Generac license installer/repair or do HVAC

A

AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
Still debating what to branch out and do?

My dad says stick with Electrical it makes money___ I see HVAC guys just killing it but I bet there a lot of unseen cost I don't see. I thought about doing macitence for Generac so I can have a monthly or latest yearly recurring job- what would you do??? either way I got to take classes so its going to cost the same..

Looking to get employees and keep them busy- don't mind traveling.
 
The hvac company owners make a lot of money due to they are a protected bunch. You cannot buy refrigerant without a license or certification, anybody can buy electrical parts. Minisplits are changing that for those that have some mechanical abilities, but hvac installers are still making a killing off them for now. Their costs are not anymore than a good electrical contractor (other than residential) as far as tools go.
 
Agreed with AC\DC... too many people think "Aww, black to black, white to white, and we're good to go" while completely screwing the thing up. With HVAC, there's a sort of built-in knowledge moat that makes even folk like me who could handle all the mechanical aspects (wiring, running the line sets, brazing, pulling a vacuum, etc.) still sit back and go, "Meh, I'll just pay someone else to deal" on account of not knowing things like optimizing superheat, subcool, overall pressure balance, fan speed, and the like.
 
If you wanted to get into hvac I’d start with putting some duct crews together to sub out. No exposure on the equipment side.


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I have done both.

HVAC is great but there are some pitfalls

Certifications and licenses
Lots of $$$ tools
Very hard to find qualified help

Although some may not agree the $$$ in HVAC is in service more than installation. If you had 2-3 GOOD technicians (they are scarce) you can make a fortune in service.

If you start with service the installation work wil; come naturally. Stick with replacements to start and leave the big installs to the hack companies. You will do fine picking around the edges

Whay better mark up doing service and equipment replacements than new installs.
 
Eddie702 said:
I have done both.

HVAC is great but there are some pitfalls

Certifications and licenses
Lots of $$$ tools
Very hard to find qualified help

Although some may not agree the $$$ in HVAC is in service more than installation. If you had 2-3 GOOD technicians (they are scarce) you can make a fortune in service.

If you start with service the installation work wil; come naturally. Stick with replacements to start and leave the big installs to the hack companies. You will do fine picking around the edges

Whay better mark up doing service and equipment replacements than new installs.
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Really I would assume new install would be the best? If matinence is the thing I maybe gen- cause the lady that does this area does. 2 hour drive to service this area so I could snip those and charge a penny

The hvac tech is the same problem like electrician- I tried to hire jman but still fixing his crap after he left got apprentices- I can keep busy even if slow-
Was going to send on training class for either gen or hvac
 
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HVAC guys almost never have to dig. Underground duct is very rare. They do spend a lot of time on roofs, though, servicing RTU's. Does it rain a lot there? ;) Also attics...
 
I like the rain lol….. main reason is it seems hard for me to keep jman and me working—- if I also offered hvac I can pick and chose the ones I want.—-

I want to get employees so I can get off the tools but they all suck—-

My names the same as a heating contractor expect for the electric part, I get all his customers calling me lol I get about 10 a week
Plus I hate gc lol
 
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AC\DC said:
Would you say a good technician would be a good Journeyman my apprentice is wants to learn Hvac and at least has a good work ethic.
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For some reason and this holds true for my 46 years I worked. If you get a tech that can understand electrical and likes it you can teach (or he can be taught) anything.

A tech that does not "get" electrical will never be a good tech.

A tech that understands electrical can grasp heating, AC, refrigeration, piping ductwork etc.

I don't know why that is and I can't explain it.

I can remember my old boss telling me in 1973 (we did commercial oil burners back then) that he had a few guys that could work on burners and the controls were simple just a few relays.

He said as soon as the electronic burner controls came out in the early 60s with vacuum tube it was the end for those guys they just couldn't grasp it.

They say that about 80% of the HVAC service calls are electrical related. You still have to know the refrigeration stuff, airflow, temperature and humidity and gas burners and regulators and piping.

There is a lot to it. But someone that can understand electrical can pick it up. I can think of 8 former co workers of mine who started in HVAC or some part of it who went on to get their journeyman and Masters electrical licenses.
 
Eddie702 said:
For some reason and this holds true for my 46 years I worked. If you get a tech that can understand electrical and likes it you can teach (or he can be taught) anything.

A tech that does not "get" electrical will never be a good tech.

