NOT COOL

Not too long ago a morning television show did a “sting” type of operation on several HVACR contractors that were called out to service a system that had one simple problem. The good news is that all the technicians found the problem quickly. The bad news is that all the technicians then tried to pad the bill by replacing unnecessary parts. You don’t need to cheat people to make money. In fact, I think that cheating people ultimately ends in losing customers. Most satisfied customers will refer you to friends and family. The HVACR business works best with long term repeat customers, not a long string of patsies.There was once a contractor in Athens who specialized in getting their foot in the door and then condemning equipment. They are no longer in business. They literally ran out of people who would do business with them. When you cheat your customers, you are slitting your own throat. It does not take a high profile television program sting for folks to figure out something is wrong. Eventually, your customers will catch up to you. When they do, everyone they know will know about it.

There is nothing wrong with making a profit, and there is nothing wrong with being paid well for your time, expertise, and investment. So be up front and charge people for your time, expertise and investment, not parts they don’t need. There is also nothing wrong with offering premium services. If you want to sell setback thermostats or other system improvements, you should make your argument based on the increased comfort, energy efficiency, or convenience that the customer will enjoy. We make money by solving problems for people, not creating them.

The Strength Remains

Eleven years ago, I was working in my office at school when a teacher from down the hall came in and said that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers. While I was searching for information about the first plane, the second plane hit the other tower. It was only then that I realized we were under attack. I believe the trade center towers were chosen because they became an icon of American strength. Rather than weaken us, the attacks strengthened us in many ways. We proved our mettle immediately following the tragedy. Stories abound about how people rose to the challenge: from police and firemen risking their lives to politicians speaking with one voice as Americans. My favorite story involves St.Paul’s Chapel directly across the street. Somehow St. Paul's survived the shower of debris and was transformed into a round the clock hostel, providing care and support for eight months to the rescue and recovery workers. For months, volunteers came from all over America to work there. So many volunteers came that they had to be scheduled and their time helping was limited to allow everyone a chance to experience the blessing of helping. People cried when their time was up and they had to leave.

The towers came down. The strength remains.

To Stretch Your Budget, Roll Your Own!

Gary Recher is one of a group of instructors who communicate with me regularly, giving me feedback and ideas. In today's tough economy, we are all being asked to do more with less. Rather than focusing on what we don't have, I suggest we focus on what we DO have. Gary sent me this article on how he makes his own trainers. I hope it will stir your creative juices to see how you can use what is at hand to teach effectively in a challenging environment. If you have a favorite idea that you are willing to share, send it in and I will post it!

Electrical Troubleshooting Trainers

We as instructors want to provide our students with as much realistic troubleshooting scenarios as possible. We can use troubleshooting diagnostic software, manufactured trainers, and actual equipment that many times that we have to swap good parts for bad to provide troubleshooting tasks. Each has its place and can provide excellent opportunities for students’ to hone their troubleshooting skills.

Computer software can stimulate the student on various troubleshooting scenarios. This allows the students’ to develop problem solving skills without shorting out equipment or meters. However, it does not allow them to demonstrate those skills on actual systems using test equipment.

Use of manufactured trainers are many times boards that have the same components as an actual system that has trouble switches to simulate problems. The advantage of a trainer is that it allows the student to use their meter in an actual troubleshooting scenario rather than at a computer screen. Giving them the chance to use a meter and interpret their meter readings. The downside of these trainers that many times they are forced to use test points for the meter test prods rather than testing at points one would actually use in troubleshooting such as relay terminals.

Actual equipment allows students to get actual hands on experience. The limitations to using actual equipment is that to create a troubleshooting scenario the instructor or lab assistant will have to remove good components and install defective ones. This method is time consuming as the equipment will have to be set up for the troubleshooting scenario and then repaired at the conclusion of the troubleshooting session. If there is only one student this is ideal as the student can then demonstrate the removal and replacement of the defective component and then accomplish an operational test of the system. If several students have to troubleshoot the same fault there is always the downside of the fault being compromised to students that have not accomplished the troubleshooting task.

As HVAC/R technicians/instructors we are no strangers to solving problems. And there are ways to providing realistic troubleshooting scenarios without having to swap good parts for bad. Here is what our course has done that allows us to change troubleshooting scenarios using toggle switches. One of our troubleshooting stations is a cube air conditioner connected to an air handler with electric heat. On the back of the air handler a large hinged door component box was installed. Which is now becomes troubleshoot control center. Inside are mounted four motor starter rated toggle switches several lower amperage rated toggle switches and a dual run capacitor. Inside the compressor compartment the wires for the compressor and fan windings and wires spliced back to the control center. In the air conditioner’s electrical control box the contactor coil wire is unsoldered from one of the terminals. A 20 gauge stranded wire is soldered to the terminal and a second wire soldered to the coil wire. Both are run back to the control center to a toggle switch. Are you getting the idea now? With a flip of a switch there is a defective contactor. With the flip of a switch there is an open compressor or fan motor overload or run winding. The air handler cube relay was relocated to the control center. A similar relay was disassembled and the coil disabled and wires soldered to the internal terminals a hole drilled to the bottom of the relay and then through the mounting plate, grommet inserted into drilled hole, and back to control center through toggle switches. The thermostat was not immune either to our devilish modifications. By carefully grinding the current path etchings on the terminal board with a Dremel grinder wires can then be soldered to both sides of that break and then run to a toggle switch to the control center.

The downside of this is that you will have to do it yourself, and it does take time to make. The upside to doing this is that the student will be troubleshooting equipment as near world as possible and troubles can be changed with the flick of a switch from a thermostat to a fan relay to a compressor problem, etc..

This same procedure can be accomplished using manufactured demonstrators. By installing faux relays and toggle switches a demonstrator can be turned into a troubleshooting trainer.

The bottom line of this article is to hopefully to inspire you to use your mind, innovate and create the training devices that provide more realistic training situations.