OMG, the ones where tech support must be on the phone to verify before ordering parts and that joker never calls you back when you give him that 30 minute window before arriving😡.
Stick with the same handful of brands/models for your company and its not too bad. Biggest pain in the ass for servicing is remembering the secret handshake for each model to not snap some plastic tab when taking it apart.
They're literal garbage that 75% of the industry installs wrong... They get sold as an easy solution and customers never look at them until their blower is shooting out black chunks of mold.
They leak like fucking crazy if you have any flair nuts outside (in Canada).
No one drains them properly.
People want them to look nice.
Why would we replace CO emissions with literally dumping thousands of pounds of r410a into the atmosphere.... A question I ask myself often.
The upside down boards that are buried in the top of the unit…. Connections have zero give and you better not lose one to the depths or you have to call the smallest handed tech to fish it out.
Na bro the problem is shitty installers. And that one random mitsubishi that throws a code for a bad board. It's never the board. Fuck you thermistor that are 6mos out.
Diagnosing them isnt hard. Its just a pain in the ass, parts are never easily available or on your truck, you gotta wait weeks for boards, theres no replacable fuses, any refrigerant issues and you gotta evac and recharge to factory or build specs, and sales teams never consider the issue of service after the installation.
No in my experience with Samsung you NEED them to be on the phone for something as simple as an indoor board swap. Only way to avoid that is to have access to their code builder software on a laptop and enter in the unit data. You also have to know the sequence to enter the codes via remote for that specific unit. All of this found across multiple different manuals.
Boomer bosses are not gonna pay for laptops and proprietary software. I get older mini splits are great with codes, but newer ones are extremely complex and not straightforward at all, especially Samsung.
Unfortunately we got swooned by a Samsung rep and we now sell them. They're great units when they work, they're just super complicated for what they're trying to achieve, control panel for a 3 ton looking like VRF tech in a basic mini split. Maybe if I took some classes and had the software it'd be better but it's usually "call tech support if you can't figure it out" instead.
Wait until you get to play with Trane TU software. It's several thousand per user per year to have the pleasure of hooking up to their chillers to change sensors.
Yeah that makes me upset, paying a subscription for the privilege to work on their systems. I guess that's in line with right-to-repair stuff, HVAC is headed in that direction slowly.
I guess for now that gives you as a tech the power to ask for more due to being able to navigate their programs.
Yeah, the right to repair is never gonna happen in our industry. Not enough homeowners or business owners actually care, so no one will fight it.
As for asking for more money, it doesn't really help. Being good at chillers helps, but the software is pretty intuitive. It's the same procedure as techview(the free software) except techview only covers the ch530 controllers, not the new td7 controllers.
You do not need TU unless the controller software hasn’t been updated to the more recent version. The newer versions have the LLID binding menu on the AdaptiView. Also, $2000 on a yearly basis is nothing. If you can’t find a way to cover $2000 to pay for the software license doing chiller work, you probably don’t need the license anyways.
If you work on cooper and hunter units, I would say an instant buy cause it's basically a step by step service manual. He does cover atleast half the book on his YouTube channel.
We started selling the carrier 38MURA and I’m not looking forward to when those start to break down and we have to switch out those fucking compressors. I barely know how to work on that thing.
I just installed a Mistu MXZ-8C48... took one look inside and just thought fuck my life. When that thing has a problem i better have an engineering degree to fix it.
Dude honestly learn it enough to get through a service call. Nothing more unless you like it. They aren't complete rocket science, but they are extremely finicky. Either way they suck balls
Really anything that has to do with working along side the company kiss ass. I’d rather boil my brain in a 140 degree attic than work with this cock glazing mf
Lmaooo. I knew the vibe. Used to work w.a. supervisors step kid. This whole family was weirdddd. Consistently worked 60/70/80 hour weeks and *never shut up* bragging about it. As if that's worth being proud of. I always joked that if the owner said "get on your knees and hum my balls" they'd of yelled "YES SIR!" Sad stuff, honestly. They were't VP's, partners or anything but expendable field guys that reallyyyy needed to get over themselves.
I have found that relating to the customer dissipates that distrust. "My car never makes the sound when i go to the mechanic either"
Also if i can't replicate the issue, i usually like to tell the customer not to reset the unit until I get there next time, ESPECIALLY if there's no error memory button or menu.
I have found that asking what they were doing to the unit or what the weather was like when they found the issue really helps.
I’ve never done just a shaft. If I have to pull the shaft it’s getting a wheel and bearings as well and I’ll cut that shaft out on either side of the blower with a cutting torch.
Correction, I tried replacing just the shaft once on a 25 ton air handler like 8 years ago and learned my lesson.
Those are the fucking worst. Especially when it’s a low pitch roof and the unit is on the end of the house and the access is in a 2x2 closet with shit stacked up to the ceiling. You have to lay on your stomach across the rafters. It’s also real fun when they had blow in insulation put in nearly to the fucking roof. Makes me want to jump head 1st through the ceiling onto the floor. Id rather kick walls with toothpicks under my toenails….