A tech that understands electrical can grasp heating, AC, refrigeration, piping ductwork etc.

I don't know why that is and I can't explain it.

I can remember my old boss telling me in 1973 (we did commercial oil burners back then) that he had a few guys that could work on burners and the controls were simple just a few relays.

He said as soon as the electronic burner controls came out in the early 60s with vacuum tube it was the end for those guys they just couldn't grasp it.

They say that about 80% of the HVAC service calls are electrical related. You still have to know the refrigeration stuff, airflow, temperature and humidity and gas burners and regulators and piping.

There is a lot to it. But someone that can understand electrical can pick it up. I can think of 8 former co workers of mine who started in HVAC or some part of it who went on to get their journeyman and Masters electrical licenses.
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Thank you very much
 
In my experience, hvac and plumbing are probably the most bulletproof of the trades. If your heat goes out or your water heater is leaking, you’re calling someone, NOW. If your lights flicker, meh, you’ll get around to it.

As a GC, HVAC and roofing are the only trades I do not perform in house at all, ever. I know nothing about how to design and install HVAC, nor do I wish to learn. And those who do, make good money, at least in my area.

I am an Aligned Contractor for Generac. I must say I love working with Generac, they are very helpful and driven. Many programs and incentives.

That being said, I don’t do the yearly maintenance on them. I opted out of that. I’m not an engine guy, and don’t want to become one. Also, I’ve noticed yearly service isn’t a yuge priority for most of my customers, which is surprising, because we lose power constantly here.

I think commercial electrical is a great niche. It weeds out the handyman homeowner types, it’s skilled enough to keep the jack wagons out, and it’s impersonal and technical, which works great for me.

Any of those is going to require a lot of training. When I dipped my feet into the commercial electrical thing, I ran smack into lighting controls, which I had no experience with. Whether it’s HVAC tech or commercial electrical or some other specialty that weed out the Home Depot jockeys, it’s going to require some advanced training. Then you can name your price. 👍
 
I got no commercial in my area- without traveling and I done doing that on a daily basis.
Opened a lighting store —- not a money maker but town likes it and pays for the advertising—- I can add any function to my business and town knows within a week.., so gen or hvac will be a quick turn around..,
I a bored with this trade … I can’t move cause of kids relationship with grandparents
Thanks for the input
 
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Eddie702 said:
For some reason and this holds true for my 46 years I worked. If you get a tech that can understand electrical and likes it you can teach (or he can be taught) anything.

A tech that does not "get" electrical will never be a good tech.

A tech that understands electrical can grasp heating, AC, refrigeration, piping ductwork etc.

I don't know why that is and I can't explain it.

I can remember my old boss telling me in 1973 (we did commercial oil burners back then) that he had a few guys that could work on burners and the controls were simple just a few relays.

He said as soon as the electronic burner controls came out in the early 60s with vacuum tube it was the end for those guys they just couldn't grasp it.

They say that about 80% of the HVAC service calls are electrical related. You still have to know the refrigeration stuff, airflow, temperature and humidity and gas burners and regulators and piping.

There is a lot to it. But someone that can understand electrical can pick it up. I can think of 8 former co workers of mine who started in HVAC or some part of it who went on to get their journeyman and Masters electrical licenses.
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I agree.

I myself have resolved occasional HVAC issues (non electrical) that HVAC tech's couldn't. Most recent one, I was working in a house and AC wasn't working so well. They said they had two different people out and they never solved the problem. I got to looking around and told them I don't think you have enough return registers and are starving the system for return air. Good HVAC guy should been able to figure that out. Can't cool the house if you aren't moving enough air through the coil, plus it may ice up if not enough air moving through and makes air movement problem even worse.

I believe past remodeling here and there ended up eliminating some the return vents. Of course no HVAC guy was involved in determining whether it was a good idea or not to eliminate those. There were signs of duct running to places with no inlets is what triggered my diagnosis.

I never made any actual repairs just pointed out what I seen as a likely problem, but should maybe charged them an HVAC service call just for the diagnosis? This no different than as an electrician knowing what wire to connect or disconnect and where in many ways to resolve some issue.

I had a fairly good friend that ran HVAC company, he is retired now. But we worked together on a lot of projects and he often called me with electrical issues when he couldn't figure things out - often after burning up a transformer or thermostat. He knew pretty much all the ins and outs of refrigerant system and air flow but often couldn't figure out a basic heat pump thermostat wiring scheme.
 
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