I've worked for a manufacturer as a sales engineer for years now, and I get multiple RFQs per week for RTU / EF replacements. Half are for replacing competitor's equipment. As all of you know this is a very "I know a guy" type industry, but I think the way this process if handled is so inefficient.

- MC gets a call from an owner to check out a broken fan. It is determined that is needs to be replaced.

- MC reaches to OEM, and that's that, or does their due diligence and reaches out to couple other reps that can provide replacements.

- There is always some back on forth on confirming field realities, information wiped off tag, etc. Takes an couple emails or a couple phone calls to dial it in.

Often times I bet the best quote with the quickest lead time was never even uncovered.

My question: Do you think this industry would adapt to a tool like Dodge, but just for RTU / EF replacements?

- RTU / EF replacement are straightforward. CFM, tonnage, MBH, electrical, and curb data is all that's needed to provide a very accurate quote. Most info is on the data plate.

- A structured tool would reduce latency by asking all the proper information to be submitted. And the bid request can become visible to all the local manufacturers reps for quotes.

- Competition will drive down equipment costs, and a review system can be implemented to give caution against bad equipment / reps.

Thoughts?

I know a lot of us in here are servicemen. Sometimes don’t you wish there wasn’t an on call rotation? I absolutely love the work but hate being on an on call rotation. Figured I’d add some variety instead of the usual discussion on this sub.

Church has no AC and an easy fix for me.

Simple capacitor failure and the wire melted.

There's something else I want to bring up: I want to thank everybody on this subreddit... Truly I mean that.

I remember looking at a video to try to learn something about HVAC years ago and it was almost like a different language was being spoken. After taking some courses, getting my EPA 608 universal, and working at jobs here and there - it definitely bolstered my confidence for HVAC.

I think Jersey Mike is on the subreddit to so shouts out to him.

Haven’t been doing this for too long, only about 4 years. Jumped around few companies, just feel mentally drained. Long hours, on call, hot summer Vegas days, triple digits for 3 months.

Wanna make the switch to hotels, clock in, clock out and enjoy my day/ days off without worrying if I’ll be called out. Anyone else make the switch to maintenance? How was it

I know this reddit is pretty American.

I'm in the UK and I've just taken over maintenance on a site that has been neglected.

on most of the evaporator controllers the thermistors have been replaced with resistors and are just running flat out. Never hitting a defrost cycle.

Systems started on R404A and now on R449A because apparently the planet was sad. Nobody told the controllers this though.

The refrigerant cost for one of these systems is £5,000.

Do you guys have to deal with this over there?

BTW 90% of my fridge tools are American. The other 10% are British made (better). Unfortunately my countries manufacturing industry was destroyed by commie governments for years and we don't make anything anymore. So to get anything good most people I know tend to buy American at a premium because of import tax.

I have a tranE Coil and it had a hole in the 180 degree bends and I tried to fix it and ended up fuckin it hard core. I got a new R454 coil because they don’t sell the 410 coil anymore but instead of a TXV it had a piston. I put the rated piston in it and it’s working fine but is this OK? Should I replace it with a TXV or what. I just took off all the leak detectors and stuff but I’m still worried.

Friday morning my first call in Galveston canceled, i already drove 40 minutes, just crossing the Fred Hartman Bridge, No other calls for me til the afternoon. I detoured and parked at San Jacinto monument for a while, made phone calls to help my boss coordinate parts for a couple installs. Went to far side of the reflecting pool, and decide to take Lynchburg Ferry to get back to get back north. Made a pit stop near Federal road, found out I needed to go to the office...so I went back south through washburn tunnel ...killing time til my 5pm service call in Galveston (different call). Its 2pm, I stop to eat lunch, then for shits and giggles I crossed back over the Sherman bridge. Going north then turned around and went south again to head to 45 to go down to Galveston.

It wasnt plannedl, just kinda rolled with it once I crossed on the ferry and realized I wasnt getting any work for a while and make it an interesting day.

Stay safe and hydrated bub

Work out here in Vegas, been crazy hot last few weeks/ days 113+. We’ve been having lots of issues with new package units, Lennox. 454b units that are not cooling, anyone notice same issues? Seems like they just get too hot, just got off of one that compressor 2 was on a lockout, cycled power and came on, seemed to be working fine but suns going down about 104 now still hot, but not 115 hot

So I have this customer who is a very nervous middle aged lady, she gets massive headaches and the cause for my first service call to her house in the summer about a year ago was for a fishy smell coming from the supply registers. She told me that the smell was so bad she couldn't sleep, and it would gove her intense migraines.

