A good HVAC technician must have the hands-onÂ
skills of a mechanic, electrician, pipefitter,  welder, plumber, fabricator, duct mechanic,Â
insulator, rigger, analyst, electronics  technician, chemist, computer programmer,Â
computer technician, millwright, and machinist. I usually try to keep things positiveÂ
and lighthearted on my channel,  but I guess this week I was feeling feisty.
There are several reasons why youâll never  be a good technician, but there are many of youÂ
great technicians out there that know even more  reasons why technicians never fully make it. LetÂ
me know in the comments below what some of the  other reasons are. And feel free to trashÂ
talk me back if Iâm wrong on any of these! 1. NATE has nothing to doÂ
with continual training â In my opinion, NATE certification is just aÂ
money grab.
But, if you wonât continuously  train yourself and try to learn more,Â
youâll never be a good technician. 2. Inviting Personality â
If you canât hold your head  up high and flash a little smile here and there.Â
If people are afraid to talk to you or feel like  somethingâs wrong with you while youâre makingÂ
the repair or installing a system, youâll never  be looked at as a well-rounded technician.
3. You wonât read the instructions â Someone who installs a system or replaces aÂ
control board without reading the instructions,  creating a call-back for somethingÂ
they could have easily prevented,  will never be considered a great technician. RTFM.Â
Read The F&cking Manual isnât just a newly created  text term. Itâs something they assumed you wouldÂ
do on your own before coming to them for answers. 4. You leave your work areaÂ
dirty after you leave â If you canât wipe down your work area or pickÂ
up the little plastic pieces you stripped off  the wiring, or wipe off the service valve areaÂ
after the refrigerant has sprayed out a little,  youâll never be a good HVAC technician.
If youÂ
canât wipe down the attic access after coming down  the ladder or have the common sense to put someÂ
white caulking around a return grille, that be a  little gappy; youâre just another technician.
5. Reliable â If you canât get to work on time, youâll neverÂ
be fully respected by your peers. Anyone who says  theyâll do something but flakes out on it allÂ
time will never become a good HVAC technician. 6.
Canât read a blueprint â
Itâs something listed on most descriptions for  an HVAC applicant, but so many people have neverÂ
learned how to read and understand blueprints.  Blueprints will never replaceÂ
seeing something in plain view,  but youâll never be a great technicianÂ
if you canât read blueprints. 7. Some technical aspects â
If you canât (or wonât) set the blower speed  on a furnace or air handler based on the chartÂ
in the manual, youâll never be a good technician. If you canât (or you refuse to)Â
check gas pressures on a furnace  after an install or replacing a gasÂ
valve, youâll never be a good technician. 8. Canât run a duct properly â
If you canât run a duct and pull it tight  in a straight line with long smooth bends, or yourÂ
ductwork sags, you never be a good install tech. 9. Patience â
HVAC techs who blow through  calls to get to the end of their day quickerÂ
or make more commissions lack the patience  they need to step back after a repair andÂ
look at what theyâve done.
Itâs like those  cars who weave in and out of traffic toÂ
get their off-ramp 15 seconds fasterâall  the while putting others in the back of theirÂ
mind because they need to be somewhere else. 10. You borrow tools all the time â
If youâre a new technician in the field,  you should be buying at least one new tool forÂ
your arsenal every paycheck. It doesnât even have  to be new tools. E-bay and flea markets areÂ
great places to pick up new tools for yourself.  On the other hand, if youâve been a tech forÂ
a while and keep borrowing this or that tool  from your partners on the job, you probablyÂ
arenât looked at as a good HVAC technician. 11. Integrity â
If you were raised to freely deceive people based  on your needs.
If you donât care about lying toÂ
people so that you can pad your wallet, you might  replace a lot of parts or sell a lot more systems.Â
But youâll never be a good tech in my eyes. 12. You wonât embrace change â
Some people donât like new technology,  or they're afraid of screwing upÂ
trying to repair new technology.  So, they avoid it. If you donât understand orÂ
just wonât embrace the fact that technology  is going to get more technical every few yearsÂ
exponentially, you may be a good technician now,  but youâll eventually be replaced byÂ
someone who does is ready to dive right in. 13.
You jump to conclusions â
Some technicians canât focus on the sequence  of operation for the system. So, they just repairÂ
what usually needs to be fixed on the unit.  A good technician can evaluate the systemÂ
based on whatâs supposed to happen,  repair it, and make sure the systemÂ
runs right after it's going again. 14. You talk too much â
People who talk too much are  annoying. Itâs not good to be the personÂ
always running their mouth on the job,  talking about how good it was at the last placeÂ
they worked at, or bragging about this and that.  Even those who always have to one-up anotherÂ
personâs story so they will look cooler will  never get the respect of a good HVAC technician.Â
If an employer is trying to show you how they want  something done, take a little advice.
Zip itÂ
and listen before opening your mouth. Learning  a little social grace will go a long way towardsÂ
being well-liked and considered a good technician. 15. You donât talk enough â
Thereâs a fine line to walk  when it comes to communicating. Youâre damnedÂ
if you do and damned if you donât. If you never  ask questions or donât respond to people who talkÂ
to you, youâre not talking enough. In my opinion,  text messaging is so easy. If someone texts youÂ
a question or some information regarding work.  Responding with an âOKâ or âNo problemâ willÂ
go a long way. But if you donât talk enough,  youâll never be a good technician.
16. Youâre a parts changer â This goes hand in hand with other items on thisÂ
list, but parts changers are not good technicians.  Knowing the sequence of operations and how theÂ
system is supposed to work is key to becoming a  technician who can identify and repair the problemÂ
in as few visits as possible. Every technician has  identified the wrong repair needed at one time orÂ
another.
Everyone makes mistakes. But consistently  just throwing parts at a system and hoping itâllÂ
work is not the sign of a good HVAC technician. 17. You donât have a senseÂ
of alignment or appearance â Can you look at a line and tell if itâs straight?Â
Can you look at a box and tell if itâs parallel  with a wall. Can you use a level? How aboutÂ
this â can you tell if a job looks âcleanâ  rather than something thatâs just thrown in?Â
Little things like applying primer neatly and  facing PVC piping away from the lettering. TheseÂ
things will set a good tech apart from a bad one.  If you canât grasp the concept of uniformityÂ
and common-sense installation practices like  making your lines flow straight and your conduitÂ
flow smoothly, youâll never be a good HVAC tech. 18. You write like a 5-year-old,Â
and you donât know how to spell â If you canât write yourÂ
service notes on an invoice  neatly or write up an estimate forÂ
your customer in legible print,  itâs going to be hard to take you seriously.
IfÂ
you wonât proofread your typed-up invoices or  estimates, itâs going to look bad. PeopleÂ
are going to think youâre a sloppy tech. 19. You donât like being told how toÂ
do something somebody elseâs way â You canât come into a new workplace and expect toÂ
be able to do things the way youâve always done  it.
If you wanted that, you should have stayedÂ
at your old job. Thatâs why companies like to  hire brand new technicians sometimes, becauseÂ
they come in with an open mind, ready to learn.  Those who donât like to be told what to doÂ
will never be viewed as a good HVAC tech. 20. Your service van looks dirty â
Some might say a sparkling clean van,  inside and out, probably isnât used enough.Â
On the opposite end of the spectrum,  a van that is consistently thrashed insideÂ
and filthy on the outside indicates a sloppy  technician who doesnât care about his work.Â
Thereâs always a middle ground for everything,  though. HVAC techs work hard. Installers workÂ
even harder! But if you canât take the time out of  your day to keep your van looking decent, youâllÂ
never be looked at as a competent HVAC technician.