I love residential hvac. Been in it for 21 yrs. I love educating homeowners on their equipment and products that they need and they could benefit from. I love training new hires and watching them grow as a tech and as a person. Maybe I’m just old school.
Residential. Loved it. First friday it hits 90 degrees I would get 60 service calls in 3 hours. Work all weekend. Work every holiday and every birthday. Do the service work then go do any changeout you got stuck with. It took 10 years to retire. I gave my good customers to the guy that ran my set crew. He did a great job of freeing me up and never any problems. I inspected every install. My other type customers I would refer them to the one of the two guys I knew that was just like them. That is what I call a custom install. I only worked for 1 HVAC company and that was for 2 hours. He made sure to send me a pay check. After that a group local HVAC contractors would find a way to get a copy of his new pricing book every year. 1) Gas on/off control-$378.26 part-$425.00 labor. Real name of this part is a thermocouple. $803.26 for a thermocouple. Getting the price list was easy. It provided many laughs at the parts stores.
Hate residential. In commercial HVAC you don't have to be a sales man and screw people over. In commercial you can be a clean honest technician that does clean work.
Here's to all my fellow techs and working contractors who bust their butt to make it happen. It takes a certain breed. This job is as much mental as physical. Stay hydrated and keep it rolling.
I went into commercial for greater opportunity and knowledge of and in the HVAC world. I love it. It can be brutal being almost always outside on the elements, but I feel like my knowledge and confidence being a technician has accelerated in this last year since I’ve made the switch.
I would not say the techs are doomed, but very soon, the business model of residential has to change. Most residential techs are not being taught to diagnose and repair. The emphasis is on selling new equipment. The biggest companies with radio and TV advertising, spiffy white shirts with shiny American flags on the shoulder and eye-catching trucks...those guys are taught how to sell and upsell. The lack of real ability is widespread. In the 16 years at my former Commercial company, where we would hire kids out of HVAC school, we had at least a dozen who only lasted a year, and that was a stretch where the company owner wanted to give them every chance he could, before pulling the pin. Many of these graduates have the idea that they can make a lot of money in the field, and if you are a union apprentice in a big city like Philly, that is true. After five years your hourly rate will be the best in the industry outside of New York City. That applies to less than one percent of all techs. Here is the second problem. We used to pull kids from the same gene pool of aptitude as plumbers, electricians, carpenters., etc. Now, that same pool of potential workers is supplying website builders, coders, white hats, app writers, etc. None of those jobs require driving, climbing ladders, learning about electricity, and refrigeration, or exposure to the elements. A kid like that can sit in his mom's basement, play as much Fortnite as he wants, get his food delivered, Uber where he wants to go, and never get outside to be too cold or too hot. Ironically, if he writes a few apps for I-phone, he can make as much money as I do as a business owner. So, in order to re-train and re-socialize a kid like that, you would have to offer him a starting pay above $65k in most towns. That isn't going to happen. What is left over is the kid who could never write an app because he isn't wired that way. He lacks the reasoning skills. That's the kid who is getting hired as a residential tech over 80% of the time. In 16 years we hired THREE "keepers." That's the problem. We can't charge enough money to be able to compete with the other fields a kid can be hired into. It's only getting worse. Even the big HVAC union in Philly has had to resort to putting up billboards that say "apprentices wanted." They can't find new kids, even if they are training workers for the top W2 employers in town. Work? Sounds hard. Mom says I should go to college..... I'm stopping in a few years at age 75. Most guys like me are already gone. I hope I don't get sued by Don Henley for saying that.
Been in the industry for over 18 years now and seeing the same. Seeing a lot of new hires not last even a week and most companies now train techs to be salesmen instead of a troubleshooter. Most of the time I get my knowledge reading the manual or googling something.
