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Posted By: HVAC Tech Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/07/06 09:16 PM
Hey everybody. I just joined the electrical trades. I was a refrigeration tech for years, now Ive gotten out and joined a great electrical company. They're sending me to the ABC Tech school? I guess we do commerical, industrial and institutional jobs. Im pretty excited. Do you all like being electrcians still? I just hope I made a good decision - Im pretty excited about it.
Posted By: iwire Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/07/06 09:34 PM
The trade has been good for me and there is always new stuff to work with and learn.

If you have a background in refrigeration you might be well suited to a company that wires and maintains buildings with those systems.

The company I work for spends a lot of time in large supermarkets, few of the electricians understand how all the systems work and need to be wired until they spend a lot of time at it.
Posted By: Luketrician Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/08/06 02:13 AM
Hello HVACtech, I've been in the trade since 97'. I've been fortunate so far to be involved in a wide array of electrical construction and maintenance senarios. Industrial, commerical and others. Hopefully your new employer will give you the same opportunity.

I try to learn something new every day, (and relearn). You can't learn and retain everything from your apprenticeship. Just stay involved in continuing ed' classes afterwards. Oh, and I know I'm still relatively young compared to most, but I am happy to be an electrician. I like to think that I will still be saying that 20 or so years from now.

I love waking up and going to work. How many people out there in this world can say that?? Best of luck to ya!

Luke
Posted By: e57 Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/08/06 02:32 AM
My early days in the trade were in 3 phase motor controls troubleshooting - reffers, RO units, machinery, generators etc. And I'll tell you that having a broader understanding of operation/installation of other trade equipment is a benifit all around.

I'll also repeat what is said above - that you never stop learning something new. 16 years at it- I still learn more all the time. Those who say they know it all are liars! Your apprenticeship or the trainee classes are only the on-ramp of a long and wide highway that will take some years to travel on beyond your initial training. The pay may not be great the first years, but that comes around as you prove you are worth your weight in salt. My advice would to always ask for whats next. And always continue to broaden your knowledge base.

BTW What state are you in?
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/08/06 03:39 AM
First off, Welcome to ECN [Linked Image]

I'll second and third Bob, Luke, and Mark above... If you have a thrist for knowledge and learning something new.. You've set foot in the right door. Their are so many facets to the electrical trades, and I recommend over time exploring them all... From Resi construction, resi/commercial/industrial service work, commercial new work/tenant improvements, PLC programming and control work, High Voltage/Linework to industrial Haz 1/Div 1 work (where I'm at right now, AKA the oil fields)and more.... It's hard to get bored with so many options [Linked Image] Best of luck in your endeavors. and as always, feel free to pick the brains of all those who come here... There's hundreds of years of experience right here at your fingertips [Linked Image]

Randy
Posted By: ShockMe77 Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/08/06 03:58 AM
Welcome to ECN!

I love being an electrician. I could do without crawling around small crawl spaces, but that's just a part of it. Not every job is going to be standing around, cutting-in 40 circuit panels, or installing single pole switches all day. Some jobs are downright dirty and disguisting. But hey, you're probably used to that enviroment already.

Good luck!
Posted By: HVAC Tech Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/09/06 12:09 PM
Thanks for all the info gentlemen. Im in lincoln, NE - the company Im with is called Willmar Electric WES. I start monday. Yeah, IM ready to start learning thats for sure. Ive been working on furnaces, A/C's, W.I Coolers/Freezers and racks for a long time now - and Im glad to close that chapter of my life...for now. I think Ill always dabble in HVAC field here and there occasionaly. Im just glad I wont be called out at 3am anymore for a freon alarm in a HyVee or walmart supercenter deli bunker froze up - thats one of the reasons I got out, i was working 80 hrs plus a week for the last 5 years. I wanted a life somewhat outside of work.
Posted By: Eddy Current Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/09/06 12:20 PM
I do 70+hrs a week and get called out at 3am. I don't think your problem was trade specific, depends on what kind of work your employer does.
Service work does have many benefits like a van to bring home full of tools, gas card, phone etc.
Posted By: steve ancient apprentice Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/09/06 03:56 PM
Haveing completed 5000 hours of a 8000 hour apprenticeship I have worked for a total drunk, and the other who bounces payroll checks. I have done fire restoration,commercial work and bucket truck work. My last employer was a gem but recentley retired because of health reasons. After all this I have decided to leave the trade and go back to machineing. I know with only a year and a half left some would call me foolish. At one time i thought the world of electricians but not anymore. I am so disgusted by what i see that this was a terrible idea.I wish you well and please be safe. At 47 i hope i never have to pick up a linesman pliers again nor twist another wire. The work to me has been disgusting and degradeing.Never have i tried so hard and gotten so little out of a job.My advice would be to stay in school and use your brain.I was a good employee,never late,never sick,never complained about anything, they can keep their lousy attitudes and i look forward to this monday when i start my new job writeing computer programs for CNC machines. What a waste of 2.5 years of my life.
They the electricians took something i was good at wanted to learn about and ruined it.Boxes under a dishwaher with no covers on them, pull wire thru the pipe with a truck,and thats only the beginning. You will make up your own mind. Best of luck to you.
[This message has been edited by steve ancient apprentice (edited 11-09-2006).]

