fixed their problem when those guys couldn't. I tried to get on with several of them here, they weren't hiring.

[Puzzler]

Hey uzzo2,

It sounds like you have a knack for this trade, but you are getting a lot of advice (and lack of it in some areas) from your friend. I don't know much about the Journeyman/Master's license (we don't need it here, but it would be awesome if that was in place), but in my neck of the woods, and yours - you said Georgia, right? - you need to have a contractors license. It sounds like you have invested a bit of money, so you are not going to like hearing this, but I have to agree with Tech23: do your research & get into the trade legitimately.

[n locklair]

whats up uzzo2?
I also agree with those dudes. Im sure you are a smart dude! but you have to have a license of some sort. If not every hack would be out here hacking up jobs. You also have to have some insurance. Say u work on a ht pump tomorrow and the house burns down, whos going to be responsible? Not the homeowner for sure! Do your research and get into this TRADE legitimately!!

[Klay]

update on the coil. i used some cans of a Snake expandanding foam. it helpped take out a layer of dirt. I still have alot to go and was informed that they did some construction and had alot of sheetrock dust in coming out of the register. this stuff seems to be coming out but is too thick to go anywhere. Tomorrow i will grab the preasure washer and spray it. Again the other problem that i have is this is for a computer room that cannot have the AC off for more than 15 minutes at a time so i think this is an all week project. If i save the coil it will save them XXX amount of money (at least on peper) so thats the only option I have.

The cost of a new coil is still more then your hourly pay after spending this much time on it?
It probably would take longer then 15 minutes to replace the coil anyway, then all your pc's would go ablaze!

[supertek65]

welcome UZZO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!