HVAC School. Good idea?

[meat hunter]

The wife and I were talking today about the possibility of me going to school.
It may seem strange, but I have always found the HVAC field somewhat interesting.

My question is for the people that work in this field. How do you like it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it?
What can one expect to make wage wise in this field, service tech...?

Looking over my choices of classes and degrees offered, nothing really grabs my attention, but HVAC does look appealing. I'm not a suit and tie and fluorescent lights kinda guy, been there and done that. I like to get my hands dirty, hands on.

 

[the iceman]

Well I don't do HVAC but I do something that is closely related & I could do it if need be. I'm in low temp refrigeration, w/i freezers & coolers, commercial reach-ins & ice machines. As I stated, I could do HVAC but not all guys that do HVAC can do low temp.

I would think things are a bit different in Mn. than here in Az. I'm like you in that I enjoy working with my hands & HVAC / low temp will give you plenty of that. My main beef is the Summers, the heat around here gets real old. I've been close to heat exhaustion more than once.

I never went to school to learn my trade. I managed to hook up with a guy that was willing to teach me. 20+ years later & I'm still doing it. It's been my experience that many of the trade schools are just diploma factories, at least around here. Before I was into low temp I was an engineering supervisor at a large hotel & had to hire some of these people just out of the trade school & I knew more than they did about refrigeration. What I'm getting at is that field experience is many times more valuable than what you are taught in a book. Don't expect to earn top dollar right out of school.

If you choose to get into it, do your research & don't just hit one of those diploma factories.

 

[soafung]

i'm in a field that is sorta similar (Automated Control Tech) and i love it. as far as i know my pay scale is about average with journeyman electricians. i would agree on the field experience over diploma. if that piece of paper get's you into a job awesome. just remember to always stay up on the new technologies in your field and never forget the old stuff either. be cutting edge and retain the "lost arts" in your field.

 

[meat hunter]

Well you have your extreme heat and we have extreme cold. LOL.
I know what you mean on the heat though. I lived in el paso, and worked in the pest control business. Some days it was so hot I thought I was gonna die, and you can only shed so much clothing before your arrested for indecent exposure LOL. At least up here, when its really cold, you can dress up, even though sometimes its so cold you look like the michelan man all bundled up.

I would like to learn all facets of the trade, like what you do with the walkins and such. Yeah, there are diploma factories everywhere offering quick degrees.
What I'm looking at is a diploma offered by Rochester community and technical college. Definitely not a fly-by-night school. Many adds in the paper that are looking for people to help them in the hvac field state that they require someone with at least 5 years exp or a certificate in hvac.

I actually got my diploma in behavioral science back in 1990. Worked in that field for several years and just got burned out. All day dressed up working under artificial lights was just too much. Not active at all, sat at a desk, which led me to put on about 75 extra pounds which in turn kept me from becoming a male stripper.

Just kidding, I only put on about 50 extra pounds

For the past few years, I have done quite well with my vintage car/parts restoration business. Went so far as to incorporate a powder coater and large blast cabinet. Did really well at it. Well enough in fact to allow me to quit my day job as a supervisor at a large fabrication shop.

Then the economy tanked and...... well you know the rest.
But good economy or bad, when the furnace goes out or the AC quits, people will always call to have it fixed.....

 

[travcoman45]

I did HVAC/R fer many years. Enjoyed the work, decent pay (been to long ta say what it is now, but should be decent), not just stuck in one spot, got ta do alot a travelin.

What I didn't like was the hours, phone calls all hours a the night an day an weekends. In the end I was self employed so had no choice but ta go when the phone rang if ya wanted ta make a livin.

I wen't through a program offered by our local community college an it was a good one. Ya learned what ya wanted, the more ya put inta it the more ya got outa it. It can be a tough trade but rewardin as well.

Jobs can be good, sometimes ya gotta be willin ta move if ya wanna advance an get bigger salaries, but not always. Sorta depends on what be available in yer area to.

It's gettin alot more technical then it used ta be, but nothin that can't be learned.

Over the years the knowledge an experience has served me well no matter what job I've had. I still use some of it taday even in the state construction job. I hold a grade 1 boiler license as well an that always has it's perks.

Good luck!

