A couple of decades ago, most people joined the HVAC field because their dad, uncle, or a family friend was an HVAC technician. With that inside connection, it was easy to find out what the job was really like, and if HVAC is a good career for you.
Today things are different. You might not have that inside connection and view into an HVAC technician’s duties and typical workday. It’s not so easy to learn exactly what an HVAC technician does, and if it’s a job you can see yourself doing.
Well, you came to the right place! You can consider us at HVACR Career Connect as your inside connection. On this blog and the rest of our website, we share helpful resources and trustworthy information from industry professionals to help young people make good decisions, get prepared, and begin a rewarding and lucrative career as a service technician in the HVACR industry.
In a recent blog, we covered what to expect when you start as an HVAC apprentice or helper (in case you missed it, you can find that article here). But if you’re trying to make a decision about your future, you also need to know what the job is like as you progress in your career. So, we asked experienced technicians here in the NYC area to describe what HVAC technicians do and what a typical workday is like.
What an HVAC technician does on a typical day
The van is home base for an HVAC technician
Once you become qualified enough to work independently as an HVAC technician, you will probably be assigned a company truck or a van. That vehicle becomes your home base, and you will spend a considerable amount of time in it! This is why it’s important to have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record to get hired as an HVAC technician.
Not every HVAC company operates this way, but many allow their employees to take company vehicles home. So, your day will start by communicating with your dispatch staff to find out where you will be working that day. Then you’ll hop into the van and make your way to your first appointment.
Driving is a part of the job that many don’t think much about. Here in New York City, fighting traffic and finding parking can be very challenging. Patience is a must! However, being on the go means you’ll never be bored sitting behind a desk all day.
Tools, parts, and time management
Completing HVAC maintenance and repair work requires a lot of tools, parts, and other supplies. That’s why you need a van or truck to carry around what you need.
Some HVAC companies primarily work on one or two brands of heating and air conditioning systems. So, they can carry just about every part they would need for the brands they service.
When you work for a larger company that services just about every brand, it becomes impossible to carry all the parts for all those brands in your vehicle. So, making sure you have what you need for each service call is an important part of the job.
Your day might start with a stop to pick up parts you don’t always carry, or replacements for the ones you have used recently. That could mean:
- Meeting a shop driver at a pre-arranged pick-up spot to get the parts and supplies you’ll need for your scheduled appointments.
- Stopping at a supply warehouse to pick up a waiting parts order.
Getting started on a service call
An HVAC technician typically handles 4 or 5 service calls in a day. The time you’ll spend on each can vary quite a bit. One call might take 30 minutes if you’re just swapping out a part, or you could spend an entire 8-hour day on a complex troubleshooting and repair project.
Here in New York City, just getting to the job can take time. In a high rise apartment building, you’ll need to sign in with building security and be escorted up the elevator to your customer’s apartment. That’s why the technicians we interviewed all recommended being smart and carrying any supplies and tools you expect to need with you on the first trip! It might take as much as an hour to make another trip to your van.
In most cases, you will begin a service call by talking with the customer and asking questions about the problem and the equipment. For residential customers in the city, you might be talking with a building super or property manager. If it’s a commercial customer, you might talk with a business owner, manager, or facilities staff. Listening carefully is important, because the customer’s description can give you clues about where to look for the problem.
At this point, it’s time to take a look at the equipment. In suburban or rural areas, heating and air conditioning units are commonly located in basements, attics, and rooftops, and sometimes mechanical rooms. Here in New York City, where space is so expensive, you’ll find equipment squeezed into any available space. Getting access to the equipment can mean getting into tight spots.
Depending on your employer and the type of customer you serve, you might need to protect the area before you start working. That means covering areas to prevent damage, and wearing shoe covers and latex gloves.
Troubleshooting and problem solving
As an HVAC service technician, you spend the bulk of your time maintaining and repairing heating and air conditioning systems.
Preventative maintenance work typically involves the following:
- Performing a detailed inspection of the equipment and condition of parts
- Testing for proper operation of all components
- Checking electrical connections
- Cleaning components such as coils and drain lines
- Changing filters
- Replacing failing or aging parts
If your customer has reported a problem with the equipment, you’ll start with troubleshooting to determine the cause of the problem. Electronic meters and pressure gauges help you check for electrical or mechanical problems with the system. Today, equipment is increasingly controlled by computers, so sometimes you’ll use a laptop to connect with the equipment and check for diagnostic error codes.
Here’s where all your training and knowledge come into play. Coming up with the correct diagnosis can be a bit like detective work: collecting all the clues and information, thinking about previous experiences, and connecting the dots to figure out what happened to cause the symptoms or equipment failure. Sometimes the problem is obvious, and other times it’s a real challenge to get to the bottom of a tricky issue. It takes brain power, dedication, and time to develop the level of knowledge to be able to fix things right the first time and leave the customer happy. When you do that, you’ll also feel like you accomplished something worthwhile.
Fixing the problem might require replacing parts or repairing electrical issues. Sometimes the culprit is poor system design, and you may have to recommend changes to ventilation design, or replacing larger system components. In the worst case, the customer may need a complete system replacement. However, HVAC technicians will tell you that they will always try to find a way to leave the customer with an operational system.
Communication and “paperwork”
When you complete a service call, the first thing you’ll do is speak to the customer about what you found and what you did. This aspect of the job is where your “people skills” will come in handy. It’s important to explain things in terms the customer can understand, and be clear about what they should expect and when. That’s especially important if a return visit will be needed to complete the repair (if you need to order a part, for example) or if additional work is needed.
Next, you must record what you did, both for your internal team and for the customer. In the old days, an HVAC technician would write a quick description of the issue on a work order form, and give a copy to the customer before leaving. Today, everything is done electronically, which is quicker and easier for everyone.
HVAC technicians use a handheld device, laptop, or smartphone to record the details of the service call (with words, pictures, and sometimes video), and even to order parts. That information gets sent to the HVAC company’s billing department for creating an invoice, and the parts department for placing orders. The customer gets the work order and invoice by email. For commercial customers, multiple people can be easily notified about the details of the service call.
With that done, you’ll communicate with a dispatch or service coordinator who will send you on to your next service call.
Ongoing HVAC training
Even seasoned technicians in the HVAC industry are constantly learning. There’s always new technology, new tools, and new ways of doing things. Plus, technicians must maintain certifications from the EPA and other industry organizations. So training classes happen frequently, whether it’s an early morning training session in the office, or a manufacturer’s training that takes place at a factory.
Is HVAC service the right career for you?
If you can see yourself performing and enjoying the work described here, check out our website’s resources that can help you get started as an HVAC technician!
Thanks to Antonio Marte of Arista Air Conditioning and Kurt Woods of AAA Refrigeration Service for providing the details for this article.
Learn about technical careers in the HVAC & Refrigeration industry, how to get hired and tips to build your career.