Changing Careers

I'm not a hvac technician, but I've used several over the years. Based on my discussions with all the techs who serviced my equipment my opinion is that being a hvac technician is technically demanding. There's a lot more than just installing equipment and fixing equipment. There'a a little bit of engineering and physics, lots of math, diagnostic savvy (being able to diagnose a problem), and just general knowledge about heating and cooling. That's just for the technical side. For the customer service side there's a whole different set of skills you've got to develop. As far as whether or not you should change careers, the decision is entirely up to you. As far as hvac vs a another career field, there's lots of competition and plenty of work. If you're up to the challenge, go for it.

 

This job is demending as the units are changing every day, new technology comes out and you must keep up with it if you want to succeed, and like every other job success depends on demand and availability, if you live in a city where there is a high demand in HVAC and not many contractors available or like me living in a town where contractors are a mob and prices are so high that you go to church every sunday praying for your equipment not to brake!! and you want to charge what is right, then you will be fine changing carrers. also keep in mind that no matter what the weather is like you have to be there when the customer calls. I belive is a great job!!

 

As a Tech, the pay is ok but not fantastic.

As a contractor, is it easy and profitable?
In Texas #1 it is not easy to get a license . . . #2 pass a 3 hrs test after 3 years in the field and strongly recommend tech school. I went nights for 2.5 years at a college in the area.

Is it profitable. Can be or I wouldn't be here. In my area you have to compete with non licensed and hacks that low bid the job and you never see them again. If you charge a reasonable price and build a business word of mouth, yes it can be profitable. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be to be profitable. License, insurance, continuing education.building inventory, lots of upfront tools needed + competing with the hacks and fly by nighters.

It can be rewarding. . . . job well done. I take pride in my work as I believe most licensed A/C and Heating contractors on this board do.

 

Tough mentally and physically



Question are you a computer programmer?

If so bear in mind that this work is very physically demanding as well up an down ladders all day depending on area of the country roof temps in excess 140 degrees, on you feet a lot, attic temps very high too, it take most guys 8-10 years on the job to be really proficient at it IF they have the right training. I know to be a contractor in most states you have to have some time in the field my husband has been doing this for 16 years and his body is paying the price and he is younger then you. On a good note there is money to be made in any industry with the correct business acumen.

Best of Luck

 

Stay a programmer!

 

I love it when somebody who doesn't do the job and has talked to people who do the job gives advice to somebody who wants to enter the field. There are many things to consider. First of all you will work in extreme heat or cold, when its nice outside, they don't need you. That leads you to when it is nice outside and depending on who or where you work, there may not be any work and you will not be getting a paycheck. Sometimes you will climb a lot as the lady said and crawl underneath houses and get into some nasty stuff. You will be low man on totem pole, which means that you will be a $9/hr gopher for a few years, that is if your leadman wants to teach you anything because he is insecure about his job and doesn't want you to take it. The freedom to not be stuck in an office all day is rewarding and fixing things is rewarding and sometimes very frustrating. Most of how happy you will be in your job will greatly depend on who you work for, there are a lot of d*ckheads out there to work for, I am lucky, I enjoy where I work at and have a lot of latitude and not much 2nd guessing. At your age, I would consider something else honestly. I'm 40 right now and have helpers and subs to take care of a lot of grunt work, if I had to do a lot of it, I don't think I could physically do what they do anymore. You will be coming into the grunt work part and it will hurt at night. Especially hands,knees and back. If I were where you are at right now, I would consider biomedical technician. Lots of need now and in the future and no crawling and climbing and you would be in a conditioned space fixing the machines.

 

I am confused why the dig if you agree with what I said and If you read correctly it not just some one I know and had a casual conversation its my husband. I know how he looks and how he feels when he gets home from work and any physically demanding job would be difficult to start in your 40's and the learning curve in this industry is slow so whats wrong with giving good advice?

 

being an hvac contractor...

...is about as easy as swimming across an alligator pond with a chicken tied around your neck

 

...is about as easy as swimming across an alligator pond with a chicken tied around your neck

 

Twilli used to be programmer and became contractor and a spokesman for Viagra. Although Twilli don't really need it.

 

If you like it, go for it

Before starting a HVACR business last year, I started out as star technician with a Fortune 500 company doing chiller maintenance in the late 70's before graduating with national honors from a top 3 mechanical engineering school in 2000 (no time gap there...lol) -- I'm a licensed AC & Refrigeration technician as well as a licensed Mechanical Engineer.