I %100 agree I worked for other HVAC companies throughout the years and have done both service and installation so I eventually pulled the trigger and put all of the legal ducks in a row and got all the necessary licensing, certifications, insurance and started my own company. It’s a small company, we stay plenty busy and make great money but I agree with needing to not only have the experience and knowledge for hvac but also for business and management. Also when owning your own small business you end up needing to wear too many hats as you said.. having to answer all the questions on installation, any service questions, while doing quotes and sales and scheduling When you start off you can’t jump straight into having a manager for each specific need or division of business, it falls solely on the owner/ managers shoulders and it takes a extreme amount of work, time, sacrifice and motivation to make things work. It’s definitely not for everyone! We do residential and light commercial and I love the work, my guys do also but business definitely isn’t for everyone.
Rheem was my last hope for the residential industry. their parts are failing. Genteq ECM condensor fan are junk. I am disgusted to be apart of it. There is no brand name that is good anymore. All evap coils leak in all brands leak within 2 years and after the 1 year labor warranty is up. Customer has to pay. Basic equipment cost is around 4,000 dollars. And prices are sky rocketing. completely ridiculous.
Amen brother, EVERYTHING is JUNK these days. Make it thin, cost less and sqweek EVERY last dime out of the quality, so the manufactures can get 5 more cents.
This is why I forwent getting a new central ac. I've been keeping the house cool for the past 2 years with 4 window units for a total of roughly $500. Going to keep the gas furnace that I put in myself 14 years ago going. A new ac costs way more than its worth to me.
@smacleod69 Its actually a bit cheaper somehow even though im keeping the house 5 degrees cooler. Probably because I'm not cooling the basement or other unused space so much now. One windows ac is an inverter unit as well and it sips electricity. Got it on Amazon last year for $170. Price of the same one is now almost $400.
I Agree my Rheem had a leaking coil at 3 yrs. Fan motor at 4 yrs. Now 6yrs old coil is leaking again. My last unit was a Rheem 18yrs old never replaced a single part. Never had a gauge on it at 18 yrs the coil leaked. Today units are a rip off and labor dam sure is a rip off. I installed 3 mini splits my self under 2k. That Rheem was 10 k installer made 7k of for 1 days work. Splits cool better and cheaper to run. Anyone can install them very easy.
Locally we have some D-bag companies (not dirt bag) that hire Sales Techs only, send them out in a white shirt, no tools and head to the condenser look at the data plate, Mam you need a new system its close to 10 years old, get run off but still want a svc call amount, we had one of those techs as a new hire and all his encounters with units was they all needed to be replaced w/o touching equipment, did not last long after his background check came back.
We are licensed in Georgia as CN Air contractor and we now only qualify new companies wanting to get into business but cant pass the state boards either due to discrimination or just the massive test it requires. While I pop in to random jobs we do most our inspections by video or cameras set up at clients homes to monitor.
I live in central FL and I’ve had three techs from Frank Gay Services come to my house to diagnose my ACs poor performance. All three of them tried to sell me a new unit when my current unit is only four years old. They were all salesmen. Didn’t even care to fix or diagnose my issue. Told me that they charge the same price for 1 oz of refrigerant or 3 lbs of the same and that my system was low. I needed up sending them off. I called a local AC guy that works for himself and had my AC up and running in less than an hour. My issue was a wrong sized piston.
@@jonsaircond8520 lol just reclaiming the refrigerant takes some time. Plus installing new filter drier removing the piston and vacuuming the system then charging it up again.
@@JIKI2005 So in a system that everything is fine except the metering device a hot swap piston change would not require a new filter dryer. Pump unit down recover what little bit is left. Piston swap takes a few minutes at best getting access could take longer if its inside the case. Simple piston swap in a good working system with zero issues is nothing like trying to fix a complete turd with a grounded compressor.
I used to get run over 90 hours a week in San Antonio, TX. Realized that after 60 hours, the pay ain't worth it cause it's so heavily taxed. Also, the brain starts to burnout....
