steamfitter VS. sheetmetal worker

[scotty_9800]

Guys, can you please help me!! I gust graduated from trade school with a technical diploma in hvac/refrigeration.. now that I need a job badly, I need to hear from the gurus (you guys of course!) on which is the better side to get into

steamfitter

sheetmetal

refrigeration

if u guys can help me out any that would be greatly appreciated

p.s. i wanna be in the field and work moderately with refrigerants..

thanks

[condenseddave]

Refrigeration is the only real trade left.


The other two have been bastardized into terms for hvac workers, in general, IMO.

Guys that call themselves steamfitters are usually members of the steamfitters onion, and DO work on steam, but probably not exclusively. Sheet metal workers can either be in the same boat as steamfitters, calling themselves that due to their affiliation with organized crime, or they might actually knock and bend tin for a living.

I do refrigeration.

[tinner73]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by condenseddave
[B]Refrigeration is the only real trade left.



i think that all those chlorofluorocarbons are affecting your brain function.

[Freezeking2000]

Originally posted by condenseddave
Refrigeration is the only real trade left.


I have never agreed more fully with Dave. If you want to be Fully Imursed in it become a supermarket tech, you will be a very self suffecient service tech after 5 years in the markets.

[ct2]

I am going to say , become a Millwright

[beenthere]

LOL...

And you really expect a straight answer from us.

Go to college and become an engineer.

[docholiday]

As if Engineers get treated with any respect out of this crowd?

[dnt]

Dude stay away from the trades go to school and get a degree and do the design work not the grunt work. A old man told me years ago that what is required to work in a trade is a strong back and a weak mind, the more I stay around the construction industry the more I see that he was right. Save your back, strengthen your mind, sign up for classes today. Sheet Metal Work has been good to me but if I had a do over I would not do it that way LOL

[scotty_9800]

LOL! so refrigeration is the answer?.. does anyone know about the "est" sheetmetal tech if what i am hearing is true the guy does more servicing on the equipment than working in the shop bending metal.. i wanna be out in the field getting a hands on training not just being in one place all day alone snipping & shearing metal...

u guys (gurus) are helping me ... please continue!.......

[docholiday]

Scotty...

So we are clear, no one owes you a job, that is something you have to find on your own and earn. That said there is a real shortage of techs in this industry. Knock on some doors and present yourself fairly. I'm not hopefull that a refrigeration company whos work keeps $100,000 worth of product from going bad is going to throw you into a grocery store alone.

You really have to decide what you want to do. There are HVAC/Refrigeration companies who will give you opportunities to gradually work into refrigeration. If you choose installation, you will gain some working knowlege that trade school never touched on and with the mentoring from a seasoned installer you can move into service in a few years. I will tell you that if you try to get into service right off the bat, odds are you will be slamming filters and changing belts for a couple of years losing recently aquired knowlege. Company owners simply cannot afford to send a green tech on potentially complicated service calls and rarely will they pair you up in service but they will happily let your do PM's.

I wouldnt race to get into a Union if you need work. There are too many opportunities that dont require you to deal with the politics. Find a family buisiness where the turnstyles are not located in the employment doors.

[madmark]

Basically, what aspect of the hvac/r industry is the most satisfying to you? the great thing about our chosen industry is that there are many ways to go. sheet metal, refrigeration, electrical. plumbing, etc. I did a few years pushing a truck doing everything from a/c install to boiler to hot air furnaces. worked in a sm shop for a while, worked as an electrician for a while. got into a union and am now a stationary engineer working on everything from high pressure steam driven r-12 (that's right) chillers to absorbers. good pay but don't start there... stagnation is a fact. try out a few ways and see what clicks with you! don't let other people decide what is best for you. they are all biased in some way, not necessarily in a negative way, but it is all based on the individuals own opinion and experiences. good luck!

[deejoe]

Fyi; A Sheet metal worker and a Refrigeration mechanic are entirely 2 different tradespeople.
Normally a Sheet metal worker fabs duct,lays-out for fittings (shop)fabs fittings, installs various air duct/pipe systems,some welding,etc, and also will install coils, fans, units, louvres, grilles,etc.

[airworx]

steamfitter is a pipefitter who installs piping,pumps,chillers,boilers etc, they donot do any service or startup, sheetmetel worker is a sheetmetel worker he works with sheetmetel. if you went to school
for refrigeration then its up to you if you want to work on
residential a/c, commercial, industrial, chillers, or refrigeration or combination.

[beenthere]

Originally posted by docholiday
As if Engineers get treated with any respect out of this crowd?

Certain ones do.

But they're far and few between.



Scott, you should do installation for awhile, then some service, and decide which you prefer after that.

As posted above some where, try and find a company that does both hvac, and refrigeration.

JMO.

[rasmussen6880]

if you want a long carrer learn every thing you can instalation, sheetmetel, pipefiting, service any thing. the more you know and prove you can do the more value your stock is what you learn in one aspect will help in another. if you get a taste of them all you know what you like to do. not all are cut out for service work.

[tinner73]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by docholiday
Scotty...



I wouldnt race to get into a Union if you need work. There are too many opportunities that dont require you to deal with the politics. Find a family buisiness where the turnstyles are not located in the employment doors. [/Q







too tired.

[Edited by tinner73 on 07-13-2005 at 10:46 PM]

[tinknocker service tech]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by docholiday
[B]Scotty...

So we are clear, no one owes you a job, that is something you have to find on your own and earn. That said there is a real shortage of techs in this industry. Knock on some doors and present yourself fairly. I'm not hopefull that a refrigeration company whos work keeps $100,000 worth of product from going bad is going to throw you into a grocery store alone.

You really have to decide what you want to do. There are HVAC/Refrigeration companies who will give you opportunities to gradually work into refrigeration. If you choose installation, you will gain some working knowlege that trade school never touched on and with the mentoring from a seasoned installer you can move into service in a few years. I will tell you that if you try to get into service right off the bat, odds are you will be slamming filters and changing belts for a couple of years losing recently aquired knowlege. Company owners simply cannot afford to send a green tech on potentially complicated service calls and rarely will they pair you up in service but they will happily let your do PM

i agree with doc. there is a lot to learn it this trade. being you are fresh out of school is goog but you only learned the basics of service. a good company will not through you to the wolfs and put you on your own for a long time. it would be more to your advantage to just go to work with a company that does it all. be willing to start at the bottom and learn your way up. the more you know the more value you have and the company will bennifit more also. takes time. i have a guy fresh out of lyncoln tech a year and a half ago. he is ok with service on pm and simple things but found he likes install better. so he is working with the installers and helps on service when needed. you may find the same thing or like me like doing it all. every one has differant ideas of what they preffer
good luck
i was union for 15 years and one thing i can say is you only do what the union spicifit to
learn it all and then decide what you like the best

[fitter638nyc]

You can do it all from Boiler to Chiller to Piping to Dry Cleaner,Pump,Motors,Contorls,Refrigeration.

[ct2]

One more time: hear these words and listen real closely

So we are clear, no one owes you a job, that is something you have to find on your own and earn. And something only you can work at to improve yourself or being satisfied at the level that you are at . Keep in mind that if you can get into a union you will be going through school for at least 4 more years or you can , and probably should continue in school anyway. Try a few jobs out and see what you like best