HVAC apprentice Josh Clemente relives his first week in the field, and tells all about having to spend copious amounts of time with none other than Bert as his trainer.
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Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes
and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/
Hey i'm joshua clemente, i'm an apprentice here at klo services and uh, i'm the new guy so uh. Before i landed in this beautiful situation. Working with my brain and lebron, i was delivering parcels for a very well-known uh delivery service provider. I just started to get a little old and i wanted something that was really going to challenge me.
I found the ac industry, especially down here in florida, to be incredibly lucrative and, besides that, it's something that's gon na you know push me to you know, get the brain juices flowing to figure out the problems, and so i found out about kalos through an online Job board - i was just you know, scrolling trying to figure out what my next plan would be before i made any type of rash decisions, and i found the job posting for the apprenticeship and i thought it was pretty legit um kind of a little too legit, Because they were like oh yeah, we'll pay you to work as a helper and we'll also provide you the opportunity to go to school on us. So i thought that was pretty cool when i was like why not so i filled it out and uh, i thought to myself. You know why not look into hvac and i did a little did. A little digging went on to the youtubes and i found a guy by the name of andrew grieves.
He posts some really cool videos, um, really good information on the trade and uh through one of his videos. I heard brian orr name dropped and i was like wait. Didn't i just get an email from a brian orr. He was intrigued in my qualification with my qualifications uh.
So i was like there's no way this this. This is the same brian orr. That mr graves was just talking about. You know this is some legendary mythical creature in the hvac industry down here in good old florida, so uh i did some digging and i found out that mr orr was in fact the one that sent me that email so boy was.
I nervous um, especially considering i've, never really had any significant experience working with my hands, but i i can think you know i'm a smart guy. You know it's not it's not all brawn. You know i got some brains up. There.
Just haven't been pushed to use it so now that i've been given an opportunity to work for a legitimate company and uh be given the structure that i would need to succeed within this community um, i was really excited. I still am very excited, so uh came into my first day of work. Uh had a morning meeting and boy was i not ready for the information that i received because it was, you know, coming from, like all directions, firing on all cylinders um. So i am still learning a lot um after that first meeting, i i you know i i kind of tried to ingest all that i heard and i thought to myself, there's going to be more.
I didn't let that discourage me and i trudged on from the fire pan into the into the fire from the frying pan into the fire. I went on my first job. I went on my second job third job workshop and they they've gone on they're continuing to go on, but not at it alone got a senior tech with me. That's showing me the ropes, the fuses, the switches, the gauges. You know it's a little daunting. There's a lot of information that comes with this trade. There are a lot of subtle nuances that are just going in through here, and you know coming out of here and like here, and you know not quite sticking just yet, but they will eventually i i definitely feel i feel that uh within a week so far Things you know there are certain. There are certain things that have stuck very well very well to the point where i kind of annoy my wife when i get home so overall, um really great first few days, um definitely excited about continuing uh continuing on this uh path, this uh beautiful um.
I'm sorry we good we good here yeah, getting a call, hang on hello, uh yeah! What's up bert um, just wondering if you're still doing that thing in there yeah you, i think you kind of just like interrupted well just wanted to make sure that you're talking about me a lot, because there's a lot of fans out there. That really want to hear about me, mostly um, so we'll talk about this later when we get back in the van all right, all right, bert, hey, i'm bert master senior, trainer technician unicorn level. So what do you want to know about me? This interview is about josh, that's fine, that's fine! That's cool! So josh is uh. He doesn't know very much yet.
Okay, so i mean that's fine. Let's talk about josh josh as a trainer here at kalos. I see a lot of new people that come in and are eager and want to learn, and i get to experience giving them their first day, their first encounter in the field and bringing them up. It's kind of fun, so josh joined us on monday walked straight into that meeting.
I hadn't seen his face yet before and uh next thing i know he's in the van with me, and so our process is pretty much. You go right out in the field. You immediately start learning as an apprentice on the job site, getting real experiences and um. Where am i at, i should calm down slow down and i'm i'm not advertising for kayla's bert we're just talking about apprenticeship, and so that's one of the things i love about.