I think the unit manufacturers and customers are also in the servicing direction determination. Manufacturers have to increase the selling price margin to account for poor installs creating higher warranty expenses. Units will be self-diagnosing with internet reporting. Routine maintenance management will be a profit center for manufacturers. Service will become more tightly managed by unit manufacturers. Look at the auto industry with Wi-Fi connected service hook to dash/entertainment center messages. Customers are looking at alternatives. You can replace troubled unit with a new mini-split unit at lower cost than typical central AC unit service call.
one of the reasons that I am going to design a suit for cooling and heating. I hope that it would be either not very conrortable or heavy. But still better to take 10kg of extra load in order not to die from heat.
@ДаудМухамеджанов the suits the company I work for gives us do a good job of keeping us clean, but they trap heat. Sometimes we'll prefer to not wear the suits despite getting insulation all over us.
22 year old tech here. Started when I was 19. Currently in commercial refrigeration and I Love it a lot. Work hours can be stressful at times but residential is the starting point. There’s way more to the trade than people realize and I feel like just constantly doing residential will limit you to a degree in terms of technical growth and advancement. Commercial will keep you on point at all times and that’s what I love about it; Consistent routine most of the time.
As a guy that's done both just go to where you're going to make the most money ...and that's residential by far🎉 we got kids at ARS making $90,000 a year🎉 and they don't do service and they don't work weekends🎉 HVAC guys get stuck on the ego of I want to be smart😂 and if you want to open up your own business it's a lot easier to get residential than it is to get those commercial contracts
@@JacobsNews That may be the case but I’m from Louisiana. Residential is Seasonal work down here. Commercial has kept money in my pocket so far and has been really good to me. But yea your right, Commercial accounts can be harder to get ahold of.
To the people that work 12+ hour days in this trade then more power to you. Personally I refuse to in this day and age. If there was a benefit then I would, but the more I work the more uncle sam takes. I will not work myself to death for a dollar that's losing its value more and more. I do whatever I can to save and not be in debt and live comfortably. Work to live not live to work.
Exactly. I don't understand why some people spend their whole day at work unless they really need to. I work enough to pay for what i need. Otherwise I get extra pissed when have to write out a big check at tax time.
I tried residential HVAC for almost 2 years. Was on my own in a month a had 980 ish maintenances in that time frame. I got out because I didn't like working 12-16 hours plus be on call. It took a toll on my well being. If you're younger without a family I say go for it but I didn't like all the time I had to be at work. The pay was great and so were the bonuses. I never tried selling systems unless it was old and leak really bad.
@@robertgregory2618the big problem is guys are scared😂 all you got to do is tell the call center you're going home🎉 they'll pass that on to the next monkey🎉 if I get a call late at night I say I'll see you tomorrow morning🎉 don't ask can I take off Friday🎉 I won't be here Friday🎉
This is my 6th summer as a residential tech in Houston for a company with 7-8 service technicians. From June until middle of September I average 11-12 hr days, even the occasional 14 hr day. For the most part I do enjoy it.
And don't be afraid to go to another company that pays more🎉 90% of HVAC guys just sit in the company because they like Bob🎉 it's the same job no matter what company you go to🎉 and if you go to a really big company 🎉I don't even install parts anymore I just diagnosed and go to the next job
@@JacobsNewshow does that work? You diagnose and send someone later to do the repair? How do you get paid? By the work orders you set or by straight hours?
@@realSamAndrew the big companies like ARS have a parts changers and maintenance techs .. i get paid hourly + commission . he gets paid hourly + bonuses for installing the parts ... the big companies that make all the money learned about sales funnels. example i go and its a clogged drain . i clear the drain and sell a cleaning .... maintenance techs go back do the cleaning and try to sell a UV light or capacitors . or they need a fan motor same thing i give the price for a fan motor sales gives a price for new unit i get 50 bucks .. if it sells anther 200 or just a bonus for the fan motor . parts guy goes and installs fan
@@JacobsNews I appreciate that info. So your position is what? You mentioned sales (which is not you), maintenance (not you) and parts changers (sounds like that's not your role either). Is there another category for you, like service advisor or service technician?