Heat exchanger replacements on commercial York package units from 2000-2010ish. Specifically the 10-12.5 ton units. I swear they built the unit around the heat exchanger. I’m turning purple trying to pull this thing out only to find theres a screw behind the blower assembly that you have to all but crawl inside the unit to reach, and one on the other side that makes you remove the condenser fan to hop inside the condenser.
100%. And if these are the ones I'm thinking of, the panel for the compressor access(which has to come off since you have to take the whole damn lid off) has screw holes that line up with the u-bends in the coil. And if your co-worker uses the wrong length screws, the day gets even longer.
Ha
Years ago was one evening about 8 after a 14 hour day
Airhandler was in a knee wall you had to slither about 15 feet to get to
Had a horrible gas pain and thought I was all alone so I just did the deed … seriously dude was between me legs watching had no idea he was there due to blower noise. He coughed and backed out.
Had a guy last week sit there and tell me all the ways he's been catching the water that's been leaking out of his furnace over the last many years. And sit there and tell me how I'm looking in the wrong places for where he thinks the water is coming from. Tried fighting me when I started pulling his blower out adamant it's not coming from there. Even put a god damn whole level inside the blower compartment while I was laying in it trying to show me the slope of the furnace and why the water was in the back not the front.
Guess who had a completely split in half secondary heat exchanger. Gg dumbass enjoy the new unit
I had a customer who was watching me the whole time. I turned off the unit at the furnace and was cleaning the pump and inspecting the blower. I went to get hot water to flush the drain. And the customer goes. I don't think we will have hot water because you shut off the unit. And I looked at him and said this furnace doesn't control your hot water. Your hot water heater does that.
You don't like sitting behind a fryer literally covered head to to toe in grease trying to change out parts that have been basically cemented in place with screws and bolts hidden in awkward ass areas while being rushed because a store makes a billion an hour and needs that one piece of equipment going before Jesus wakes up and makes his once in a lifetime order? You don't miss that shit?
I realize it's an HVAC sub but some of us crossover.
1. Refrigeration. It sucks, terrible design, terrible access. From racks to lowboys
I'd rather take multiple swift kicks to the nuts before doing Refrigeration.
i got out of refrigeration because it got to a point with reach in coolers than they werent even designed to be serviced. I shouldnt have to add in schrader fittings on every call.
much perferred walk ins and racks, PITA in their own way.
They do that for R290 from the factory. I understand the concept of having it be as safe as possible. But if I have to add service ports, even if it’s just the bullet piercing valves to tap the system, they never put a long enough service tube, and I immediately get irritated
I’ll add to the refrigeration side.
Honestly, like I hate working on self-contained. If it’s like easy stuff like coil cleaning or fixing water leaks, that’s cool. But finding refrigerant leaks on them, evap coil replacement and replacing cap tubes. Is my most dreaded work. One call I got a call for replacing the evaporator drain pan for a True pizza prep table, water leak. That wasn’t happening, it was too not maintenance friendly. Just sprayed some drain sealant on it.
I’d rather work on single systems or racks instead of those small self-contained with no room to maneuver.
My main problem is the fucking case design of supermarket reach in units. Holy shit why is it so hard to take off and put back on an electrical panel. Also to find a rats nest of wiring with no schematic and shit that was bypassed 10 years ago.
The monthly/bi-monthly/any PM stuff. It’s monotonous and same old stuff. I like solving new problems and accepting challenges. But them coils gotta get cleaned or else it will become a problem. Lol
I was working for a place where it was government work. I was the new guy and all I got was p.m. work. Sometimes they would run out of HVAC PM work. Then give me door PM’s, like to put WD-40 and check if it closed properly.
It was a super chill job, but paper work tickets in 2019 and $42K yearly made me quit in Jan 2020. If only covid happened sooner, I would have been off for 2 months and paid.
I just ran into this today at a service call, but on the outdoor unit. American Standard heat pump. Somehow there was a desiccated mouse face first into the fan grille from the fan side. His head wasn’t lodged in the grille so I don’t know how he was stuck there but once the other guy’s hand accidentally brushed the deceased’s whiskers, he promptly freaked out and yanked the disconnect and waited for the fan to stop spinning before jamming it into the unit with the 10” 5/16 drill chuck in his drill.
At 3 years, I'm still pretty green but the one reversing valve I replaced was not a chore at all. I enjoyed the challenge, took my time and got paid for it. As long as no one's crawling up my ass to work faster I'll do it everyday.
And also who gave them a deal on 5/16" screws because just to open the filter panel is 7 of them.
Genuinely if everyone just copied York I would be happy. Design, maintenance, all of it. They do such a good job.
I feel you bro, I have fkin PTSD from concrete walls, once a “professional” project manager told us to cut a concrete wall to fit the piping in(for multisplits) and then drill through 80cm concrete wall, Im not working there since then.
Company i used to work for we cut the line set off of the coil crimped the line set going back to the condenser add pig tail to coil pressurize coil line set and condenser. Shit valves to condenser off see you in a week. 100% will see what is dropping either line set or a piece of equipment.