Apprenticeship is the fact that you can you're not just book learning but you're out experiencing it with your hands with your eyes and then you're learning in that process and so josh. He has no previous experience even some of the tools he had not seen or worked with before. So that's kind of fun to actually get that and then i get to teach them exactly how our process is what we do from the ground up and first days we're just pretty much getting to know each other. Talking asking a lot of questions and things i can pick up on as a trainer is: does this guy like to work? Does he want to learn, and so far that's been really good with josh? He wants to work, he wants to learn and that's that's.
That's something i can work with um. I forgot shave, my mustache, why aren't you talking man so foreign.
Isn't this the guy from key and peele?
Is fortis a good school? Are you in Barrhaven ?
Hello there question, do you have any schools near Port Saint Lucie Florida? If not, could you recommend a school next to me? Thank you
Dude! I also just left the delivery/driving industry after being in it for years for this line of work instead! Haha nice one!
I get treated like dog shit by my co workers
I had a bad first experience going into the trade, out of trade school I learned some stuff but I mostly I feel like important stuff didn't stick, so I applied and no one would hire me because I didn't have like 5 years under my belt until finally got a job from a mom and pop shop in my hometown but my "boss could not teach me and just let me go one my own on like my third day mostly to clean coils but I messed up and he just let me go this discouraged me to just quit the trade but I'm like this guy I got a job for a certain famous package company but it's not enough for stability and I might wanna go into it. I'm just scared I might mess up and get fired for it.
I've been an apprentice for almost a year, my mentor has the habit of sitting in the car for about an hour every time we get to a job site (commercial maintenances) is this normal? He always tells me "well what are you going to do when you're alone and have to do 24 RTUs by yourself?" He complains almost every time we get a new job and he makes me maintenance every unit. He constantly brags about being busy and working long days but recently we've been pulling barely our 40. He has a negative attitude all the time, and it's starting to get old. I'm not sure where I'm Really going with this, I'm just looking for advice is all.
Why do these guys have the most plain personality it’s not funny
I too work for a parcel company that is very well know through the amazon 🍇… this is a sign that I need to get my ass to class and get this certificate 😤
Those 2 are going to quit and go on the comedy show tour.
More Bert videos! Service area Orleans??
I can completely relate.
I came to learn, and instead I laughed! Great deadpan Bert! Good luck Josh! Love all you guys do to train the industry and make it better!
This is funny
I wish I lived near that area because you're in great hands and Bryan Orr does a great service to this industry. I have done both residential and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration and now do industrial ammonia refrigeration. I was fortunate to have my dad teach me before he passed away due to cancer. He was an ac instructor for over 17 years before they closed the trade school down here. It's a great field with a ton of opportunity.
Bert….. Get to work!
“Unicorn level” dead
A question if I may and if there is a better way/route you guys take questions please let me know
r410a refrigerant
My sub cooling is high, unit calls for 10-12 but it’s 18 (it’s a TXV system)
super heat is .8-1.2
Temp split is 18-20
Suction line temp is 38-40 (118 psi)
Liquid line temp is 75 (288 psi)
Outdoor temp is 75F
Getting around 55F out the supply vent registers
Filter, blower, evaporator, ductwork is all clean, all new units installed a few months ago
I just don’t have access to the basement currently tenant is on vacation
What do you guys think? Unit is working fine but I don’t like these numbers, came here doing a maintenance call Are you in Nepean ?
Nice! I start hvac school on Monday at southern tech!
I am still in school, done in November of this year. I was lucky to get a job back in march and am in the field, sometimes on my own. Then again i am 49 years old with an extensive background in automotive and IT. Love the channel, thanks for the information! It's a great help. Service area Barrhaven??
I was trying to get in apprenticeship program but final interview unfortunately I didn’t get selected but want to know more it’s hard to go through apprenticeship program? Or they hire only experience one
This is funny 😆
I would love to have the opportunity you have brother. Love listening to Bryan teach, and knowing he does things the right way and gives his customers great quality.
6 years in .. good luck
Porn mustache
My first month as an “apprentice” for this new company that just hired me hmm company does refrigeration/ice machines/hvac so I’d say it’s a lot to take in.. the first week was all training on the computer regarding work phone procedures, safety, and crash course in light refrigeration via under counters, up rights, etc.. then, going onto my second week I got my own work van and began training out in the field with all the PM and service techs on the team (though I was hired as a pm starting out with only basic knowledge). The first week out in the field I was trained by one of the more capable techs out on mostly service work consisting of mostly walk in freezers/fridges and light refrigeration. After that week, it’s just been at random in regard of who I work with for the day for training. There have been PM days and on other days I’m helping a lead tech on service calls and basically training and learning as I go with them.. it’s been a roller coaster and only a month and a half in too (now). Still got to make it through the probation period. Lol.