@@realSamAndrew i am a service technician. i go and diagnose it and wright up the work order and a parts order that goes to the parts department . most times i never even hear about the job after that . they only install OEM parts so the chance i will have it on the truck is small .
There's not a lot of money in residential here. I am self employed and if I were to entertain every residential service call near me I'd end up stuck with difficult changeouts and 150 dollar service service calls all day long. Not worth it. But it's nice having some residential calls to fill in the gaps.
The only place i haven't seen furnaces in the attic is in Canada. Guessing that attic installs are illegal there. On the flip side however. Attic installs have become a common thing here in the US, as demand for more space in the living areas including the basement is growing. Even though a lot of people and HVAC techs probably disprove of it.
@@KenKen-ui4ny As a customer, I'd rather lose 1/2 of the 2 car garage to the HVAC system and make it accessible than to have it in the attic. I understand the additional space argument, but why not make the HVAC system as accessible as the water heater is.
My company is run by paranoid freak shows. They always hide how busy we are so we don't open a comany. They only give us 5 calls a day no matter what. Every other company around are extremely busy. Sucks never getting overtime.
😂 just switch companies it's literally the same job no matter what company you go to🎉 you're in the truck by yourself🎉 I swear people get so stuck at jobs🎉 there's a guy out there that wants your job and you want his job🎉 get one of those 5,000 sign-on bonuses
Dude, because of all of the nonsense with the refrigerant changes again. Do you need to because of the crappy coils and the crappy motors etc. etc. etc. the list goes on and on.🤔🥵😴🫣😱💯
@@JacobsNews As a homeowner / customer, I hope I never run into you or your business; just waiting to screw over homeowners because you see your customers as a walking-talking ATM. Nope, don't fix the system; don't replace parts; just sell them an entire new HVAC system, and well, offer to finance it - but you'll get rich out of the process. People like you give the repair industries a bad name, whether it's dealing with plumbing, HVAC, vehicles or whatever else. Screw over someone else- so you can become filthy rich.
@@jerrylockhart3069 because when they switch refrigerants and you have to change a compressor .. you give them an option 5-ton compressor install $2,300 to $3,925.or do you want a new unit for 12k and you get a 10 year warranty and you get to save the planet with this ozone heathy refrigerant.. you give them the option it they chose the compressor . if you go with the compressor and something else goes wrong this old refrigerant is going to get real expensive . costumer will lose out in the long run on compressor only change out
@@MrPir84free if i am going to a house that cost a 500k+ and they all have new cars and just got back from a trip to Paris or Disney that cost 20 K me selling them a 10k unit doesn't effect them. the single mom or the blue collar guys that's the people i will try to help... the upper class won't even throw you 5 buck for a coffee .. no reason to help people that won't help you .. upper class thinks blue collar is beneath them so don't be scared to sell to them .
I love residential hvac. Been in it for 21 yrs. I love educating homeowners on their equipment and products that they need and they could benefit from. I love training new hires and watching them grow as a tech and as a person. Maybe I’m just old school.
I always tell the boss let the guy with with a wife and kids he doesn't like with no friends to go train the kids😂 Then we laugh😂
companies who do national averages for pricing are disgusting
Residential. Loved it. First friday it hits 90 degrees I would get 60 service calls in 3 hours. Work all weekend. Work every holiday and every birthday. Do the service work then go do any changeout you got stuck with. It took 10 years to retire. I gave my good customers to the guy that ran my set crew. He did a great job of freeing me up and never any problems. I inspected every install. My other type customers I would refer them to the one of the two guys I knew that was just like them. That is what I call a custom install. I only worked for 1 HVAC company and that was for 2 hours. He made sure to send me a pay check. After that a group local HVAC contractors would find a way to get a copy of his new pricing book every year. 1) Gas on/off control-$378.26 part-$425.00 labor. Real name of this part is a thermocouple. $803.26 for a thermocouple. Getting the price list was easy. It provided many laughs at the parts stores.