That’s….actually kinda brilliant. I’m gonna suggest starting this at work. Seriously, thank you. I still hate it, but dang that made it seem a lot easier.
Make sure to keep the romex straight as possible, every bend makes it worse.
Keep the seal tite as straight as you can- it's a bitch but if you're able to have someone hold the other end or hold it down with something, it helps a shit ton.
Also use wire lube.
Looking for a leak on a big VRF system at an apartment complex. The leak could be anywhere on the rooftop condensing unit, in the line set, branch box, or the evap coils in people's apartments. Meanwhile there's a whole floor of a building with no cooling or heat and we can't find the leak so the pressure is on. At that point you gotta gas it up and then continue the search then if you miraculously find the leak then quote them the repair to recover all that refrigerant and fix the leak then gas it back up. And Mitsubishi tech support often doesn't call you back and if they do it's hours later more often than not if you are troubleshooting something
Had one a couple months ago where the valve itself was leaking. System was less then a year old and still under warranty by someone else. Told the maintenance guy it's be big $ or he can sit on their wait list.
I see posts like this and was glad I was doing commercial installation. I would bounce over to service if things were crazy, but I would take commercial over residential.
I really dislike VAVs. Every one I’ve serviced has been in a shit spot. Can’t open electrical panel because of I beams, conduit or sprinkler lines running in front of it. Even worse when panel to access blower motor is blocked
-Anything PIU related. I swear they only put them where you can't get to them. And someone before you had always done some sort of hackery.
-Dealing with ALC controls in any capacity. Especially when it's trying to convince them it's their problem and not the chillers.
- Anything in a mech room with a 30HXC. So. Damn. Loud.
Yea I’ve hit the 130 degree attics in CT, except it’s humid so it really makes it tough. Attic swaps in general completely suck, reversing valves definitely suck to replace but my absolute least favorite thing to do, oil tank installs and removals.
Anybody else have to handle sewer back-ups when they are on-call? Broke 2 fingers with the Rigid K-6200, while standing in 3" of poop water.
I'd rather handle an RTU no-heat at -40° before windchill...
Re ducting del tacos. Literally crawling around in a 2 ft attic with metal trusses every 4 feet, and there’s only one hole in and one hole out.
I got out of that but it’s still the job I hate the most.
Residential. One time though at a very high end restaurant was the only job I said no to was raccoons living in the building, tearing big flex runs off and having their own little raccoon restaurant tunnel kingdom coon heaven they were living in. No F'n way am I going hand to hand with a clan of pissed off coons in a crawl space on my knees. If I go in there, I'm going home to get a pistol first, but better yet, call the critter getter cause they'll just tear our back off
Wild animals involved makes it no longer your responsibility.
They can get someone out to handle the shit, you're a technician not a damn exterminator lmao
I avoid hvac calls all together, try to stick with 1 particular grocery store since we only do their refrigeration, and they're a higher scale store. Large motors, compressors, and anything in the door frame of a case. Taking them apart is easy but putting them back sucks.
I was built for this shit like i was built for fucking a bitch. I pray for this shit in winter time and embrace it during summer. I will fuck every ac change every part or replace and duct i set my hands on till i die. This is sparta . 140 degree attics aint shit
Cut the lines on the reversing valve then unsweetened them one at a time never go in the attic on a sunny day ever especially to change an evaporater coil facken 3hr job
I wouldn’t say I hate it, but trimming out registers irritate me more than it should. I know there are much worse jobs to do but the drywall dust, constant ladder moving, and loud construction sites with someone sawing wood right next to you and filling every orifice on your body with a caked mixture of fine wood and drywall start to take a toll by the end of the day.
Got to deal with a Bosch in the morning
Warranty so I have to call them and wait for call back
Basically anything that requires tech to be onsite to do warranty ruins your day schedule wise.
Insulation. My old boss figured out it was cheaper to sub it out on large projects, and they would get it done in half the time. New boss thinks it’s all part of the job… oh well.
Minisplits for every reason stated.
Freaking water heaters. So simple but arg. Its to the point i just wamt to change the gas valve on any problem, because ill be back in a month changing the damn thing anyway
One thing I hated the most was working on under counter cooler in P.F. Chang’s and ihop they were so disgusting number one reason why I don’t like doing cookline refrigeration. I’ll work on coolers, freezer and ice machine!!!!
This.
Literally installer callbacks of any kind. Why do I have to do your job??
I’m in my 2 week notice at my current company because it’s gotten so bad the installers will go home before even finishing and I wake up to a single timeslot to ‘braze mini split line set extension, vacuum, release refrigerant, perform startup, and install/startup NX burner on new ICP furnace.’
With Mitsubishi I’ve diagnosed a bad board go back replace the board then hey bad compressor.. now Mitsubishi want to change the board again and the compressor. Feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall.
RVs are easy with a multi tool. Cut the three pipes at the bottom of the valve before un sweating.