Big up Bert and friends from Costa Rica!
Great Job Service area Nepean??
Josh, find the voice recorder app on your phone or install one for those morning meetings where Bryan talks so fast.
Bert chill bro..
I’m 41 is that too old to start learning the trade?
You´re lucky……My first week I was sent to work in a mortuary full of corpses………Shat myself.Change the evaporator blower motor……
Am already in apprenticeship now looking forward to enroll in school
I do HVAC work as a hobby for friends, family and neighbors as I find it therapeutic. I also have a computer science and engineering degree from MIT. Seems odd that I'd enjoy doing HVAC work as a hobby, yet I find it interesting. The most compelling facet is such a simplistic system to absorb, both in design and function incorporates a somewhat immense array of variables.
If you learn what the components look like, how and why they work the way they do you’ll do fine. And it’s good that you found a company that wants you to go to school because some companies won’t like the fact that you went to school.
Fantastic Josh, HVAC/R is always the first day of the rest of your life. Never ending learning/doing/experiencing/accomplishing, very rewarding. I have a feeling you are in good hands with "bert". He claims he's unicorn level…, maybe level 15 so you know it's gonna be good.. ;~)
Great job Josh- not so good Bert. Just kidding, you're a ROCK STAR! Bryan Orr – Legendary Mythical Creature in the HVAC Industry lol Bryan's the HVAC King!
You guys have good videos, well presented with good structure…but when you are doing a live vid like this one, please set your camera up on a tripod and do your zooms in post. The wobbles and random zooms make it hard to concentrate.
You never stop learning being a hvacr technician! ESPECIALLY in Refrigeration! Are you in Ottawa ?
Josh, keep an open mind. Keep it simple when diagnosing. Don't jump to the hardest craziest fix. And ALWAYS keep learning. There is so much to learn about the trade. Are you in Orleans ?
I graduate it's Friday and I'm ready to start working. If you live in Michigan go to miat do not go to Northwestern Tech they suck Service area Kanata??
Start school on Monday, can’t wait.
I just completed my hvac program on the 6 I’m in Baltimore, Maryland heading to Orlando, Florida to attend MMI being sending my resume to companies on indeed what other tips do you have for someone trying to get into the field
Bert exudes HVAC 😉👌
Congratulations! Your a lucky man to start there with the mythical Bryan Orr. I’ve worked at many toxic companies in HVAC industry. Take care of him Bert. These guys know their stuff you’ll do great
I graduated this year just waiting for companies to call me back so I can start my hvac career !
Soundtrack?
Bert is a funny guy! …lol
It is very important to have mechanical ability… if you dont know which end of the hammer use… don't go into hvacr… even if you figure out which end of the hammer to use… you should be able to swing it like a man.. if you can't… don't go into hvacr… alot of you don't understand that you will start off as a helper to installer to installer mechanic to service tech … and if you can grasp it all.. management is the final stage or ownership! helpers and installers will work in basements attics crawl spaces… SHOOLS DONT TEACH INSTALLS!! If your school does teach installs.. your very lucky! Most will not!! The environments we work in are harsh… rain ..sleet or snow, you must go…. installers are known as rafter rats or celler dwellers… as for service your trouble shooting MUST be on point… line voltage… low voltage… micro fads… resistance… control wiring… you only have a certain amount of time to complete your task… if you go past that time.. you have some explaining to do… time is money! Then there are sales… some companies focus on sales through the service techs… which I think sucks! … i left residential hvac… now I only do commercial/ industrial hvacr and make 84$ an hour… BUT … i also do commercial/ industrial refrigeration.. thats where the "R" in hvac comes in…. not just hvac… add that R to hvac and you will be on the most wanted list… and your pay will reflect it… BUT YOU MUST HAVE MECHANICAL ABILITY… good luck to all
HVAC is an awesome career. If you are looking for something to challenge your mind look no further.
Like this comment if you wish you were trained by Bert.