[This message has been edited by steve ancient apprentice (edited 11-09-2006).]
Posted By: HVAC Tech Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/09/06 09:19 PM
All I know is I prefer doing this to much anything else. I see a lot of people doing all types of crappy things - most of all my friends that have graduated from college also hate what they do. I have a degree in business finance so hopefully I can make a go at it someday with a business of my own in the electrical field. My uncle is an electrical engineer (15 years now) and he misses the electrical trade (he was a journeyman and master at one time) He said, it was more than a job to him; he liked the friends he made on the job and working on the job. At the moment I cant really think of much else I would want to be doing...except playing guitar for living [Linked Image] But in all seriousness, I would rather be doing this than anything else...I thought long and hard about making this change, and Im glad. Today is my last day of refrigeration work...for the people who like hearing about other people day...this is how it went.

1st Call - Walk In cooler down at Applebes
(Bad defrost clock)

2nd - No heat at Sams Club #2 south deli
(Flame sensor dity on ignition assym)

3rd - Salad case warm at Chilis
(Leak in the evaporator)

4th - Rack Alarm on Hyvee #5
(Liquid injection kit sensor bad, Also head pressure was tripped, air in the condenser.

5th and last...Ice Machine down at Holliday Inn (Thermostat and bridge sensor bad)


That was it fella's...Im done! Wish me luck! Thanks for the advice, keep it comin if you like.
Posted By: gfretwell Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/09/06 11:21 PM
It looks like about half of your calls are electrical in nature anyway so you might really like the "repair" end of the electrical business. Certainly there is a lot of skill in new construction but it is a whole different skill to be able to find a problem in an existing installation. Your HVAC background is also on your side. "trades" may not approvee of folks who work in different diciplines but employers love it. Just keep our HVAC credentials up.
Posted By: Rewired Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/10/06 12:11 AM
Well, I will tell ya I think you are doing the right thing!
Personally I LOVE my job. I mean there are days I don't want to go to work because I know its not going to be a good day right out of the gate, but almost all the time I put on my party hat and head on down. I work with a great bunch of people, where every one is like second family to me. We all get along.
What I like about the job though is I do get to put my mind to work. Yes there is a lot of grunt / dirty and downright disgusting work, but I do get into some troubleshooting as well and really get to use my brain to figure out why something isn't doing what it should. To top it off I really like the fact that I can walk onto a trouble call and have what seems to be total chaos, restored to "normal" within a short time, (depending on the origin of the problem and the severity of course) and get thanked what seems a million times over, and on a few occasions a " Thank you " card mailed to the office of all things! I get a real charge out of that! This is a trade that commands respect, and you get it thats for sure.

You have the advantage of your HVAC background which in my mind is a BIGTIME BONUS. You will be able to show up at a job or a trouble call involving some piece of HVAC equipment and know the inside of it like the back of your hand as in what values should be measured or observed, what the function of each control or device within the unit is supposed to do, even what sounds the thing should or should NOT be making correct ( All I know is scroll compressors sound funny, are loud and apparently self destruct if the phase rotation is backwards.. So I have been told anyway.)
Trust me I think its a step in the right direction and you will do good!

A.D
Posted By: Almost Fried Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/10/06 04:25 AM
SteveAA
Sorry to hear that you are burned out already. There are a lot of users out there, too bad that you had to work for some of them. I have always enjoyed the trade, it is the deadbeat con artists who won't pay that have put a bad taste in my mouth. I spend every monday night at a votech learning how to be a machinist, not as a career change, but for fun. I started welding at 45, took up blacksmithing to keep the electrical contracting from causing ulcers. Now I can bless wires more peacefully, even though I no longer have the opportunity to be a clandestine electrician in an unmarked truck at a wal-mart two states away.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/10/06 04:50 PM
Steve,
Send me an e-mail.
Posted By: trollog Re: Ex-Refrigeration Tech - 11/13/06 05:02 AM
It makes me a little sad to hear steveancientapprentice is leaving the trade after having such a string of negative experiences. To be sure, I have met my share of ***** in this trade, and not every day has been peach pie, sunshine & smiles, or filled with rainbows and unicorns, but I still enjoy the work overall and find it interesting. Too bad you had such bad handlers during your time in the trade. Alongside the jerks and types who never seem to have their act together, there are also a lot of truly nice people, who are good human beings out there doing this work as well. Sorry you didn't fall in with a better group of people.




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 11-13-2006).]
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