What is the best equipment for an apprentice to practice on?

[Rusty Capacitor]

I am still an apprentice is it best that I practice on small refrigerators when I’m on my own time? I am looking for a cost effective way of practicing without messing up expensive equipment. I am looking to pump down, change compressors, recovery and recharge on something that’ll give me enough experience that can be used in the field. Thanks.

[VTP99]

I am still an apprentice is it best that I practice on small refrigerators when I’m on my own time? I am looking for a cost effective way of practicing without messing up expensive equipment. I am looking to pump down, change compressors, recovery and recharge on something that’ll give me enough experience that can be used in the field. Thanks.

That's a great idea ! Are you only looking to do refrigeration or heating and cooling as well ?

[Rusty Capacitor]

That's a great idea ! Are you only looking to do refrigeration or heating and cooling as well ?

I want to do all. Or at least cooling and refrigeration

[VTP99]

Lots of internet auctions on line. I see restaurant equipment go cheap if it's listed not working. Maybe look into something like that.

[Rusty Capacitor]

Lots of internet auctions on line. I see restaurant equipment go cheap if it's listed not working. Maybe look into something like that.

Could I just work on an old mini fridge?

[jayguy]

Your own AC is best while at home. For the fastest experience while at work, request the jobs that everyone else hates. Those customers that really don’t maintain anything but want it fixed immediately. Rental space customers are great since you will see amazing ways equipment gets broken.

[2sac]

Could I just work on an old mini fridge?

You can do whatever you want. If you want to get into commercial refrigeration. You should practice on commercial coolers and freezers. BTW, minifridges don't pump down.

Rather than practicing on equipment you don't have access to, you can do other things. Get yourself some copper and practice swages, flares, brazing. There are a number of different solders we use and all have their own characteristics. Learn them. Learn to braze/solder dissimilar metals like copper and brass, copper and stainless, copper and aluminum. Maybe you can grab some old controls and learn how to wire them. Same with start relays and capacitors.

[heating_chicago]

Get old equipment figure out to get energy to them then fix them Practicing in the same time

[Suncity]

Another good idea is to sign up for a community college class and use their gear

[ga-hvac-tech]

Here is another thought...

You have 45 posts... apply for PRO membership...

There is a HUGE amount of technical stuff behind the PRO door!

[ammoniadog]

I want to do all. Or at least cooling and refrigeration

I found this to kind of humorous. You went from wanting to do it all, which encompasses about a million different things, to just cooling and refrigeration in the same comment.

Actually as I think about it more, even just cooling and refrigeration could mean a million different things too, so maybe you didn't narrow it down as much as you thought you did.

Anyways, small stuff like household refrigerators and mini-fridges arent really made to be worked on. They take such a miniscule amount of refrigerant that it can be really difficult to get the charge right if you ever start messing with them.

If you have a broken one or a spare that you don't really care about they probably would make good things to learn on though.

As 2sac said, practicing your soldering and brazing would be a good thing to do. I would also make sure you have a good understanding of how electricity works. Usually fridges have wiring diagrams tucked underneath somewhere. Try to find that wiring diagram and study it till you figure out everything that it's trying to tell you. I'd say electrical issues are by far the most common things that we deal with.

Keep at it and good luck!

[Rusty Capacitor]

Here is another thought...

You have 45 posts... apply for PRO membership...

There is a HUGE amount of technical stuff behind the PRO door!

I need to finish my class to get my epa to apply for pro

[MT1]

Anything you can get your hands on. My first real job in commercial HVAC I was basically thrown to the wolves. That's how I learned more in two years than alot of other guys in my class. Last week I went from trouble shooting a freezer, to doing startups on RTU, troubleshooting VRF systems, working on a swamp cooler/makeup air unit. All at one building that is brand new and hasn't even opened yet. Fun times.

You might be able to find a broken PTAC unit. That will help you understand how things work in a small package.

[Bnmarshall]

Auctions, craigslist, etc. might be good to find equipment. Just make sure you have a way to dispose of it before you starting bringing junk home!


Where I work we have lots of old equipment laying around so I’ve managed to dig some of it out and mess around with it. I’m fortunate enough that our training group has a fully functional commercial HVAC training model. It’s very cool, no pun intended.

[Bombboy90]

My opinion is to go on the non metntionable social media garage sales pages or another old school “list” and ask for any old equipment. Reclaim old ac units and scrap them for $$$ for your next project. You’d be amazed people will have junk laying in the garage and will give it to you. If they say it’s “broken” or needs repair, great opportunity to check it all out. I was lucky and I worked in a restaurant while going to school for hvac and my boss would let me touch the machine first to see what was wrong.

Good luck!

[Rob1969]

Look on craigslist. You can many times find broken down equipment for free. If you manage to get it running you can sell it to make a few bucks. Definitely practice your soldering and brazing. And get use to reading and understanding schematics.

[Bearded brother]

Something I have found helpful is just scrapping out units. You get to cut them up and see how they work.
Also when you can get relays and Contactors and some cheap light outlets. You can use the lights to act like motors of the system. And take wiring diagrams and try and rewired the unit on your board. Control it by a old thermostat.

[Gunner13]

The brazing with different materials is one of the first things I have told all of our apprentices to do. One of the best things I was told was to do this at home on top of a shoe box. Without burning the box, then make a hole with a torch and then braze the hole back over.....Once I did that the guy told me go outside and do in a rain storm ( Pacific Northwest, so it always rains).... once I got good it it. He let me use a torch on his jobs....

Electrical is Such a huge part in our trade, see if you can find any community colleges that have a class/classes that might apply...

Keep a positive attitude, be punctual, call the senior guys that do quality work....just check in with them and let them know how your week went....at some point they will start pulling you into help with jobs they don’t have time for and feel it’s a great opportunity for you to learn.

[fridg]

Your employer should be able to sell you commercial refrigeration equipment cheap that customers have replaced. You can then get these to work & also modify them from capillary to TXV , add a solenoid to pump down , add a digital thermostat instead of mechanical , led lights , the list is endless. Have a look at your employers scrapyard , it’s endless for materials to play with.

[AdrianOmarPerez]

Your employer should sell you equipment on what to train yourself or others on while Apprenticing?

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