Hate residential. In commercial HVAC you don't have to be a sales man and screw people over. In commercial you can be a clean honest technician that does clean work.
Here's to all my fellow techs and working contractors who bust their butt to make it happen. It takes a certain breed. This job is as much mental as physical. Stay hydrated and keep it rolling.
Burnout is definitely a real thing, a large company in our area lost half of their service department due to burnout
I went into commercial for greater opportunity and knowledge of and in the HVAC world. I love it. It can be brutal being almost always outside on the elements, but I feel like my knowledge and confidence being a technician has accelerated in this last year since I’ve made the switch.
I would not say the techs are doomed, but very soon, the business model of residential has to change. Most residential techs are not being taught to diagnose and repair. The emphasis is on selling new equipment. The biggest companies with radio and TV advertising, spiffy white shirts with shiny American flags on the shoulder and eye-catching trucks...those guys are taught how to sell and upsell. The lack of real ability is widespread. In the 16 years at my former Commercial company, where we would hire kids out of HVAC school, we had at least a dozen who only lasted a year, and that was a stretch where the company owner wanted to give them every chance he could, before pulling the pin. Many of these graduates have the idea that they can make a lot of money in the field, and if you are a union apprentice in a big city like Philly, that is true. After five years your hourly rate will be the best in the industry outside of New York City. That applies to less than one percent of all techs. Here is the second problem. We used to pull kids from the same gene pool of aptitude as plumbers, electricians, carpenters., etc. Now, that same pool of potential workers is supplying website builders, coders, white hats, app writers, etc. None of those jobs require driving, climbing ladders, learning about electricity, and refrigeration, or exposure to the elements. A kid like that can sit in his mom's basement, play as much Fortnite as he wants, get his food delivered, Uber where he wants to go, and never get outside to be too cold or too hot. Ironically, if he writes a few apps for I-phone, he can make as much money as I do as a business owner. So, in order to re-train and re-socialize a kid like that, you would have to offer him a starting pay above $65k in most towns. That isn't going to happen. What is left over is the kid who could never write an app because he isn't wired that way. He lacks the reasoning skills. That's the kid who is getting hired as a residential tech over 80% of the time. In 16 years we hired THREE "keepers." That's the problem. We can't charge enough money to be able to compete with the other fields a kid can be hired into. It's only getting worse. Even the big HVAC union in Philly has had to resort to putting up billboards that say "apprentices wanted." They can't find new kids, even if they are training workers for the top W2 employers in town. Work? Sounds hard. Mom says I should go to college..... I'm stopping in a few years at age 75. Most guys like me are already gone. I hope I don't get sued by Don Henley for saying that.
Been in the industry for over 18 years now and seeing the same. Seeing a lot of new hires not last even a week and most companies now train techs to be salesmen instead of a troubleshooter. Most of the time I get my knowledge reading the manual or googling something.
I %100 agree
I worked for other HVAC companies throughout the years and have done both service and installation so I eventually pulled the trigger and put all of the legal ducks in a row and got all the necessary licensing, certifications, insurance and started my own company.
It’s a small company, we stay plenty busy and make great money but I agree with needing to not only have the experience and knowledge for hvac but also for business and management.
Also when owning your own small business you end up needing to wear too many hats as you said.. having to answer all the questions on installation, any service questions, while doing quotes and sales and scheduling
When you start off you can’t jump straight into having a manager for each specific need or division of business, it falls solely on the owner/ managers shoulders and it takes a extreme amount of work, time, sacrifice and motivation to make things work.
It’s definitely not for everyone!
We do residential and light commercial and I love the work, my guys do also but business definitely isn’t for everyone.
Rheem was my last hope for the residential industry. their parts are failing. Genteq ECM condensor fan are junk. I am disgusted to be apart of it. There is no brand name that is good anymore. All evap coils leak in all brands leak within 2 years and after the 1 year labor warranty is up. Customer has to pay. Basic equipment cost is around 4,000 dollars. And prices are sky rocketing. completely ridiculous.