 

[rbranstner]

There nothing wrong with getting a degree with a tech school thats what I did right out of high school. I took a two year program for telecommunications and I am still making more than by buddies who where in school for 4-5+ years. At 19 I was working full time out of college and I had cash to spend and they were still in college trying to make ends meet. A lot of times the diploma is just that, a piece of paper that states hey I am willing to learn hire me. Some places won't take you unless you have X amount of years experience or you have a degree/diploma. Doesn't mean you know a darn thing but it shows something to them. We just hired two new people who are fresh out of college man they don't know a thing. There is no substitute to on the job training I tell you what. I would take a seasoned veteran with no degree over a guy with degrees hanging all over the wall any day. My point is some times you need that degree to get your foot in the door and from there just pick up anything you can from the veterans and you will be going in no time. I like my job because I am not stuck in the office and I am doing something different every day. But yes the freezing cold does suck some times, you can put on as many cloths as you want but if you need to use your fingers like I do sometimes all you can do is take your gloves off and deal with it as long as you can then run your butt to your truck and warm up and then head back out and do it again. I live variety and in HVAC you would have that. It makes the days go faster and you don't get stuck in the same old grind. Ok I will quit babling now.

 

[jon foster]

Interesting thread. I'm a certified ASE Master. I learned the ropes from a guy I worked for as a teenager. Basically, he was a seasoned wrench and I learned from all of his mistakes. I did very well too.

In recent years I've taken easier office/desk jobs. Getting older slows you down I guess... One of my responsibilities when I worked for a school system was the HVAC. What I learned from years of auto work and basic HVAC work in homes and small commercial buildings gave me a good fundamental starting point. I'm also a very experienced IT guy. I do everything computer related... When I took over the HVAC for the school system everything I knew was drawn on. The school used a fairly large geothermal system for heating and cooling. Every room had a heat pump and some rooms had more than one. We also had radiant heating in the floors which was controlled by heat pumps. Let me tell you, I learned a lot when I took that over. Everything was computer controlled too...

I can't imagine a trade school being able to teach me what I needed to know to operate and work on that system.

Jon.

 

[walle]

MH - I say that if you have an opportunity to add some skills to your tool box, go for it.
I've been preaching a crazy theory of mine for some time now...blue collar skills (in regards to $$$$) are going to replace the white collar skills of yesterday simply because as our population ages, someone still needs to keep the heat (and cool) working, take out the trash, and make sure the toilet flushes.

I come from along line of roll up you sleeves and WORK folk. If it interests you, you'll probably be damn good at it.

 

[duck killer 1]

i have been in the hvac/r field for 16 years now. i currently own my own company which services restaurant equipment and commercial refrigeration including supermarkets. our company is based strictly on service work and only does installations based on sales resulting from our service calls. our installs are really nothing more than change outs/ the thing about the hvac trade is if you apply yourself you can learn to repair almost anything, and in an economy like ours repair is the magic word. nobody wants to replace things when the money gets tight. our company employs 10 people and 7 are technicians. most everything we do is centered around food, we are either fixing things that process food, keep it cold, cook it or clean it up... everybody has to eat so there will always be food equipment to be fixed. and the thing about commercial service is the customer is always glad you are there. and you can establish a relationship with that customer that lets them know you are there for them and they can call you for anything! job security! i strongly encourage anyone to seek a position in this field i also am self taught but depending on the schools available to you you may be wise to find a good trade school. most of all don't be afraid to ask questions! it seems in this trade nobody wants to ask a question when you know there are at least 3 other people around you who have the same question as you just they don't want to look stupid.
Sorry for the long post

 

[deltadude]

Since you are in the Midwest, as a HVAC service tech you will need to know the basics of more systems than say a Calif HVAC service tech, to be a high end tech. If you are already good at figuring out things for yourself, and mechanically inclined and don't mind working in a lot of different situations, then HVAC service tech might be for you. You need to really learn and understand the basics and theory of Refrigeration cycle, and can understand electrical schematics and read wiring diagrams. If you struggle with electrical then forget it. You have to have a good sense of troubleshooting, and can apply fundamentals that will lead to correct troubleshooting.

I worked in the HVAC wholesale side selling to contractors. I used my contacts to become self taught and could install and service basic residential heating & a/c, plus I designed systems up up to about 30 tons, using heat load and other design criteria. What helped me was my military training in electrical and electronics and understanding basic troubleshooting.

Good luck... either school learn or apprentice learned, the HVAC field is a big field and if you are halfway decent, you will never have to worry about employment.