It's painful to get licensed as a contractor, and the residential side is pitiful -- I make 5 to 7 times more an hour doing chiller work than a resi contractor, and I get a little more than twice the hourly resi contract rate doing market refer work.

I would work with your friend now & then and pass the EPA exam and do basic maintenance before deciding for yourself (get a study guide from a local HVACR supplier!!!) You don't need to be licensed to do repairs in HVAC; in fact, in my area, I could legally change out outdoor coils long before I got my license.

 

Is this a good career.. Of course it is.. I've been a tech for 17 yrs.. Its been great.. Would I jump in at 40 NO WAY.. by the time you get a grip on the industry the physical demands will start to get to you..

 

We've got guys consistantly making over 100k a year here on the west coast @ my co. but you have to be willing to work. with your programing back ground and if your mech. inclinde. its up to you. do you make that much? how many hours do you put in to make that?

 

This is not meant to change you're mind or anything but........... I started in the trade 23 yrs. ago. I'm now 43. When I look back at the sh!% jobs I had to do when I was green and ask myself if I'd do them now........ no way! #1 I hurt in places I didn't hurt back then. #2 I now try to avoid 140* attics and nasty crawls. #3 I'm much quicker to tell a cheap ass resi. contractor F.U.[by the way, if you work for someone else,go industrial]. It is going to be tough at 40ish to be a grunt and gofer. You can't yet dazzle them with technical expertise so you'll have to be an azz buster at hard mindless labor. I like where I'm at today with good pay and bennies, but you won't get that right out of the blocks. It's your decision and best of luck to you what ever you decide. If it's what you want don't let anybody talk you out of it.

 

Just like alot of the other responses, jumping into this field at 40 might be risky. That is as a technician or an Installer. Now there is always the sales side, which can also be very lucrative if you are good. And alot less physical strain on your body.

 

I second the motion on the physical demands! No matter how good of shape you are, the lifting, the climbing, the crawling, the squeezing into tight places and contorting your body in a 140 degree attic or outside on a -10 below rooftop takes its toll. The body, especially the back and the joints just begins to ache. The fatigue seems to get worse too the older you get.

Can someone in their 40's learn and do the job. Sure. But consider the demands both physically and intellectually for what many would consider mediocre to average pay for the skill set involved.

 

well,computer programmer,first take a class or visit the union hall and ask some real experts,ya cant relay on people that dont do it. second look at the different technology in hvac.its not all pipes and wrenches.try DDC controls.you have a back ground in computers the technology is going towards computer savvy people.

 

Yeah I agree. Im only 30 and I can't wait to get away from the back breaking work. Industrial was alot better but still had its days. It would be very hard to bust into it at 40 and feel good about it.

 

I just entered this field and iam 38yo, but then again iam not a resi tech i work telecom shelter a/c. So i guess it depends on which side of the a/c field you choose. Also i was military so iam use to physical labor.

 

You were used to physical labor in the NAVY. Not in a stinky, sweaty, attic that you have to belly crawl through insulation to get to when its 100 outside and the attic has no venting or fan. Yee haw.

It's physically demanding for any age person at certain times. I am glad that being out on my own now I Can hire grunts to do the hard stuff for me. I agree it depends what aspect you choose but the main aspect available for this industry with NO experience is residential grunt work.

 

Dont get me wrong, i have done some resi work also,crawling under houses and being stuck in hot attics thawing out evaps was not fun, but it also was not the torture some guys make it out to be ( i have been in a whole lot worse situations). Yes, he may or may not have to do grunt work but, if this feild is really what he wants to do, then he will take the good with the bad. Iam not really from the traditional a/c feild ( i was a hydronics tech) but i knew that to get into traditional a/c that there would be somethings i didnt want to do, but i was willing to do what it took (with the exception of a few things) to get in this feild, Just depends on if the guy thinks its worth it. But i dont think 40 is to old to start in this trade.

