Friday, September 16, 2016

Are You Keeping Up?

Technology is changing the HVACR industry so quickly that many techs get vertigo from the dizzying changes. It is tempting to try and “opt out” of the technological revolution and stick to the old familiar technologies you are comfortable with. However, your lack of participation will not slow the train, you will simply be left behind.

Before heat pumps were common in the southeast, I remember many techs declaring that they would not work on heat pumps. Today, any tech in Georgia who does not work on heat pumps does not work very much. I remember another time an older tech  telling a story of how he retrofitted a system with a stack control and threw away that electronic junk. So the customer ended up paying a lot to downgrade their system because the tech did not understand it. Worse, it did not work well afterwards.

I know many techs today are leery of communicating control systems, variable refrigerant flow systems, electronically controlled compressor motors, and WiFi thermostats – just to name a few things. These things are not going to go away. Customers like them. They like the energy efficiency and convenience these products bring. If you don’t sell and service them, someone else will. The only logical course of action is to educate yourself on the emerging technologies found in the HVACR industry. This is a lifelong process. This year is not the same as last year, and there will be more to learn next year. I am older than most practicing HVACR techs, but I do not long for the “good old days.” I am too busy having fun with the new toys, there is just so much I need to learn.

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