where to draw the line

[jrannis]

Thank you everyone. I had a Apprentice School Board Member ask me to instruct HVAC trouble shooting. With how to use the moisture and oil guages, the pressure guages, how to adjust freon levels, and any of the other specialized HVAC tools. I told him it would be better to have one of the HVAC instructors instruct the class. He said NO that it should be an electrician that instructs the class because the HVAC is electrical. When I told him that in 12 years of service work all I ever had to check was for proper power, some fuses and connections in the unit. He could not believe it. I have a meeting with him and the HVAC instructor to try to explain why I do not need to know how to completely trouble shoot a HVAC to be an electrician. and the HVAC tech does not need to be a licensed electrician to trouble shoot the HVAC. that there is an understood line that each NORMALLY does not cross.

The guys is an idiot!! You have to have a license to handle freon.
There are federal job descriptions that can help you define your scope of work.
I would steer clear of the program that is encouraging this. They do not sound legit!!

 

[brian john]

The line is drawn when the checks stop coming.

BINGO, OR

when you are no longer knowledgeable to work on the equipment.
Or you have to much work to be bothered

Business owners (IMO) generally would want all the work they can get, SOME employees do not want to expand their knowledge and shy away from anything they can make an excuse for not working on.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

The guys is an idiot!! You have to have a license to handle freon. There are federal job descriptions that can help you define your scope of work.
I would steer clear of the program that is encouraging this. They do not sound legit!!

I completely agree.

 

[renosteinke]

That's more of a business decision than a trade question. As in: where will you get the parts? Do you have an account there?

In new construction, it is common for the electrician to stop at the disconnect; rarely is the electrician there when the units are installed. I can't speak for other places, but Reno allows other trades to run 10 ft of wire for just this reason.

For maintenance, access to parts is a very real issue. Here, it is usually the 'other guy' who gets the call, and who then calls me in to narrow the problem down. Often, they will change a bad part - then install a replacement that has a loose connection within it.

 

[brian john]

That's more of a business decision than a trade question. As in: where will you get the parts? Do you have an account there?

In new construction, it is common for the electrician to stop at the disconnect; rarely is the electrician there when the units are installed. I can't speak for other places, but Reno allows other trades to run 10 ft of wire for just this reason.

For maintenance, access to parts is a very real issue. Here, it is usually the 'other guy' who gets the call, and who then calls me in to narrow the problem down. Often, they will change a bad part - then install a replacement that has a loose connection within it.

Here it is to the JB on the unit in new installation. On repairs and replacements anything can happen, though there are limited licenses to permit controls and final connections.