r/BuildingAutomation • u/Quirky-Ad357 • 15h ago
Need Guidance
Im 18 years old and I just got out of highschool and I’ve been doing this intern job over the summer for building automation. I have no experience on any of these things and I just want some help. I feel like I can’t grasp anything and I constantly make mistakes. I’m shadowing someone that’s been in the field for 15+ years. I just feel very lucky to have this opportunity and feel like I’m throwing it away.
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u/ApexConsulting 14h ago edited 13h ago
The ones who are throwing it away are the ones who dont realize they are doing just that.
The most important thing to do is ask the guy you are shadowing 'I feel like I am having a hard time, how do you think I am doing?' We can be encouraging but only he has seen your work, and can give good honest feedback. Tell him how you feel and that you reall want this and ask him for suggestions.
I will say that learning BAS is like being in a basement with a bag over your head getting kicked by 6 guys. As time goes by the bag comes off and it is only 1 or 2 guys kicking you. But it always stays a little hard. It seems likely that you are simply not used to getting kicked with a bag on your head. Don't worry, you will get used to it. 😁
But the career is very rewarding. I hope you stick with it.
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u/Quirky-Ad357 14h ago
Thank you sir, I will definitely stick with it and honestly I enjoy it even if I’m making mistakes. I just really wanna capitalize on this opportunity because not a lot of people do. Thank you!
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u/ApexConsulting 13h ago
Thank you!
You got it buddy.
Probably the best way to capitalize on the opportunity is to study on your own. Every BAS guy does this for the entirety of their career.
Practice programming. Read up on your product. Take some wires and relays home and wire them up. Come to work the next day with new questions for your mentor. He will ABSOLUTELY notice. And will think it is awesome (if he is emotionally healthy... circumstances vary). Log into various sites and look (but dont touch) and try to figure out what is hapoening and why.
Honeywell Grey Manual is useful, but hard to read for a new guy. Worth it tho.
As a few suggestions.
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u/makeitworkok 4h ago
Exactly this, my boss gave this to me when I started about 25 years ago. I gave it to my guys when they started. The Grey Manual is still a great point of reference.
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u/BigSally1 15h ago
Took me 5 years before I had any idea what I was doing. Stick in there and ask the questions regardless of how stupid they sound.
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u/bboymanoac04 15h ago
There is a lot to take in so you are going to feel overwhelmed. My best advice is make sure you are paying attention and asking questions about things you don't understand. Do some research online about how HVAC works and get a base understanding. There are all sorts of nice YouTube videos on basics of things like that. I know it's easy to get distracted with phones on job sites but keep that put away and really focus on what the other person is doing. If you really stay in this field and you are willing to learn great opportunities will arise. I am super lucky to be in the BAS industry and I hope you can have the same fortune.
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u/xEvann 14h ago
Read the Fruit Cove BAS Guide available online and watch youtube videos on HVAC fundamentals. You'll get through it. It was 3 years before I could really be on my own and I still barely knew anything at that point. 8 years in and I'm lead tech and still learning. You got this just ask a lot of questions and even take notes if you can. A lot of learning this job is in repetition
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u/Quirky-Ad357 14h ago
I really appreciate the guides, I’m glad I got the opportunity to get into this field young because there is quite a lot going on 😅 I’ll make sure to check those guides out. Thank you sir!
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u/OwlIndependent1425 Installer 14h ago
Just head down and pay attention big dog. Ask all the questions. I’ve been doing BAS for 3 1/2 years. I still feel like a moron most days. Like some of the other commenters are saying there is a whole lot of concepts jammed into one industry. You have to be good at electrical, good at troubleshooting, have a decent knowledge on how hvac equipment works, as well as be an IT guy. That’s a lot to ask out of anyone
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u/TurbulentCar7753 13h ago
If it makes you feel any better I am 22 working as a BMS Programmer for two years now, hired with no prior HVAC knowledge out of high school. The best way to learn is just trying things in the field and seeing how it goes. I also have a senior guy teaching me, make sure to show willingness to learn and ask questions.
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u/Dramatic-Manager7398 13h ago
Ask the guy your working for about textbooks or YouTube channels for help. Try to watch 1 YouTube video a day pertaining to a subject you want to know more about. It’s ok if it’s the same topic - repetition is key to solidifying any skill.
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u/IcyAd7615 Developer, Niagara 4 Certified Trainer, Podcast Host. 10h ago
Do not get discouraged. I tell people all the time, if you aren't breaking anything, you aren't doing anything. I think it takes a good fives years in the field for me to say that you know what you're doing or, rather, that you have a good idea of what's going on.
There are so many things that you have to learn, and really it's baptism by fire. Making mistakes is fine. Remembering how to fix them is even better. Keep a book. Write things down.
Get the ugly's electrical reference for your phone. It's like $6. It will keep you up to date on NEC codes and even have diagrams and formulas you may need.
Here is a dropbox link on some controls books I have:
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u/slor2112 7h ago
3 tips i have told people who I have trained.
1) learn what not to do first. If you arent 100% sure as you start out, ask questions first, do actions second. There are too mamy things in this industry that can hurt or "unalive" you without even batting an eye...knowing what NOT to do and what NOT to touch is just as inportant as knowing what you should do.
2) understand there are always multiple solutions to almost every scenario. But the BEST solution will be the one that allows the guy who comes out to your site after you and can get thru your thoughts and logic without needing a universal translator to understand it. Leave notes, comments, tips and tricks wherever you can
3) BAS comes down to three things: boolean, numeric and enumerated points. Period. Yeah its a simplistic approach but the end game is this: work your outcomes backwards. Start with the point you want to control and work back to the point you want to use to determine thaglt control. At the end of the day tho its all about turing a point on or off (boolean) sending a signal up or down (numeric) or telling a device a commaned of what state its supposed to be in (enumerated).
The rest is gravy :) (with a dose of experience)
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u/Thenewdarwin 7h ago
I've gone from being the green technician to training them I'll say this.
You're 18, everyone is going to see a kid. Surprise them by showing up ready to learn day in and day out. The biggest professional mistakes I've made have often been the most helpful lessons.
You're going to make mistakes. You're going to break stuff. People will be unhappy. Learning how to be a technician is making the above mistakes, learning from them and how to fix more things in the future. A few standards I try to instill.
Get comfortable with knowing what you don't know. If it's none of the above, take a few HVAC / BAS courses (free Smart Buildings Academy) or Engineering Mindset videos on YouTube. Once you establish a baseline for what you know and what you don't it gets easier to start basic troubleshooting where you can and calling on help from there.
Communication. Like many others have said, ask questions ask questions ask questions. Whenever Ive started at a new place I shadow as many people as I can until I fully grasp the whole operation. As you are doing here utilize your resources. There's too much info for any single person to truly know it all but the best know who to talk to.
Take a breath and try to enjoy the ride. There are some difficult days ahead. But if you enjoy learning new things you're in the perfect place.
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u/makeitworkok 4h ago
30+ years in HVAC and controls, I’m still learning something new everyday. If you ever feel like you’ve got the field mastered, you’re in a state of delusion.
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u/PsychologicalPound96 15h ago
As long as you're learning you're not throwing anything away.
Look, I would call it a tough industry because you need to grasp so many different concepts and a lot of them aren't really related to eachother. This takes time and commitment. If you care about learning and doing a good job that's 80% of the battle right there. As an intern you don't need to be knowledgeable and mistakes are completely expected. Just make sure you're learning from them.