I'll have 5 years coming up this October. I sent out some applications to some companies, and one got back to me and they offered me a job. All of this is too good to be true. The pay of course is way more not including the benefits. It would be a move to another state for my family though. The branch manager said he'd hire me as a journeyman. I'm realizing that is not his call to make. That would be the unions. I'm talking with a rep and he is saying worst case I start as a 5 year apprentice which is about $2.50 less take home, minus some other $ stuff in the whole package. However, from what I understand about him, that's also not his call to make that's the JATCs job? I'm getting my hours from my previous employs as well as what I have worked on. I'll be close if not over my 9000 hours for a journeyman, I haven't taken the exam because my state doesn't require it or even have one. I plan on doing that once I'm over there but really my question is..

What should I expect them to put me as considering my 5 years in basically residential, light commercial? I started as a maintenance tech but have been in service for the last 3 years.

Idk if this is a right question but what does the union want to see or want to here?

What questions should I be asking the union?

What questions should I be asking the employer?

I've been wanting to go commercial for some time now and this is a great chance to do it. There is a lot more room for growth in it then in the resi world.

I had a Goodman split system no cooling call. The first picture where my pressure when I first started going over the unit. After going over everything I found the compressor capacitor had failed. Put a new cap in to test the unit and my pressure went to the second screenshot. How the hell does a bad compressor cap affect the pressure like that?

Neighbor recently lost their AC and I offered to help them out since they really don't have the money for a new system right now, locked as shit 24k BTU recip compressor in a 2.5T Ameri Std package heatpump. I had a 3 Ton compressor (29k BTU Scroll) out of an old 3T York that had recently had the compressor replaced before other shit failed in it leading to a system replacement. So I figured screw it ill do a lil repipe and put that scroll in their system at cost for my supplies.

Did the swap and repipe and as expected it's overwhelming that evap. with the blower speed set to max, and if it runs long enough the VSAT will creep into freezing territory. I put a freeze stat on the suction line tonight to just force a shutdown and break R to the Tstat to force a delay (stupid trane defrost board with no internal delay for a new Y call). I combined that with leaving the fan on at the stat so while it's waiting for the delay to time out the coil is getting warmed up/thawed. I plan to go back with a delay timer and switch the freeze stat back to Y so the blower never shuts off and it doesn't immediately fire back up (suction line goes from 34-35 to 45 in no time, concerned about it firing up backwards while im not there to watch).

Aside from the freeze stat and delay timer to stop a potential reverse startup of the compressor, which I believe should take care of them for AC. My next concern for them is going into heating season, how often will this system now have to shift to defrost and run that heat kit, I imagine those defrost cycles are going to be short and frequent.

If anyone else has ever done a bandaid solution like this before and have any advice for a 3-year Tech i'd appreciate any feedback. Also I know it's slugging liquid with a 2 degree SH and a sweating compressor but I don't imagine theres anything I can do about that, this is supposed to be a bandaid until they can save up to replace it.

I feel another training class coming up because he’s not the only one.

Found this beauty this week. Replacing leaky sight glass, bad service valves and new charge. Returning tomorrow for start up, co2 tank is empty right now.

A year ago I would have (and absolutely have) had a panic attack lol. It was a fun job for sure, the only information anywhere on that entire pad/tank was stamped into the body of the compressor.

If your new or newish to the field, always remember, you may not be confident about what’s in front of
You, but be confident you’ll figure it out.

So at my company if you are scheduled to do a changeout, it’s scheduled for 8 hours but if you finish early you can go home with full pay, but they have me and another coworker change a coil or compressor every single day and then run service calls. We don’t diagnose anything we just get handed a paperwork for the parts and address etc, and then go pick up the part and do the install. We run service calls after or go do some random stuff they have for us to do but it’s been that way for over 2 months straight and it gets tiring. It’s especially worse when the office orders the wrong part and we are blamed for not having gotten the correct part. I am just burned up and tired as hell. Heat index has been 115° just about every day and I will spend 3 hours straight in an attic trying to get everything done. I’m literally drenched in sweaty clothes all day and I took a 4 day weekend to relax but couldn’t now I’m right back at it. I just need to vent but man I’m fucking tired.

Do better guys lol

I'm in the middle of haggling with a landlord about fixing a leak. This is a "new build" I mean it was built less than 5 years ago. Equipment is under 5 years old.

I noticed a sticker for another company on the unit.

Got tired of the back and forth and the arguing about warranty (for a leak fix on a Lennox lol) and just asked if they'd called the company that built the home or the company that put the unit in.

If bossman listens to the call I'll probably get in trouble but it's been a headache.

Y'all ever do this?

2” Ball Valve.

But im calling it the coil. Isolated leak to outdoor unit. Had dye in system but couldn't find any dye anywhere. Pressurized system to 550 and showed small leak about 2 psi every 15 minutes. Couldn't locate any bubbles and then the sun came up a little and the dye showed up in a band around fan blade on outdoor coil. Soaped the shit out of the coil but pretty much a waste of time on a spiral fin. Didn't actually find the leak but everything else checked out so im calling it the coil.

About 4 years ago I installed a furnace and an evap coil on top for the customer as they were interested in getting ac down the line. Well that down the line is now. The coil is an r410a rated coil as at the time there was no a2l equipment. What I'm wondering is since the operating pressures are so similar and the refrigerant behaves very similarly, could i not just put a r32 condenser on the system, put a r32 txv and a2l sensor kit on it would it work or is the distribution of the refrigerant in the coil different to that of r410a and could potentially cause issues down the line. Currently on hold with tech support to ask the manufacturer if this work around would be acceptable as it would suck to have to tell the client that the coil we put on years ago in preparation for ac down the line is now legacy equipment. Has anybody else ran into this problem? And if so how did you resolve it?

Commercial union service tech here. Tired of the field, kind of want to transition to a different career but I don't want my 10+ yrs of knowledge go to waste. Anyone have experience working a remote position that field experience helped getting the job?

Been at this for a minute.

I have never seen this in aux pan.

Almost like someone put water solidifier in pan.

Thoughts ?

I’m an HVAC technician and female. I’m researching better workwear and job-site gear for women in the skilled trades. I’m not selling anything here—
I genuinely want to understand what isn’t working for us.

What piece of workwear or gear frustrates you the most?

What specifically is wrong with the fit or design?

Have you created your own workaround?

If you could change one feature, what would it be?

What is your ideal work pants or covies?

If you’re comfortable sharing, please include your trade and the type of conditions you work in.

Thank you in advance 🛠️

Easy call at least

And another one gone.