Amen brother, EVERYTHING is JUNK these days. Make it thin, cost less and sqweek EVERY last dime out of the quality, so the manufactures can get 5 more cents.
This is why I forwent getting a new central ac. I've been keeping the house cool for the past 2 years with 4 window units for a total of roughly $500. Going to keep the gas furnace that I put in myself 14 years ago going. A new ac costs way more than its worth to me.
@@MrSilence99 I hope you energy bill isn't higher with the window units. But hey if works, Awesome!
@smacleod69 Its actually a bit cheaper somehow even though im keeping the house 5 degrees cooler. Probably because I'm not cooling the basement or other unused space so much now. One windows ac is an inverter unit as well and it sips electricity. Got it on Amazon last year for $170. Price of the same one is now almost $400.
I Agree my Rheem had a leaking coil at 3 yrs. Fan motor at 4 yrs. Now 6yrs old coil is leaking again. My last unit was a Rheem 18yrs old never replaced a single part. Never had a gauge on it at 18 yrs the coil leaked. Today units are a rip off and labor dam sure is a rip off. I installed 3 mini splits my self under 2k. That Rheem was 10 k installer made 7k of for 1 days work. Splits cool better and cheaper to run. Anyone can install them very easy.
I love residential because I don't like being in one job location longer than a week.
turn over is a company killer
Great video! We definitely resonate, structure is very important!
Locally we have some D-bag companies (not dirt bag) that hire Sales Techs only, send them out in a white shirt, no tools and head to the condenser look at the data plate, Mam you need a new system its close to 10 years old, get run off but still want a svc call amount, we had one of those techs as a new hire and all his encounters with units was they all needed to be replaced w/o touching equipment, did not last long after his background check came back.
We are licensed in Georgia as CN Air contractor and we now only qualify new companies wanting to get into business but cant pass the state boards either due to discrimination or just the massive test it requires. While I pop in to random jobs we do most our inspections by video or cameras set up at clients homes to monitor.
I live in central FL and I’ve had three techs from Frank Gay Services come to my house to diagnose my ACs poor performance. All three of them tried to sell me a new unit when my current unit is only four years old. They were all salesmen. Didn’t even care to fix or diagnose my issue. Told me that they charge the same price for 1 oz of refrigerant or 3 lbs of the same and that my system was low. I needed up sending them off. I called a local AC guy that works for himself and had my AC up and running in less than an hour. My issue was a wrong sized piston.
No way he changed the piston in an hour lol
You can definitely change one in a hour
@@jonsaircond8520 lol just reclaiming the refrigerant takes some time. Plus installing new filter drier removing the piston and vacuuming the system then charging it up again.
@@JIKI2005 So in a system that everything is fine except the metering device a hot swap piston change would not require a new filter dryer. Pump unit down recover what little bit is left. Piston swap takes a few minutes at best getting access could take longer if its inside the case. Simple piston swap in a good working system with zero issues is nothing like trying to fix a complete turd with a grounded compressor.
I used to get run over 90 hours a week in San Antonio, TX. Realized that after 60 hours, the pay ain't worth it cause it's so heavily taxed. Also, the brain starts to burnout....
I think the unit manufacturers and customers are also in the servicing direction determination.
Manufacturers have to increase the selling price margin to account for poor installs creating higher warranty expenses. Units will be self-diagnosing with internet reporting. Routine maintenance management will be a profit center for manufacturers. Service will become more tightly managed by unit manufacturers. Look at the auto industry with Wi-Fi connected service hook to dash/entertainment center messages.
Customers are looking at alternatives. You can replace troubled unit with a new mini-split unit at lower cost than typical central AC unit service call.
Here in Florida everything is in the attic, all you see is young kids doing residential cause there the only ones who can stand the extreme heat.
one of the reasons that I am going to design a suit for cooling and heating.