 

Ya know its tough in the IT/Programin field when considering a trade specialty like HVAC. About ten years ago I went to an Job Plcement seminar for professionals,recent college grads, ecetera. I was burnd out with HVAC and looking for a change of pace. When I spoke with various white collar-down on there luck- professionals they said your crazy to want to join their ranks. Everyone including the interviewers wanted to know how to get into the HVAC Field. I guess the grass is always greener?
Bottom line...this is a great trade and a fulfilling career but you make of it what you want. Askin a bunch of seasoned pros about this as a career could be discouraging becauseof life and job experience. Just like any profession...There are winners and losers.

 

There is no real job security anymore in the white collar world. The state (Texas) was laying off people a few years ago and they continue to farm out some of their administrative functions to private companies. I came from manufacturing a few years ago for the simple reason of job security and everybody was laying off all around me, I got it once or twice, there are a thousand companies around here to work for if one flaked out. You will also be able to work as apt. maintenance, bldg. maintenance, I talked to a guy the other day that worked as a maint. guy at a spa. You can fix restaurant equipment, ice machines, etc... Residential a/c will be tough, I would look at other options in the fix-it field as well.

 

It's a great occupation if you don't mind crawl spaces, hieghts, snakes, rodents, insects, asbestos, mold, electrical shocks, burns, sore joints, phozene gas, cuts and not to forget being on call, being able to deal with the public, getting to work on holidays and weekends. I love it, where else could you have so much fun and get paid for it!!!!

 

Spoke like a true tech! Gotta love this job

 

I like it better than factory work,and Ive did it since 2001,Its dirty work,crawling under houses,in attics,don't get in mind its gonna be easy,and ya wont make that 100 grand your first year,its way down the road brother.Its a living,somedays you feel very top notch,other days you feel like throwing your tool pouch in a ditch and buying a case of Budwieser.If ya don't care to work hard and you like learning,and can deal with irate people then this is the job for you...

 

I've been in the HVACR field for four years working mainly with Trane heating and a/c equipment for a company that mostly did new construction installs. I was then promoted to lead tech after my first year. Was the money good? Sure it was. In 2002 I made 30K, in 2003 I made 38K, in 2004 I made 39.5K, and in 2005 I made 41K and these figures aren't including all the side work I picked up by meeting people through mutual freinds and acquaintances!!! So you could easily add an additional 4K - 8K in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Am I still in the field? No I'm not. I got out in the summer of 2006. Why? Just got burned out with our customers, being on call, and being in traffic all the time. But mostly with being on call. Which reminds me why I don't regret doing what I did. Once you've made a large enough network of freinds and associates you can stay busy for a good portion of the year with work. So what am I doing now? I work on a military base as an electrician/handyman. My education at UTI (Phoenix campus) had a three week residential wiring phase which helped me get through the door. So to answer your question: Is HVACR a good career? Sure it is. It all depends on where you want to go in life. This field can surely make the ends you need to accomplish your goals. The reason I got into this field to begin with is from all the money you can make with just an HVACR Associates degree which in my opinion is ridiculously good. In four years I accomplished that goal and moved on to bigger and better things and being on call is not one of them. Well wish you the best of luck in what ever you decide to do with yourself.








PS.
Don't let me get down. This is the reason why I love this website so much... I get to rant off to completly oblivious stangers.....lol

 

As more people are drawn by the 6 month tech school promise of "easy money" in the HVAC industry, the labor pool gets larger and the wages get smaller. There is a demand for HVAC techs- cheap ones that provide their own truck and tools while working for no benefits and for cheap.

Going the contractor route will require a substantial investment in things like insurance, basic inventory, licensing and bonding requirements plus vehicles and tools (unless you pass those expenses onto your employees).

There is money to be made, but the trick is getting paid for the work performed in a timely manner. If you persue new construction (commercial or residential), the builders (in general, not all of them) like to use you as a bank- drawing out payment as long as possible. If you don't have the bankroll to meet payroll in a slow pay situation, it will sink a small contractor. You will bid on plans that don't even come close to resembling the finished product, incurring extras that you may not get paid for.

Having little experience in service can quickly become very expensive tuition in the school of hard knocks if you are a parts changer.

Then there is rampant age discrimination in this field. As many have already stated, it can be quite difficult for the average 40 something to physically match the average 20 something. If you know it, the contractors know it. Even though there are laws preventing age discrimination, try to prove it. Yes, I know the argument that with age (supposedly) comes wisdom, but try convincing the boss of that sometimes.

Lots of luck.

 

Is becoming a contractor easy and profitable?

It's one or the other. Your choice. Easy or profitable.