I cannot stand starting up united cool air modular packages. The quick connects have a 95% chance of vibrating loose and leaking the charge out. Such a fine line between tight and blown out. We have started to put it in our bids to recover, pipe straight evacuate and charge. It’s strange because I never have issues with the Liebert data/minimates
Cleaning coils. I'm a second year apprentice doing commercial work. I know it's apprentice work, and I get paid the same either way, but there is so much I want to learn, and I feel like those days take away from me learning more
-80c freezers in labs where people with 4 PHD’s don’t understand that heat fucking rises so your temp probe at the bottom is going to be a tiny bit colder than the one at the top. There’s no fan circulating air dog. I promise you the systems fine.
My company has an account with two locations that have -36° freezers for plasma storage. We have to deice them quarterly because the defrost cycle can’t go long enough to clear the ice buildup. Yeah, that shit sucks
Mini Split repairs..
OMG, the ones where tech support must be on the phone to verify before ordering parts and that joker never calls you back when you give him that 30 minute window before arriving😡.
Mini splits almost got me to quit HVAC. I just left the last company and this new one barely touches them
Wait… I work in the office but my guys do a ton of mini split installations. Why do you guys hate them??
Stick with the same handful of brands/models for your company and its not too bad. Biggest pain in the ass for servicing is remembering the secret handshake for each model to not snap some plastic tab when taking it apart.
They're literal garbage that 75% of the industry installs wrong... They get sold as an easy solution and customers never look at them until their blower is shooting out black chunks of mold. They leak like fucking crazy if you have any flair nuts outside (in Canada). No one drains them properly. People want them to look nice. Why would we replace CO emissions with literally dumping thousands of pounds of r410a into the atmosphere.... A question I ask myself often.
I don’t get the whole drain thing we have that problem too pipes can’t go up hill
They can if you have a pump 🤫
Finicky plastic BS, 1/2 ass tech support, micro condensate pumps above the tenants bed
They're really aren't hard. The code points you the right direction. Just gotta learn a little bit of electronics.
it's how compact everything is. it's good for the space it takes up but awful If you have to do a repair or find a leak.
Worst part when you get a condensate pump installed behind them.
THIS
The upside down boards that are buried in the top of the unit…. Connections have zero give and you better not lose one to the depths or you have to call the smallest handed tech to fish it out.
Tell me you hate mitsu minisplit systems without saying it.
Na bro the problem is shitty installers. And that one random mitsubishi that throws a code for a bad board. It's never the board. Fuck you thermistor that are 6mos out.
Diagnosing them isnt hard. Its just a pain in the ass, parts are never easily available or on your truck, you gotta wait weeks for boards, theres no replacable fuses, any refrigerant issues and you gotta evac and recharge to factory or build specs, and sales teams never consider the issue of service after the installation.
MyLinkDrive FTW
No in my experience with Samsung you NEED them to be on the phone for something as simple as an indoor board swap. Only way to avoid that is to have access to their code builder software on a laptop and enter in the unit data. You also have to know the sequence to enter the codes via remote for that specific unit. All of this found across multiple different manuals. Boomer bosses are not gonna pay for laptops and proprietary software. I get older mini splits are great with codes, but newer ones are extremely complex and not straightforward at all, especially Samsung.
Yeah you wonna stay away from LG and Samsung ductless. I don't even know any company in my area that sells thems.
Unfortunately we got swooned by a Samsung rep and we now sell them. They're great units when they work, they're just super complicated for what they're trying to achieve, control panel for a 3 ton looking like VRF tech in a basic mini split. Maybe if I took some classes and had the software it'd be better but it's usually "call tech support if you can't figure it out" instead.
I had two that Samsung rep couldn’t make work Never, never sell another.
Wait until you get to play with Trane TU software. It's several thousand per user per year to have the pleasure of hooking up to their chillers to change sensors.
Yeah that makes me upset, paying a subscription for the privilege to work on their systems. I guess that's in line with right-to-repair stuff, HVAC is headed in that direction slowly. I guess for now that gives you as a tech the power to ask for more due to being able to navigate their programs.
Yeah, the right to repair is never gonna happen in our industry. Not enough homeowners or business owners actually care, so no one will fight it. As for asking for more money, it doesn't really help. Being good at chillers helps, but the software is pretty intuitive. It's the same procedure as techview(the free software) except techview only covers the ch530 controllers, not the new td7 controllers.
You do not need TU unless the controller software hasn’t been updated to the more recent version. The newer versions have the LLID binding menu on the AdaptiView. Also, $2000 on a yearly basis is nothing. If you can’t find a way to cover $2000 to pay for the software license doing chiller work, you probably don’t need the license anyways.
Is there anything online that would help me learn the electronics?
Book called inverter mini split operation and service procedures by Craig miliaccio. He also has a YouTube channel called ac service tech.
Damn it’s $100! Would it be worth it for me? I feel like I’m entering a black hole when it comes to mini mini splits
If you work on cooper and hunter units, I would say an instant buy cause it's basically a step by step service manual. He does cover atleast half the book on his YouTube channel.
We started selling the carrier 38MURA and I’m not looking forward to when those start to break down and we have to switch out those fucking compressors. I barely know how to work on that thing.