I hope that it would be either not very conrortable or heavy.
But still better to take 10kg of extra load in order not to die from heat.
@ДаудМухамеджанов the suits the company I work for gives us do a good job of keeping us clean, but they trap heat. Sometimes we'll prefer to not wear the suits despite getting insulation all over us.
Really enjoy your commentary man. Keep it coming. It’s all raw and it’s real. Residential tech here
Well stated. Thanks for your point of view.
22 year old tech here. Started when I was 19. Currently in commercial refrigeration and I Love it a lot. Work hours can be stressful at times but residential is the starting point. There’s way more to the trade than people realize and I feel like just constantly doing residential will limit you to a degree in terms of technical growth and advancement. Commercial will keep you on point at all times and that’s what I love about it; Consistent routine most of the time.
As a guy that's done both just go to where you're going to make the most money ...and that's residential by far🎉 we got kids at ARS making $90,000 a year🎉 and they don't do service and they don't work weekends🎉 HVAC guys get stuck on the ego of I want to be smart😂 and if you want to open up your own business it's a lot easier to get residential than it is to get those commercial contracts
@@JacobsNews That may be the case but I’m from Louisiana. Residential is Seasonal work down here. Commercial has kept money in my pocket so far and has been really good to me. But yea your right, Commercial accounts can be harder to get ahold of.
The company I work for is mainly commercial but we do some residential, which is good bc it’s a change of scenery
To the people that work 12+ hour days in this trade then more power to you. Personally I refuse to in this day and age. If there was a benefit then I would, but the more I work the more uncle sam takes. I will not work myself to death for a dollar that's losing its value more and more. I do whatever I can to save and not be in debt and live comfortably. Work to live not live to work.
Exactly. I don't understand why some people spend their whole day at work unless they really need to. I work enough to pay for what i need. Otherwise I get extra pissed when have to write out a big check at tax time.
Most guys have to do overtime no questions asked and can’t refuse or they get fired
I like resi as long as I don’t have to go in attics and or crawl spaces . Haha probably a good thing most of mine is commercial . Haha
I tried residential HVAC for almost 2 years. Was on my own in a month a had 980 ish maintenances in that time frame. I got out because I didn't like working 12-16 hours plus be on call. It took a toll on my well being. If you're younger without a family I say go for it but I didn't like all the time I had to be at work. The pay was great and so were the bonuses. I never tried selling systems unless it was old and leak really bad.
Totally agree with you, glad I went into electrical back in 60s.
@@robertgregory2618the big problem is guys are scared😂 all you got to do is tell the call center you're going home🎉 they'll pass that on to the next monkey🎉 if I get a call late at night I say I'll see you tomorrow morning🎉 don't ask can I take off Friday🎉 I won't be here Friday🎉
This is my 6th summer as a residential tech in Houston for a company with 7-8 service technicians. From June until middle of September I average 11-12 hr days, even the occasional 14 hr day. For the most part I do enjoy it.
And don't be afraid to go to another company that pays more🎉 90% of HVAC guys just sit in the company because they like Bob🎉 it's the same job no matter what company you go to🎉 and if you go to a really big company 🎉I don't even install parts anymore I just diagnosed and go to the next job
@@JacobsNewshow does that work? You diagnose and send someone later to do the repair? How do you get paid? By the work orders you set or by straight hours?
@@realSamAndrew the big companies like ARS have a parts changers and maintenance techs .. i get paid hourly + commission . he gets paid hourly + bonuses for installing the parts ... the big companies that make all the money learned about sales funnels. example i go and its a clogged drain . i clear the drain and sell a cleaning .... maintenance techs go back do the cleaning and try to sell a UV light or capacitors . or they need a fan motor same thing i give the price for a fan motor sales gives a price for new unit i get 50 bucks .. if it sells anther 200 or just a bonus for the fan motor . parts guy goes and installs fan
@@JacobsNews I appreciate that info. So your position is what? You mentioned sales (which is not you), maintenance (not you) and parts changers (sounds like that's not your role either). Is there another category for you, like service advisor or service technician?
