Just joined forum although I have been here many times as a guest doing research and the like.
I'm a partial owner in a family based hvac business located in MN. I learned the ropes the old fashioned way (school of hard knocks) just as my Dad learned and my Son is doing.
That isn't to say we miss out on all the fun training and day classes, we just like getting our hands dirty.
The most important thing I have learned is that I will never learn everything, as we go along the technology evolves at a pace that it is a full time job to keep up with it>
I look forward to being a part of this forum!
Lot of two wheel members here. '10 SESG here. Fullsac Stage II with TTS tune by Wizard 108/123. I'm lucky to get in 3k a year if that but need the cobwebs cleared every now and again. Enjoy your stay here, get your post count up so you can enjoy the Pro areas.
Hey everyone just wanted to give a shout about my background.
Started out installing fireplaces in new construction, residential. I worked for piece rate so I had to be quick to get a decent days wage.
A friend of mine told me about his new job, working union for a service based commercial union HVAC company and said they would be hiring soon. Put in my resume and got the job. Seven years later I have now completed my apprenticeship and am a Building Trades Journeyman - Refrigeration. I received amazing training through my unions classes and my teachers experiences.
Best decision I have ever made and I have learned so much over the years. I work in the service department performing maintenance and service calls. Mostly HVAC work but also some smaller refrigeration equipment.
Great trade to work in and I wish everyone the best.
After 30 years as a broadcast engineer my company, (a local TV station) decided we had too many engineers, so they let go of half the staff. I have some maintenance experience, so I figured, hvac sounded good ! Especially after talking to a couple of guys in the field. I am now taking classes at the local community college and hope to start looking for a job in the field in about 6 months.
Fresh out of high school I was accepted as an apprentice at a local in Miami I moved from the frozen tundra of buffalo ny to start my apprenticeship. I was in a new branch of the school on the other coast of Fl in Naples. About 6 months in the boss of the shop got arrested for stealing from the company and the staff was thus released also. I was given an option to move or ne done. I decided to stay with my gf whom I married but had to find a new job. The company thought enough of me to refer me to there sister company but i was to do residential ac. I ended up working there for 3 years until I decided to get back to what i wanted to do and landed a job at a commercial company and now work on mostly refer. I still dream to get back to what I was doing as an apprentice and work on large tonnage chillers but haven't had an oppertunity. With hard work and a little luck I am improving but still have a mountain of work ahead. The more I learn the more i realize I font know. This field is filled with possibilities and challenges. I have found that simply asking questions and advice from techs on here can give you a great deal of direction.
Welcome to the wonderful world of HVAV-R, drkglass01! If I were you I would go to the local Steamfitter union in your area (or give them a call) and find out when their monthly oreantation meeting is. For example at my union it's the third monday of the month. you can go there to find out more information about the apprenticeship program and the steps you must take it in order to apply for an apprenticeship. So while you're taking classes at the technical college you can at the same time begin to study for the general aptitude test (math, mechanical and spatial) that you will need to take in order to get into the apprenticeship. The union should have a tutoring program in place which will help you out as far as preparing you to do well on the test, additionally this tutoring should be free as it is a service provided by your State's Department of Workforce Development in conjunction with the various building trade unions. Basically getting into the apprenticeship program can take quite some time, depending on your ranking on the waiting list (to clarify this last point: once you take your aptitude test and go for your interview w/ the Apprenticeship panel, you will be ranked based on how well you did in both the test and the interview, as will all the other prospective applicants. So the higher your ranked, the faster you will be called to start working as a pr-apprentice). So, to finish my point, you can take HVAC classes at the technical college while waiting to be called up by the hall to start working. That way, when you start your apprenticeship you will have some basic training ans won't be walking into the job completely green.
Mike
UA Steamfitters Local 601 Milwaukee, WI.
You should try to get working in a service department. It is not as much install and more troubleshooting and repair. Start at the bottom doing preventative maintenance and work your way up from there.
Hey guys, Names Erik and I have been browsing these forums lately looking at the pictures of mickey mouse'd equipment (makes me feel better I'm not the only one), and reading up on cool tools to have. Here's my story. I took Construction management in High school. I majored in that for 4 years. In my senior year, a rep came in from a trade school, and turns out my friend was also interested in HVAC. So we went to school together for 11 straight months, and I learned alot of basics, but nothing compared to what the hands on has taught me. Around the last week of school I started sending out my resume, and right away I got a job offer, as a porter, at a service company (plumbing hvac carpentry electrical etc). my boss owns several residential and commercial properties that we maintain. After 3 months I got promoted to an HVAC helper, and got another 2.50$ and hour!. Here I am in my second summer as an HVAC tech and I love the challenges I face most of the time, but sometimes it makes you think, "who the hell is stupid enough to do something like this"
Been in this industry for about 15 years now. When I first started I worked for a residential service company & was basically a slave, but y'all all know how long the hours can be in this field. For the past 8 tears I've worked for a nonprofit company who mainly deals with heating (weatherization actually) & very rarely dabbles into the cooling side of things. I feel like I'm losing my edge so I come hear to hear about the latest & greatest things going on in the industry. I'm also in the process of getting my Ohio Master's license, although I'm not too sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. It'll get me more money at my company & likely will lead to running the furnace department there (which may or may not be a good thing....lol). I look forward to reading up on the interesting things other hvac techs go through on a daily basis.
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Originally Posted by chucknorris