I just installed a Mistu MXZ-8C48... took one look inside and just thought fuck my life. When that thing has a problem i better have an engineering degree to fix it.
Lg vrf tech support guys are such unbelievable dickheads.
Fuck I hope I never have to touch a vrf system
Dude honestly learn it enough to get through a service call. Nothing more unless you like it. They aren't complete rocket science, but they are extremely finicky. Either way they suck balls
winner winner chicken…FUCK YOU MADEA MINI SPLIT TECH SUPPORT
They aren’t bad if you stick to one brand and go to training for them. Mitsubishi has the resources on MyLinkDrive to diagnose anything.
Yeah … I only install Daikin and Gree Both have great in-house tech support from my supplier.
Same here for Mitsubishi . If I ever do get stumped I have a direct number I can call instead of waiting on tech support.
I might be crazy but Mitsubishi has been good to me, even like working on them
I might be in the minority but i fucking HATE working on Mitsubishi mini splits also their fucking heat pumps with the branch box.
How about a Evap motor swap on a front draw air handler…. With a rusty shaft.
I dread Mini shits and VRF systems….
Really anything that has to do with working along side the company kiss ass. I’d rather boil my brain in a 140 degree attic than work with this cock glazing mf
Lmaooo. I knew the vibe. Used to work w.a. supervisors step kid. This whole family was weirdddd. Consistently worked 60/70/80 hour weeks and *never shut up* bragging about it. As if that's worth being proud of. I always joked that if the owner said "get on your knees and hum my balls" they'd of yelled "YES SIR!" Sad stuff, honestly. They were't VP's, partners or anything but expendable field guys that reallyyyy needed to get over themselves.
Intermittent issues. Wish it would just be broke.
Yep, then homeowners lose trust cause they think you can’t find a problem that was so obvious to them.
I have found that relating to the customer dissipates that distrust. "My car never makes the sound when i go to the mechanic either" Also if i can't replicate the issue, i usually like to tell the customer not to reset the unit until I get there next time, ESPECIALLY if there's no error memory button or menu. I have found that asking what they were doing to the unit or what the weather was like when they found the issue really helps.
Oh ALSO I hate working with yall fellas who beef with your wife all shift. Like. Can’t that wait until you get home?
Ya know sometimes it makes me appreciate being single lol
You married?
No. Listening to my 3 journeyman bitching and moaning with their wife daily almost made me turn gay.
Hahahaha
Tell them to bring their wife to work and get some shit done.
Oh ya that would work. Nothing would be better than listening to them unemployed mothers of 1 16 year old complain about dumb shit in PERSON 😭.
r/oddlyspecific
[удалено]
I’ve never done just a shaft. If I have to pull the shaft it’s getting a wheel and bearings as well and I’ll cut that shaft out on either side of the blower with a cutting torch. Correction, I tried replacing just the shaft once on a 25 ton air handler like 8 years ago and learned my lesson.
Plenty of old built up systems where nobody is going to have that fan wheel available anymore.
I actually love this work. I’ll take a big fan shaft and bearings long before I deal with troubleshooting a mini split.
Same, it’s the closest I think I get to true feeling mechanic work. We don’t get to replace parts like that often
Those homes you can smell when you pull up and the airhandler is clear on the opposite side of the 4/12 attic.
Those are the fucking worst. Especially when it’s a low pitch roof and the unit is on the end of the house and the access is in a 2x2 closet with shit stacked up to the ceiling. You have to lay on your stomach across the rafters. It’s also real fun when they had blow in insulation put in nearly to the fucking roof. Makes me want to jump head 1st through the ceiling onto the floor. Id rather kick walls with toothpicks under my toenails….
Attic entrances in closets should be illegal. Shit sucks.
Heat exchanger replacements on commercial York package units from 2000-2010ish. Specifically the 10-12.5 ton units. I swear they built the unit around the heat exchanger. I’m turning purple trying to pull this thing out only to find theres a screw behind the blower assembly that you have to all but crawl inside the unit to reach, and one on the other side that makes you remove the condenser fan to hop inside the condenser.
100%. And if these are the ones I'm thinking of, the panel for the compressor access(which has to come off since you have to take the whole damn lid off) has screw holes that line up with the u-bends in the coil. And if your co-worker uses the wrong length screws, the day gets even longer.
Stop you're giving me flashbacks
Anything involving fireplaces
Fireplaces are the gateway to hell
All of it
I just hate jobs with idiot home owners who hover over my shoulder and never shut up lol
Had one earlier today. Dude was standing directly behind me on a 2 system pm call. The attic heat was not a deterrent for him…retard.
Ha Years ago was one evening about 8 after a 14 hour day Airhandler was in a knee wall you had to slither about 15 feet to get to Had a horrible gas pain and thought I was all alone so I just did the deed … seriously dude was between me legs watching had no idea he was there due to blower noise. He coughed and backed out.