 

[smoking gun]

I'm a master HVAC contractor doing residential and light commercial heating and cooling. All of my work is service repair/replacement. I used to do new construction but that market hasn't been too stable. In the service field there's some slow times but if it's 20 degrees or 100 degrees you will be busy.
You will have to deal with attics and crawl spaces on occasion but todays equipment is more service friendly with diagnostic modules that show error codes to help troubleshoot. Older equipment may leave you scratching your head. :) Pay for a journeyman tech just starting out is ok but if you like working overtime on 100 or 20 degree days you can usually get all the OT you want. Most of the time the work is steady.

Good luck.

 

[msmith]

I also have been in the HVAC field for 33 yrs now. Been out on my own for 10 yrs now. I mostly do service/repair and replacement on residental and light commercial. I learned by hands on training starting out by installing duct work and worked my way up from there. From all the replys you have gotten so far I will agree with all that has been said. There is nothing wrong with going to a trade school to learn about the basics to get you started and get familiar with the trade. I think anyone who chooses this as a trade should learn all the aspects. Hands on and working with others who have been in the field will teach you a lot. As far as wages go it all depends what area your in around here it can range starting out around $ 10.00 to $ 30.00 per hr. Like anything else in life you get out of it what you put in to it. All in all this is a good trade to be in and we can always use another good HVAC man.

 

[crazzycajun]

Go Union get paid to go to school

 

[Steve H]

Finding a company that provides OJT and former schooling is a plus.
I've done a lot of work on the control side of HVAC. Not with the refrigerant side. That never interested me.
I started out as an apprentice for industrial electricity. 7 years with a journeyman. With 2 years of schooling for basic and advanced electrical control and theory. Got my journeyman card in 1994. Since have moved to food and beverage as a master tech. Love my job. HVAC techs up here see pay in the uppers 20's to low 30's.

 

[Steve H]

Go Union get paid to go to school

That's how I did it.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Residential or commercial?

In residential, I have several friends in the business who own their own company and financially, they do VERY WELL. If that's your ultimate goal, you have to go to school and work hard to establish yourself first.

If you're wanting to work for someone else, I see "Want Ads" a lot so I think you would not have any problem finding work. With a work commitment from you, larger companies may even pay you to go to school and pay for schooling or offer a OJT program. There's a lot of opportunities out there for someone who will be committed and work hard.

One thing I know for sure is that folks want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer...

 

[mike243]

After 47 years i would rather be a well paid chef lol. You will freeze and burn up depending where you live, being on call sucks, when the temps are moderate you can starve to death and when its hot or cold you might work 20 hours a day, I switched over to home appliance’s several years ago, normally i work in a well maintained temp places but not always lol, not any trade schools around here to teach it, a good ac education along with strong electrical and electronic skills can make you some decent $$

 

[LoydB]

One of my musician buddies got tired of waiting tables about 20 years ago and chose HVAC because he knew he would always have work here. He works for Fox, and it has been a steady career that supports his family. He knew nothing about it going in to it, just hooked up with an apprenticeship through a city program as I recall.

 

[chopsaw]

Go Union get paid to go to school

That's where the best money is at also . Some of the private owned shops work on a base , and the techs have to " sell " in the field to receive commission . At least around here . Don't do that . Find a shop that's 8 hours work for 8 hours pay at a scale that's industry standard rate . Per hour and fringes . If you're only 24 you have time to build a pension . I got in the Carpenters at 28 . Retired no with now worries .

I've decided to make a major career change and will be enrolling in a 2 year HVAC program at a local tech college.

I did 3 years at a local tech high school . Back then it wasn't called HVAC . It was Heating , Air conditioning and Refrigeration . Also did small appliance . Had a work program , and I started running a service truck my Senior year after a half day of school . Went to work for them full time when I graduated , and lucky me got put on the insulation crew . Then ran the furnace cleaning truck . Then filled in for service .
I would check sources and see if any employers give credit for training at certain tech schools , and try to put those 2 together .

, being on call sucks,

Never a truer statement than that right there . Plus like you say , you go from nothing to you can't ever go home during peak repair times .

P.S. mike243 First week of Feb . will be the one year anniversary of " our " ice maker rebuild / rework / repair with no frost in the ice room and a never ending supply at the ready . Woot !!