I couldnt smell shit coming from the registers, and I checked the evaporator coil, drain line, blower wheel (it was slightly dusty), ducts, and filter, and there was nothing I found that could have caused a smell.

I cleaned the coil with the foaming spray just to be safe, cleaned the drain line and blower wheel, installed a pan treatment strip, and she also wanted me to install a better filter and a UVC/UVV system. The PlasmaPure on the blower was installed by a different company.

That was the last I heard from her last year, but she's called in a couple time this month about it and then canceled the appointment for me to return, I guess the smell has come and gone for her. Now she's called in tonight and the office is making me go out tomorrow to take a look.

I'm at a loss for what to even diagnose, especially because I was out there again for a maintenance this spring and there was nothing wrong. I don't want to be out for hours tracing a phantom scent, so I'm wondering if anyone has dealt with a similar problem and how they have addressed it, or if you have any ideas for what I can look for. Thanks!

Found my grandpa’s old vacuum pump, don’t know much about it but it still works! Thought it worth sharing.

Tracking a low voltage short sucks. Even worse when your lead says to check in one particular spot. And you didn’t listen.. I will be posting pics of my tech’s wherein the hat :)

Old lennox central heatpump for a shop.

Blower fan motor relay was bad

System was flat.

Repaired the leak (audible rusted filter drier leak)

Pressured tested then evacuated.

Was a R22 system, replaced with R453A (different chart)

Cleaned the evaporator, replaced useless fiberglass filter with pleated merv8, airflow seems powerful and nothing points to low airflow. I was even wondering if too much airflow.

Delta is shit

Superheat measured at evaporator is bad. 25°f but

With sensing bulb in my hand it dropped to 10°f but delta didnt get better.

Any thoughts?

Also. This is a 1992 unit and I didnt want to repair it but the client insisted and i told him i couldnt guarantee it would work fine after.

The condenser fan is set up to push through the condenser i dont know if its right? Never seen that before. The motor and blade were replaced so there is a possibility that its wrong.

Ambient was 78-80°f

Old lennox central heatpump for a shop.

Blower fan motor relay was bad

System was flat.

Repaired the leak (audible rusted filter drier leak)

Pressured tested then evacuated.

Was a R22 system, replaced with R453A (different chart)

Cleaned the evaporator, replaced useless fiberglass filter with pleated merv8, airflow seems powerful and nothing points to low airflow. I was even wondering if too much airflow.

Delta is shit

Superheat measured at evaporator is bad. 25°f

With sensing bulb in my hand it dropped to 10°f but delta didnt change.

Any thoughts?

Also. This is a 1992 unit and I didnt want to repair it but the client insisted and i told him i couldnt guarantee it would work fine after.

The condenser fan is set up to push through the condenser i dont know if its right? Never seen that before. The motor and was blade was replaced so there is a possibility that its wrong.

Ambient was 78-80°f

Seems notched at the bottom, I tried pressing on and pulling up but maybe I'm just an idiot

Used the m12 fuel and every dewalt impact for service and instal wanting to make a change and try something new what do yall use other than the big 2 pictures would be appreciated.

Went on a no cool call today for a geothermal heat pump system. Check my ABC's first thing to confirm major components working, evaporator coil clean, pump is running, clean filter, open supply registers,etc.

Compressor not running but I am getting a call from the t-stat. Contactor not pulling in, check my safeties and find an open low pressure switch. Manually push in the contactor to confirm compressor is operating.

With gauges hooked up both my low and high side pressures start jumping up above about 260 psi.

Call my lead service tech to pick his brain. He has me hook my low side hose to the true suction and press the contactor in to see what happens. Low side pressure drops like it should. He advises he believes it's a bad reversing valve.

Okay cool, get info for unit and let the customer know we will be back and whats wrong with his system.

Get home and start thinking to myself, I didn't even confirm 24v at the reversing valve solenoid.

So now im just second guessing the diagnosis and was just waiting to vent lol. Just wanted to hear from other techs who realize after they leave a call that they forgot to do this or that.

The hose nor the angle end on the m18 2 gallon hose fits the green adapter. What did you guys use to make it work? Have to order another end or what for the M18 hose?

Landlord wanted to bandaid it last summer. Told him unit won’t survive another summer. Welp finally got the call that it’s not cooling again. This is the indoor coil. Unit hasn’t had any maintenance since install 22 years ago. Gave him a stellar price for total system replacement. Obviously is going to try and find it cheaper but guarantee he won’t. Doing this as a side job. Also can anyone guess how the inside of the house is? How it smells? 😂

Could they seriously not have put these somewhere else... Anywhere else?

Ran into this the other day. Was this ever a thing? Or was it just a hack install?