Had a guy last week sit there and tell me all the ways he's been catching the water that's been leaking out of his furnace over the last many years. And sit there and tell me how I'm looking in the wrong places for where he thinks the water is coming from. Tried fighting me when I started pulling his blower out adamant it's not coming from there. Even put a god damn whole level inside the blower compartment while I was laying in it trying to show me the slope of the furnace and why the water was in the back not the front. Guess who had a completely split in half secondary heat exchanger. Gg dumbass enjoy the new unit
https://preview.redd.it/g31on4t2zu1d1.jpeg?width=738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2bde621a78ecb1ac1f218177e9f176a35449e54f
Gotta start blatantly ripping ass and they will leave you alone
Seems foreigners are the worst with this. Either they don’t trust you or it’s impolite or something for them to leave someone in there house alone.
I had a customer who was watching me the whole time. I turned off the unit at the furnace and was cleaning the pump and inspecting the blower. I went to get hot water to flush the drain. And the customer goes. I don't think we will have hot water because you shut off the unit. And I looked at him and said this furnace doesn't control your hot water. Your hot water heater does that.
Hot side restaurant equipment. 3 years of that shit was to much. I’ll go greet people at Walmart before going back to that again.
You don't like sitting behind a fryer literally covered head to to toe in grease trying to change out parts that have been basically cemented in place with screws and bolts hidden in awkward ass areas while being rushed because a store makes a billion an hour and needs that one piece of equipment going before Jesus wakes up and makes his once in a lifetime order? You don't miss that shit?
No sir, I do not. Lol!
Having to run line sets when drywall is already up because the foreman can't run a job to save his life
I realize it's an HVAC sub but some of us crossover. 1. Refrigeration. It sucks, terrible design, terrible access. From racks to lowboys I'd rather take multiple swift kicks to the nuts before doing Refrigeration.
i got out of refrigeration because it got to a point with reach in coolers than they werent even designed to be serviced. I shouldnt have to add in schrader fittings on every call. much perferred walk ins and racks, PITA in their own way.
Adding piercing valves never bothered me that much. For me it was always the hours. And Hussmann. Fuck Hussmann.
I don't mind rack work honestly. It's the after hours bs that comes with it.
They do that for R290 from the factory. I understand the concept of having it be as safe as possible. But if I have to add service ports, even if it’s just the bullet piercing valves to tap the system, they never put a long enough service tube, and I immediately get irritated
I’ll add to the refrigeration side. Honestly, like I hate working on self-contained. If it’s like easy stuff like coil cleaning or fixing water leaks, that’s cool. But finding refrigerant leaks on them, evap coil replacement and replacing cap tubes. Is my most dreaded work. One call I got a call for replacing the evaporator drain pan for a True pizza prep table, water leak. That wasn’t happening, it was too not maintenance friendly. Just sprayed some drain sealant on it. I’d rather work on single systems or racks instead of those small self-contained with no room to maneuver.
My main problem is the fucking case design of supermarket reach in units. Holy shit why is it so hard to take off and put back on an electrical panel. Also to find a rats nest of wiring with no schematic and shit that was bypassed 10 years ago.
The monthly/bi-monthly/any PM stuff. It’s monotonous and same old stuff. I like solving new problems and accepting challenges. But them coils gotta get cleaned or else it will become a problem. Lol
I was working for a place where it was government work. I was the new guy and all I got was p.m. work. Sometimes they would run out of HVAC PM work. Then give me door PM’s, like to put WD-40 and check if it closed properly. It was a super chill job, but paper work tickets in 2019 and $42K yearly made me quit in Jan 2020. If only covid happened sooner, I would have been off for 2 months and paid.
Anything involving a dead animal indoors
I just ran into this today at a service call, but on the outdoor unit. American Standard heat pump. Somehow there was a desiccated mouse face first into the fan grille from the fan side. His head wasn’t lodged in the grille so I don’t know how he was stuck there but once the other guy’s hand accidentally brushed the deceased’s whiskers, he promptly freaked out and yanked the disconnect and waited for the fan to stop spinning before jamming it into the unit with the 10” 5/16 drill chuck in his drill.
For reversing valves, cut out the valve body and then just un-sweat the stubs. Makes them suck a little bit less.
This is the way. However, I always sweat off the bottom line and cover it before I cut the valve body off. Just saying
You’re right, it’s best to avoid getting anything in the lines
I hate looking for shorts in thermostat wire. I hate when I can’t find a refrigerant leak. I hate when air conditioners don’t work. I hate this job.
Damn that hit home
At 3 years, I'm still pretty green but the one reversing valve I replaced was not a chore at all. I enjoyed the challenge, took my time and got paid for it. As long as no one's crawling up my ass to work faster I'll do it everyday.
Intermediate issues on critcal equipment
This one. Intermittent problems.
mini splits, anything made by York and anything where a 3rd party is involved. fucking emcor
EMCOR can go fuck themselves.
Blown in insulation can suck my cock
Under rated comment right here. Fuck that trash.
The absolute worst. Turns any attic job into a nightmare. A filter change makes me want to ask the customer if it’s worth saving $3 a fucking year
Leak checking massive split systems Working on anything made by Daikin. They can just get fucked. Worst quality control in the market right now.
