We discuss some of the similarities and differences of HVAC vs. Refrigeration as a career path.
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Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes
and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/
Hey thanks for showing an interest in the hvac, our industry and I think you're gon na find that it is a really great career choice. But I want to talk specifically today about the difference between the HVAC heating, ventilating and air conditioning side and then the our which we sometimes add to the end, which stands for refrigeration. So what is it ever enough? Ridge, eration, heating, ventilating and air conditioning? The first thing I want to point out is the fact that, when we say refrigeration, we're talking about commercial refrigeration, refrigeration in homes and residences falls under the category of appliance repair, which is kind of a different thing. And while a lot of residential contractors do appliance repair, many don't and it sort of falls under its own category.
So when you think about dishwashers, washers, dryers and refrigerators, those fall under the category of consumer appliance, repair or residential appliance repair, and that's not something that we're talking about here. Specifically so. First off when we say refrigeration, we're talking about commercial refrigeration and when we say HVAC we could be talking about commercial, residential or industrial, but there are some key differences here. The first thing that I want to mention is that in HVAC you tend to be working on equipment.
That's based around human comfort. That's the most common. There are systems that control the environment for industrial processes. That's what we call industrial process, refrigeration or industrial cooling, but the majority of the industry is Comfort, HVAC and so Comfort.
Hvac means we're controlling heating ventilation, air conditioning air flow air, filtration and/or, air quality. You can even throw odors and sound in there we're controlling all of those things as it relates to the equipment in order to keep people comfortable, and what goes along with that is isn't is often on the HVAC side. We can make instantaneous repairs that show themselves immediately, so you can go to a building and it doesn't have cooling and you can turn it on. The customer feels cold air blowing out of the vents.
The temperatures may not be down yet, but there's a concern that instant satisfaction you move on to the next job. In refrigeration often, we are making repairs and then we're waiting to make sure that the box temperature pulls down waiting to make sure that it goes into defrost and so the nature of refrigeration - and I was told this when I was in trade school back. I was, I guess, you know, 16, 17 years old at the time that patient people tend to do better in refrigeration people who are more detailed, more detail-oriented, more patient, and so the way my instructor put it was refrigeration is the is the trade of old men, Because they they like to you, know kind of wait and wait for the ice machine to harvest and then wait for the refrigeration unit to go into defrost. There's a lot of waiting involved in refrigeration in comparison to air conditioning, so enquires a little bit more precision. A little bit more patience, a little bit more of a detailed mindset in general. But of course, like anything, there's exceptions to all of this. One thing that a lot of people will point out is that there seems to be a trend where there is quite a bit of money in refrigeration lately, because there's a big shortage, especially in things like the grocery store, refrigeration, space or the market, refrigeration space and There's some truth in that regionally there actually are some shortages and whatever there's a shortage. Of course supply and demand drives.
The only way that you're going to work out in refrigeration is, if you have the skills to do refrigeration. The core principles of refrigeration and air conditioning are the same pretty much, but in refrigeration. There's a level of importance to what you're doing, because potentially you can lose thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of product. If you make a mistake, so you really have to know what you're doing and, in general, there's very few schools that are going to teach the market refrigeration.
For example, they're gon na generally teach the smaller stuff they're not going to necessarily be teaching the more advanced types of control, so you're generally gon na need to eat a lot of that training from the manufacturers themselves, which is something I would always encourage you to Do even if you're in HVAC and you want to get into refrigeration, I would encourage you to attend some of those classes to read some of those resources that are available online. There's some really great resources available online from companies like Hill Phoenix from companies like Emerson and Parker's Portland. There's there's many different resources available online, so they can start to get you involved and interested in the refrigeration side of things, and there is huge opportunity there, but it is. It is important to know that when you get into the refrigeration where you're dealing with product and potential product loss versus just somebody being uncomfortable, you want to be really cognizant of the fact that you have to know what you're doing you have to be comfortable generally.
On the control side, you have to be very technically adept and because you're gon na often be working with heavier components like, for example, a semi-hermetic compressor on a refrigeration. Rack is a very, very heavy part. You have to have some knowledge of rigging and how to work with things safely, whereas on the HVAC side, especially on the residential and light commercial side, there's not going to be as much of that and like anything when you go into a segment of the industry. That's a little more rare, most cases they're gon na want to hire people who already have experience.
