20 Reasons You’ll Never Be a Good HVAC Technician😂

A good HVAC technician must have the hands-on 
skills of a mechanic, electrician, pipefitter,   welder, plumber, fabricator, duct mechanic, 
insulator, rigger, analyst, electronics   technician, chemist, computer programmer, 
computer technician, millwright, and machinist.  I usually try to keep things positive 
and lighthearted on my channel,   but I guess this week I was feeling feisty.
There are several reasons why you’ll never   be a good technician, but there are many of you 
great technicians out there that know even more   reasons why technicians never fully make it. Let 
me know in the comments below what some of the   other reasons are. And feel free to trash 
talk me back if I’m wrong on any of these!  1. NATE has nothing to do 
with continual training –  In my opinion, NATE certification is just a 
money grab.

But, if you won’t continuously   train yourself and try to learn more, 
you’ll never be a good technician.  2. Inviting Personality –
If you can’t hold your head   up high and flash a little smile here and there. 
If people are afraid to talk to you or feel like   something’s wrong with you while you’re making 
the repair or installing a system, you’ll never   be looked at as a well-rounded technician.
3. You won’t read the instructions –  Someone who installs a system or replaces a 
control board without reading the instructions,   creating a call-back for something 
they could have easily prevented,   will never be considered a great technician. RTFM. 
Read The F&cking Manual isn’t just a newly created   text term. It’s something they assumed you would 
do on your own before coming to them for answers.  4. You leave your work area 
dirty after you leave –  If you can’t wipe down your work area or pick 
up the little plastic pieces you stripped off   the wiring, or wipe off the service valve area 
after the refrigerant has sprayed out a little,   you’ll never be a good HVAC technician.

If you 
can’t wipe down the attic access after coming down   the ladder or have the common sense to put some 
white caulking around a return grille, that be a   little gappy; you’re just another technician.
5. Reliable –  If you can’t get to work on time, you’ll never 
be fully respected by your peers. Anyone who says   they’ll do something but flakes out on it all 
time will never become a good HVAC technician.  6.

Can’t read a blueprint –
It’s something listed on most descriptions for   an HVAC applicant, but so many people have never 
learned how to read and understand blueprints.   Blueprints will never replace 
seeing something in plain view,   but you’ll never be a great technician 
if you can’t read blueprints.  7. Some technical aspects –
If you can’t (or won’t) set the blower speed   on a furnace or air handler based on the chart 
in the manual, you’ll never be a good technician.  If you can’t (or you refuse to) 
check gas pressures on a furnace   after an install or replacing a gas 
valve, you’ll never be a good technician.  8. Can’t run a duct properly –
If you can’t run a duct and pull it tight   in a straight line with long smooth bends, or your 
ductwork sags, you never be a good install tech.  9. Patience –
HVAC techs who blow through   calls to get to the end of their day quicker 
or make more commissions lack the patience   they need to step back after a repair and 
look at what they’ve done.

It’s like those   cars who weave in and out of traffic to 
get their off-ramp 15 seconds faster—all   the while putting others in the back of their 
mind because they need to be somewhere else.  10. You borrow tools all the time –
If you’re a new technician in the field,   you should be buying at least one new tool for 
your arsenal every paycheck. It doesn’t even have   to be new tools. E-bay and flea markets are 
great places to pick up new tools for yourself.   On the other hand, if you’ve been a tech for 
a while and keep borrowing this or that tool   from your partners on the job, you probably 
aren’t looked at as a good HVAC technician.  11. Integrity –
If you were raised to freely deceive people based   on your needs.

If you don’t care about lying to 
people so that you can pad your wallet, you might   replace a lot of parts or sell a lot more systems. 
But you’ll never be a good tech in my eyes.  12. You won’t embrace change –
Some people don’t like new technology,   or they're afraid of screwing up 
trying to repair new technology.   So, they avoid it. If you don’t understand or 
just won’t embrace the fact that technology   is going to get more technical every few years 
exponentially, you may be a good technician now,   but you’ll eventually be replaced by 
someone who does is ready to dive right in.  13.

You jump to conclusions –
Some technicians can’t focus on the sequence   of operation for the system. So, they just repair 
what usually needs to be fixed on the unit.   A good technician can evaluate the system 
based on what’s supposed to happen,   repair it, and make sure the system 
runs right after it's going again.  14. You talk too much –
People who talk too much are   annoying. It’s not good to be the person 
always running their mouth on the job,   talking about how good it was at the last place 
they worked at, or bragging about this and that.   Even those who always have to one-up another 
person’s story so they will look cooler will   never get the respect of a good HVAC technician. 
If an employer is trying to show you how they want   something done, take a little advice.

Zip it 
and listen before opening your mouth. Learning   a little social grace will go a long way towards 
being well-liked and considered a good technician.  15. You don’t talk enough –
There’s a fine line to walk   when it comes to communicating. You’re damned 
if you do and damned if you don’t. If you never   ask questions or don’t respond to people who talk 
to you, you’re not talking enough. In my opinion,   text messaging is so easy. If someone texts you 
a question or some information regarding work.   Responding with an “OK” or “No problem” will 
go a long way. But if you don’t talk enough,   you’ll never be a good technician.
16. You’re a parts changer –  This goes hand in hand with other items on this 
list, but parts changers are not good technicians.   Knowing the sequence of operations and how the 
system is supposed to work is key to becoming a   technician who can identify and repair the problem 
in as few visits as possible. Every technician has   identified the wrong repair needed at one time or 
another.

Everyone makes mistakes. But consistently   just throwing parts at a system and hoping it’ll 
work is not the sign of a good HVAC technician.  17. You don’t have a sense 
of alignment or appearance –  Can you look at a line and tell if it’s straight? 
Can you look at a box and tell if it’s parallel   with a wall. Can you use a level? How about 
this – can you tell if a job looks “clean”   rather than something that’s just thrown in? 
Little things like applying primer neatly and   facing PVC piping away from the lettering. These 
things will set a good tech apart from a bad one.   If you can’t grasp the concept of uniformity 
and common-sense installation practices like   making your lines flow straight and your conduit 
flow smoothly, you’ll never be a good HVAC tech.  18. You write like a 5-year-old, 
and you don’t know how to spell –  If you can’t write your 
service notes on an invoice   neatly or write up an estimate for 
your customer in legible print,   it’s going to be hard to take you seriously.

If 
you won’t proofread your typed-up invoices or   estimates, it’s going to look bad. People 
are going to think you’re a sloppy tech.  19. You don’t like being told how to 
do something somebody else’s way –  You can’t come into a new workplace and expect to 
be able to do things the way you’ve always done   it.

If you wanted that, you should have stayed 
at your old job. That’s why companies like to   hire brand new technicians sometimes, because 
they come in with an open mind, ready to learn.   Those who don’t like to be told what to do 
will never be viewed as a good HVAC tech.  20. Your service van looks dirty –
Some might say a sparkling clean van,   inside and out, probably isn’t used enough. 
On the opposite end of the spectrum,   a van that is consistently thrashed inside 
and filthy on the outside indicates a sloppy   technician who doesn’t care about his work. 
There’s always a middle ground for everything,   though. HVAC techs work hard. Installers work 
even harder! But if you can’t take the time out of   your day to keep your van looking decent, you’ll 
never be looked at as a competent HVAC technician.

As found on YouTube