@@realSamAndrew i am a service technician. i go and diagnose it and wright up the work order and a parts order that goes to the parts department . most times i never even hear about the job after that . they only install OEM parts so the chance i will have it on the truck is small .
Residential is best for us being a small company. We do a little refrigeration on coolers and freezers every once and awhile. Thanks Zach
Did d you email about your prize?
Thanks for the video. Best wishes.
I hate attics in the summer.....
I work in San Diego as a resi tech. I like it. I think the location helps alot.
Heavy commercial tech for a manufacturer.....best job I've ever had. I love the challenges
Well said, Zack. 👏
There's not a lot of money in residential here. I am self employed and if I were to entertain every residential service call near me I'd end up stuck with difficult changeouts and 150 dollar service service calls all day long. Not worth it. But it's nice having some residential calls to fill in the gaps.
"encapsulate". That's one of them highfalutin' college words. That one semester paid off!
Yes doomed to work in attics
The only place i haven't seen furnaces in the attic is in Canada. Guessing that attic installs are illegal there. On the flip side however. Attic installs have become a common thing here in the US, as demand for more space in the living areas including the basement is growing. Even though a lot of people and HVAC techs probably disprove of it.
@@KenKen-ui4ny As a customer, I'd rather lose 1/2 of the 2 car garage to the HVAC system and make it accessible than to have it in the attic. I understand the additional space argument, but why not make the HVAC system as accessible as the water heater is.
It’s a great trade but it’s not for everyone. You have to like helping people and working equipment
You got enough screwdrivers there?
Love my industrial side can’t stand resi work too much bs i agree
My company is run by paranoid freak shows. They always hide how busy we are so we don't open a comany. They only give us 5 calls a day no matter what. Every other company around are extremely busy. Sucks never getting overtime.
😂 just switch companies it's literally the same job no matter what company you go to🎉 you're in the truck by yourself🎉 I swear people get so stuck at jobs🎉 there's a guy out there that wants your job and you want his job🎉 get one of those 5,000 sign-on bonuses
There is a company like that near me. The owner is a weirdo too. They charge customers $600+ for a little capacitor.
As for doomed hmmm I think they are only doomed as long as they let themselves be .
Residential is ok I don’t mind it most of the time.
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Dude, because of all of the nonsense with the refrigerant changes again. Do you need to because of the crappy coils and the crappy motors etc. etc. etc. the list goes on and on.🤔🥵😴🫣😱💯
Just remember when they changed the refrigerants that's always your time to become a multi-millionaire😂
@@JacobsNews what 🤔😴?? How’s this
@@JacobsNews As a homeowner / customer, I hope I never run into you or your business; just waiting to screw over homeowners because you see your customers as a walking-talking ATM. Nope, don't fix the system; don't replace parts; just sell them an entire new HVAC system, and well, offer to finance it - but you'll get rich out of the process.
People like you give the repair industries a bad name, whether it's dealing with plumbing, HVAC, vehicles or whatever else. Screw over someone else- so you can become filthy rich.
@@jerrylockhart3069 because when they switch refrigerants and you have to change a compressor .. you give them an option 5-ton compressor install $2,300 to $3,925.or do you want a new unit for 12k and you get a 10 year warranty and you get to save the planet with this ozone heathy refrigerant.. you give them the option it they chose the compressor . if you go with the compressor and something else goes wrong this old refrigerant is going to get real expensive . costumer will lose out in the long run on compressor only change out
@@MrPir84free if i am going to a house that cost a 500k+ and they all have new cars and just got back from a trip to Paris or Disney that cost 20 K me selling them a 10k unit doesn't effect them. the single mom or the blue collar guys that's the people i will try to help... the upper class won't even throw you 5 buck for a coffee .. no reason to help people that won't help you .. upper class thinks blue collar is beneath them so don't be scared to sell to them .