So if you're entry-level, then often it's easier to get into the HVAC side than it is to get into the refrigeration side. But I would encourage you, as I encourage many. You know start to do some reading on your own start, to do some researching start to take some classes, and you may find that you're able to land a pretty good opportunity with a company that does that sort of work. I do have to warn you on the refrigeration side. Refrigeration technicians tend to have to work a pretty nasty on-call schedule because in refrigeration, if you get a call that a freezer, for example, that's going down, maybe a grocery store or a convenience store. A restaurant you've got to go right now it doesn't matter if it's two o'clock at night. It's not a matter of once and Comfort cooling. It's I'm uncomfortable in my bedroom right, I'm not comfortable.
So I want you to come out and refrigeration. It's you've got to come out. You need to come out, so the on call schedules tend to be a little more crazy in refrigeration weekends nights. Those sorts of things tend to come up.
The travel tends to be a little bit more, a little bit more stressful. A lot of people who do the larger refrigeration - you know they experience burnout, especially in really busy times, so that's something that you have to be prepared for. You have to be a fairly resilient person in order to do the commercial refrigeration side. I mean that's also true in HVAC.
All of these industries require you know, a reasonable amount of resilience and grit in order to do them. This is not a job for somebody who just wants to punch a clock, but commercial refrigeration tends to be on the leading edge of that along with industrial. So it depends on what your tolerance is for stress in those ways it depends what your interest is in. Being really detailed and very mechanical and technical, once again, on the refrigeration side, the people skills aren't as necessary.
I mean having people skills, helps everyone, it's a good thing to have, whereas in residential and light commercial HVAC, there is a lot more of that. Talking to the customer side of things, especially in residential in the larger commercial refrigeration, there's just not as much of that, it's more about the work itself. So hopefully you found that helpful. We will catch you on the next one.
I started as a supermarket refrigeration helper and now transitioned into AC service tech. The change is amazing. I did 3 years in refrigeration dealing with so much emergency calls. In AC calls you only work 8 hours, no on calls, and I get paid a lot because of my refrigeration experience. Service area Ottawa??
Your podcast on this subject was fantastic. As a 18 year Hvac vet who tried his hand at grocery store refrigeration allow me to throw my two cents in to anyone considering refrigeration. First of all I was horrible at it. Know this before you go in that this industry is so short handed that you will be working 80 plus hour weeks. It’s incredibly stressful, store managers are up your butt screaming to hurry up because of product loss. The gentleman giving the podcast is 100 percent correct, you need to be very patient, extremely smart, and willing to not have a personal life. I’m not exaggerating. There is a ton of money to be made in refrigeration but so is there in even residential Hvac if you do both tech side and also sales of new equipment.
Good luck out there boys! Are you in Kanata ?
Nathan what’s up bro!!
If u like having a life outside of work go into hvac, if u are prepared to potentially work a 60 hour week and get dispatched to a store at 3 am that’s an hour away… do commercial refrigeration and get rich lol
Terrific million dollar voice
Dude….been back an forth with test o an field piece… give me a video of testo an field piece probes side by side.. 2 years is too long.. thanks.
Been refer tech Def like it better than ac stuff but I still do it all hence the title universal tech 😅🙃 Are you in Orleans ?
Great info, congrats. Service area Nepean??
Refrigeration all the way
If you want millions of subs post people doing real diag and repairs from start to finish.
Been a Sub for some time now and I never watched this video somehow. As a 20 year Union HVAC/R Field Sprvsr (With a travelers card to work anywhere in America,) I think that was the absolute best way to describe the differences in HVAC to Refrigeration. You nailed everything I have been trying to teach everyone my whole career. Well done buddy!
Thanks I was able to rebuild my vacuum
Thanks for your content! Do you have any opinion on business software and field service programs? Looking for opensource and keep your own data if possible. Service area Barrhaven??
HVACR for 37 years in a hospital setting. No matter which you choose, they both suck!!!!!!!
Mr HVACR I would love to talk to you, ok Ill go ahead and do it, My name is Scott, my number is 520 266 9558 I am in AZ please call me leave a message if I do not answer, thanks
I went to HVAC/R school in Phoenix in 1989, and my first job was ducting homes for a contractor that did both HVAC and also commercial refrigeration. From the start I would go on after hours call with the techs on my own time and in a year was put into the on-call rotation. I have worked refrigeration ever since and now have my own refrigeration company. If you're really good with refrigeration and electrical diagnosis, you can name your price in this line of work.