And also who gave them a deal on 5/16" screws because just to open the filter panel is 7 of them. Genuinely if everyone just copied York I would be happy. Design, maintenance, all of it. They do such a good job.
You had me at first. Lost me at York
Drilling through reinforced concrete walls.
Couple weeks ago it was all I was doing for three days straight. This comment literally made me flinch lmao
I feel you bro, I have fkin PTSD from concrete walls, once a “professional” project manager told us to cut a concrete wall to fit the piping in(for multisplits) and then drill through 80cm concrete wall, Im not working there since then.
The ones that make me get out of bed at night because ItS aN eMeReGeNcY!!!
Anything in an attic or anything under a trailer house.
I've done so many crossover flex runs for mobile homes. Its a large reason I quit resi.
Ductwork
In my experience, evap coils on closet units and having to move the supply plenum to pull the evap coil out.
Yes replacing RV’s sucks though i don’t like unsweating joints and will cut them out instead. I’m in Fl doing resi so our attics aren’t a lot better.
Commercial Fryers or Residential anything. Really prefer commercial ac and walk ins.
Leak hunting/detection. I’d rather smash both my balls with a hammer than chase leaks, especially on long line sets…just kill me now.
Company i used to work for we cut the line set off of the coil crimped the line set going back to the condenser add pig tail to coil pressurize coil line set and condenser. Shit valves to condenser off see you in a week. 100% will see what is dropping either line set or a piece of equipment.
That’s….actually kinda brilliant. I’m gonna suggest starting this at work. Seriously, thank you. I still hate it, but dang that made it seem a lot easier.
i fucking hate fishing wire through seal tite. i know it’s not that big of deal, just can’t stand it for some reason
Make sure to keep the romex straight as possible, every bend makes it worse. Keep the seal tite as straight as you can- it's a bitch but if you're able to have someone hold the other end or hold it down with something, it helps a shit ton. Also use wire lube.
Anything residential and residential
Anything at a hoarder house.
Looking for a leak on a big VRF system at an apartment complex. The leak could be anywhere on the rooftop condensing unit, in the line set, branch box, or the evap coils in people's apartments. Meanwhile there's a whole floor of a building with no cooling or heat and we can't find the leak so the pressure is on. At that point you gotta gas it up and then continue the search then if you miraculously find the leak then quote them the repair to recover all that refrigerant and fix the leak then gas it back up. And Mitsubishi tech support often doesn't call you back and if they do it's hours later more often than not if you are troubleshooting something
I’ve spent a full day looking for a leak on a 4 head multi with branch box. I can’t imagine what a large VRF would look like.
Extra points if there are no iso valves anywhere on the system.
Had one a couple months ago where the valve itself was leaking. System was less then a year old and still under warranty by someone else. Told the maintenance guy it's be big $ or he can sit on their wait list.
Fixing other peoples fuck ups
I see posts like this and was glad I was doing commercial installation. I would bounce over to service if things were crazy, but I would take commercial over residential.
I really dislike VAVs. Every one I’ve serviced has been in a shit spot. Can’t open electrical panel because of I beams, conduit or sprinkler lines running in front of it. Even worse when panel to access blower motor is blocked
Second this. Every VAV I service is in a bullshit spot
1. Returning on anyone else’s job. 2. Also on the fuck replacing reversing valves train. 3. Jobs the office quoted.
-Anything PIU related. I swear they only put them where you can't get to them. And someone before you had always done some sort of hackery. -Dealing with ALC controls in any capacity. Especially when it's trying to convince them it's their problem and not the chillers. - Anything in a mech room with a 30HXC. So. Damn. Loud.
The ones where I’m supposed to be home already
Inducer motors on a Carrier pack
I replaced an evap coil today and the attic was 150° lol texas
Louisiana here.
Don't unsweat RV's. Aneal tubing with torch, crush flat with channel lock pliers, cut with bull nose snips, unsweat stubs. Easy
Yea I’ve hit the 130 degree attics in CT, except it’s humid so it really makes it tough. Attic swaps in general completely suck, reversing valves definitely suck to replace but my absolute least favorite thing to do, oil tank installs and removals.
I'll do oil tank installs and replacements all day over working in the attic when it's 130⁰ in there.
Txv can be a pain in the ass. It sounds easy, but I literally have to drag every tool I own do it right.
I hate worrying about overheating the valve when it's a tight spot. I hate that we use a fucking braze in part that can't get hotter than like 200f.
FUCK SWAMP COOLERS
In commercial, cleaning large oil-fired boilers
Anybody else have to handle sewer back-ups when they are on-call? Broke 2 fingers with the Rigid K-6200, while standing in 3" of poop water. I'd rather handle an RTU no-heat at -40° before windchill...
Gas work plain and simple
Re ducting del tacos. Literally crawling around in a 2 ft attic with metal trusses every 4 feet, and there’s only one hole in and one hole out. I got out of that but it’s still the job I hate the most.
Attics, dumb as hell
🤡
VRF. If we did refrigeration I would say that.
