Key Takeaways
- Career Path Discovery: Finding your niche in HVAC often requires experiencing different roles firsthand – both service and installation have unique demands
- Service vs Install: Service work offers problem-solving variety and customer interaction, while installation focuses on speed and physical construction
- Learning Through Experience: Early career mishaps and challenges help shape your professional direction and preferences
- Commercial vs Residential: Different sectors of HVAC offer distinct work environments – finding the right fit is crucial for long-term career satisfaction
Finding Your Path: My Journey from HVAC Helper to Commercial Service Tech
“This one time, at band camp,” is a famous line you may remember from the movie American Pie. Although my narrative for this article goes more like: “This one time, in residential HVAC…”
I remember being a student at trade school, hunting for a job as a helper for summer work. I landed a position at a small outfit in the city where I grew up. They did residential service and install and had a sheet metal shop on site – something I don’t see much anymore. I would show up daily and be put into a truck as a helper or observer. More of an observer, I would say, because at the age of nineteen I had zero tool-wielding skills or the wherewithal to ask the right questions.
My Experience with Installation Work
I remember hating install days. It was always a race to the finish, and the installer I worked with reeked of black iron threading oil, booze, and coffee. He drove a five-ton truck that had a pipe threader permanently installed in the back, equipped with every fitting and pipe size imaginable – I thought this was quite impressive at the time.
One particular day stands out in my memory. He asked me to core through a concrete foundation with his hammer drill. He set it up and showed me how to use it. I began drilling, but shortly into the task, the drill got caught up. I let it go, and the drill body rotated on the bit and clocked me right in the chin. In retrospect, I was probably concussed and very lucky that my jaw wasn’t dislocated.
It wasn’t a few hours later when I was carrying a length of pipe down to the basement and accidentally smashed the customer’s window. Let’s just say no one was impressed. That day, I made it a point to never become an installer – yes, probably an immature decision based on my emotions, but nonetheless a scar I haven’t forgotten.
Discovering Service Work
Service days were completely different. I usually teamed up with a relatively young tech in his late 20s who was upbeat and smart, and his truck was super clean. We would hit up five to six calls a day but wouldn’t rush through them. I somewhat enjoyed the pace, the problem-solving aspect, and the diverse issues that we came across.
The variety kept things interesting – one call might involve troubleshooting a heat pump reversing valve, while the next could be a simple capacitor replacement. I knew if I was going to move forward in the trade, it was as a service tech I wanted to be.
Finding My Niche in Commercial HVAC
I respect every nook and cranny of the HVAC/R industry, residential included. As for me, landing a job in the commercial world was more of a fit. The complexity of commercial HVAC maintenance scheduling and working with building management systems appealed to my technical interests.
Landing a job as a future commercial service tech was a step closer to the perfect placement. The commercial sector offered the technical challenges I craved while maintaining the problem-solving variety that initially drew me to service work.
The Moral of the Story
It’s okay to experience different industry niches until you find the right one. Sometimes it takes a near knockout punch from a Rigid hammer drill and a broken window to realize where you belong. Whether you’re just starting out or considering a change, remember that finding your path in HVAC is a journey, not a destination.
For those still exploring their options, consider checking out the dos and don’ts for HVAC apprentices to avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered. Each experience, good or bad, shapes your career trajectory and helps you discover where you truly belong in this diverse industry.
Happy HVACing!