Always impressive detail always thought out multiple angles, and always delivered in a comprehensive manner. You are outstanding
Industrial and Commercial Refrigeration, has it issues, I did it a while work for a Ice Company, and this was when Ice Boxes units ran on R-12, and the freezers can on R-22, in the late 1980s, and early 1990s. a technician came in and service the Ammonia machine, and anybody knows that produces very low temperatures, and you have to have steel piping, and water cool towers because of the high head pressures, Commercial units have as we know, low pressure, and high pressure cut-outs, and Refrigerant TEV metering devices, but Air condition is much better as with heat pumps, but it up to the person what field they want to work in, and what hours and what else they want to deal; with.
refrigeration gang, i work on commercial units
I wanna fix big box stores refrigeration what and how do I start that journey Service area Kanata??
Hello, can you recommend a good book to learn HVAC from beginners to advance for engineers. Thank you! I love your channel!!!
Questions for beginners !!! Can you get your EPA online ????
there any websites what are generally best for this type of all around skills & testing ???
You can start in refrigeration and transition down to Hvac very easily, starting in hvac and transitioning up to refrigeration is basically like starting over again .
Thanks!! for explanation of introduction.
Nice classes Mr
Both are a miserable existence !!! Sounds good, 32 years later you will regret !!
Those jobs for refrigeration are out there, but here I am working on Christmas
I agree with all the coments here. I enjoy refrigeration more than ac. However I realized I don’t like rolling around on restaurant floors any more, with a super crazy on call schedule. Now do 95% resi and light commercial ac. No question refrigeration is a more detailed skill set in my opinion. It’s all about balance life and work. Refrigeration is hard to do that.
Hey man is there a place where you guys put all the links you mention on the podcast?
Great Break Down on the trade! Thanks.
Thanks you for your video.
So, if you can make a video clip about assembly a AHU small, please!
If you work in Grocery store refrigeration get ready to work lots of hours honestly i eat breath and dream About it lol 1 more point is to have a strong Significant other if you are in a relationship it helps with the long hours you will meet a lot of people on there 3 marriage after doing this job not to scare anyone away its just the demand is high and you can make good money
Is there a way i can email photos or suggest a video all about W.E. Anderson Dwyer Instruments flow switches? Or where can I find contact info other then youtube comment section?
yeap,you are right,very helpful.!!!!
Yeah, I saw the cartoons too nigga so, what it is? Wtf u think it was about or am I misunderstanding the message if so tell them i said smd. I mean sho me the ey u got the costco warehouse big dog dead son talk one or was that one just me? Haha awwww shit if u only knew
do you have a brazing info video?
I got thrown straight into refrigeration at 19 with my own van. I learned extremely quickly and luckily my company let me go to college to get qualified.
I just want to work like 8-5 with minimal overtime so i have time for family, the gym, and surfing. Should i shoot for getting into HVAC instead of refrigeration?
Hey not sure how to direct message you but we have a set of refrigeration tools and would love to do a collab with you and maybe give your subs a discount code or something. Let me know your thoughts.
So amazing discussion
40 years of doing refrigeration and not one thank you for saving there product. But the customer will always complain about the bill every time. And i don't blame them for being up set. They don't really have time to get three quotes on the repair because of the loss they will incur.
Neither, do controls or become a building engineer unless you want to be an underpaid slave and do back breaking work your whole life. If you do stay mechanical atleast open a company if possible. Are you in Nepean ?
When did HVAC add the R to the acronym Are you in Ottawa ?
I didn't see or hear anyone mention Industrial Refrigeration. I operated and maintained large ammonia refrigeration systems for multinational companies for 10 years. Some systems I've operated contained 100,000 lbs of ammonia. Industry will continue using anhydrous ammonia as no current refrigerant can compare with the cost and performance of ammonia. There is money and advancement to be had for clever techs. I currently make over 6 figures with zero overtime (started at $15 an hour 10 years earlier, nowadays you can start around $25/hr, I'm in a major city in Texas). I have a set schedule. No traveling, no customers, no service calls, ever. The biggest downside of this segment of refrigeration is the shift work. You'll likely work 12 hour days or nights (guess where you'll start when starting at a new company), but there are 8 hour shift jobs out there (again you'll have to work your way up to 1st shift). Also, do not listen to ammonia naysayers. Educate yourself on what it is and find an employer that maintains their system and takes safety seriously. Do it right, and you won't smell ammonia very often.
HVAC in an area that has seasons is the way to go. Always changing and stays fresh. Here in Denver we went from 90f to 5f in a week. It's fun watching our buildings all freak out with the change. 🙂
You forgot to mention facilities work which is usually more of a relaxed pace with a consistent schedule and you get to work on HVAC and refrigeration equipment. I'm a facilities guy and I love my job. I work 8-5 and after hours work is uncommon for me.
Thanks for sharing these good points. I like the HVAC side, but refrigeration seems to be really growing on me… specifically supermarket.