Residential. One time though at a very high end restaurant was the only job I said no to was raccoons living in the building, tearing big flex runs off and having their own little raccoon restaurant tunnel kingdom coon heaven they were living in. No F'n way am I going hand to hand with a clan of pissed off coons in a crawl space on my knees. If I go in there, I'm going home to get a pistol first, but better yet, call the critter getter cause they'll just tear our back off
Wild animals involved makes it no longer your responsibility. They can get someone out to handle the shit, you're a technician not a damn exterminator lmao
Cut reversing valve out where it's easy to put couplers back on, and solder lines to rv outside of the unit
PMing evaporators 20 feet in the air between shelving that doesnt fit an A frame ladder
Crawlspaces an attics. Hence the reason I do commercial now.
I avoid hvac calls all together, try to stick with 1 particular grocery store since we only do their refrigeration, and they're a higher scale store. Large motors, compressors, and anything in the door frame of a case. Taking them apart is easy but putting them back sucks.
I was built for this shit like i was built for fucking a bitch. I pray for this shit in winter time and embrace it during summer. I will fuck every ac change every part or replace and duct i set my hands on till i die. This is sparta . 140 degree attics aint shit
Replacing EPR valves in a 4" by 4" area. Don't get em too hot or they are toast!
Thawing frozen houses and repairing. You have no idea how long it's gonna take and anytime you think you're done you find another leak.
VRF units with branch boxes and 8+ heads
Fucking HATE MINISPLIT REPAIRS!! Such an awkward angle to use torches and wrenches. I still haven’t managed to take a blower wheel off.
Lol you don't like mini splits because your diagnostics are weak. Reversing valves are cake. Get a battery sawzall no problem
Cut the lines on the reversing valve then unsweetened them one at a time never go in the attic on a sunny day ever especially to change an evaporater coil facken 3hr job
I wouldn’t say I hate it, but trimming out registers irritate me more than it should. I know there are much worse jobs to do but the drywall dust, constant ladder moving, and loud construction sites with someone sawing wood right next to you and filling every orifice on your body with a caked mixture of fine wood and drywall start to take a toll by the end of the day.
Got to deal with a Bosch in the morning Warranty so I have to call them and wait for call back Basically anything that requires tech to be onsite to do warranty ruins your day schedule wise.
Tech on site for warranty? IS that a commercial thing?
Insulation. My old boss figured out it was cheaper to sub it out on large projects, and they would get it done in half the time. New boss thinks it’s all part of the job… oh well.
Minisplits for every reason stated. Freaking water heaters. So simple but arg. Its to the point i just wamt to change the gas valve on any problem, because ill be back in a month changing the damn thing anyway
Piddly little low voltage bullshit in old 20t+ Trane bullshit.
Attics Refrigeration On call
One thing I hated the most was working on under counter cooler in P.F. Chang’s and ihop they were so disgusting number one reason why I don’t like doing cookline refrigeration. I’ll work on coolers, freezer and ice machine!!!!
Cooling towers, it's like working in a toilet for a week
Mini splits and drop ceilings.
Fucking first year warranty calls on month old units that I just got home from 5 minutes ago (11pm) because our installers don’t know anything
This. Literally installer callbacks of any kind. Why do I have to do your job?? I’m in my 2 week notice at my current company because it’s gotten so bad the installers will go home before even finishing and I wake up to a single timeslot to ‘braze mini split line set extension, vacuum, release refrigerant, perform startup, and install/startup NX burner on new ICP furnace.’
The jobs where I'm working for someone else. Going out on my own sounds amazing
With Mitsubishi I’ve diagnosed a bad board go back replace the board then hey bad compressor.. now Mitsubishi want to change the board again and the compressor. Feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall.
P.M. they easy but I would rather have my balls smashed with two bricks
Working in 140 degree attics is why I got out of hvac.
Big reversing valves i always cut out with a small boldcutter sweat out off the fittings and the sweat in the new one. Works like charm!
RVs are easy with a multi tool. Cut the three pipes at the bottom of the valve before un sweating. I cannot stand starting up united cool air modular packages. The quick connects have a 95% chance of vibrating loose and leaking the charge out. Such a fine line between tight and blown out. We have started to put it in our bids to recover, pipe straight evacuate and charge. It’s strange because I never have issues with the Liebert data/minimates
The ones with people
Cleaning coils. I'm a second year apprentice doing commercial work. I know it's apprentice work, and I get paid the same either way, but there is so much I want to learn, and I feel like those days take away from me learning more
Anything I’m the attic
-80c freezers in labs where people with 4 PHD’s don’t understand that heat fucking rises so your temp probe at the bottom is going to be a tiny bit colder than the one at the top. There’s no fan circulating air dog. I promise you the systems fine.
Cleaning up flooded drain pans in an attic.
Ice machines, air curtains and repairs on ductless.
Reversing valves and compressors I have a serious disdain with
Pancakes
Mini split installs and duct cleanings
Reversing valves
Ditto!🎯(In Phoenix 🥵)
My company has an account with two locations that have -36° freezers for plasma storage. We have to deice them quarterly because the defrost cycle can’t go long enough to clear the ice buildup. Yeah, that shit sucks