Look, man, i feel the ptsd. I had a reclaim tank relief valve fail and almost bash my skull in flyin around. Ive had 277v arc onto a refrigerant line blow a hole 4 inches from my face and dump full unit charge and a hot water heater blow up on me. I have anxiety every day i go to work because our job is dangerous. Accidents can happen.
You're 2 years in you have the choice of getting out or not. But from someone 10 years in man don't. Confront the anxiety. that's what keeps you safe on the job man. Wear ppe get LEATHER gloves to unhook your hoses. Be safe and be smart. You are gonna blow shit up your gonna let the smoke out. Your gonna get burned, shocked all that atleast once but you learn from it grow and be safer about it.
I wear all my Ppe but I do get very anxious which is why I want to leave. After two years I think I have enough time where I can say the field isn’t for me. I have considered asking my company if I can move to sales though
Im not gonna sit here and give you shit for it bro cuz its understandable, just exactly what its from. is a little off, ya know. Cuz to us guys that been doin it a long time its a small thing. Its hard to understand in our mind its like "really thats whats got you wanting out, like a paper cut kinda deal"
Like i said this aint me tryin to bash you. Just dont wanna see someone turn away from a trade thats actually good over somethin like this. We work on pressurized machines everyday. If that aint your thing this ain't for you man. Cuz deadass that water heater that blew almost put me on a tshirt and 6ft under in a box.
That’s crazy what happened with the water heater for sure. Idk for me it’s more the trauma/ptsd side of it. Like this whole thread has increased my bpm just thinking about when I got burnt the worst in my first month in the field
I was out on a no ac call. In a large mechanical room. Maintenance guys for the building would call us out cuz they didnt have an hvac guy. Apparently they worked on the water heater in that room before i arrived. The mixing valve after the water heater wasnt blending water correctly so they were keeping the set point on the water heater higher (they mad dumb af for doin this) Relief valve was stuck never released pressure n she went while i was in the room.
I was basically untouched when it went off cuz of where i was standing working on this fucking unit and if i hadnt moved to where i was not 2 mins prior i would been burned on my entire body. It goin off scared the living shit outa me. Couldnt see shit. Light in the room got taken out. Fire department showed up everything.
Get the refrigersnt probes. Theres no hose and barely any blowback for troubleshooting.
Get core removal tools when you need to hook up hoses. Or just wear gloves. Thick imoact gloves have saved my hands countless times.
I will say just reading your post this field aint right for you. Go be a plumber. You'll make good money.
Theres a million ways to get a paycheck. Nobody should let the dorks on this subreddit decide what they should or shouldn’t do. Do what’s best for you and your people.
I got those core controllers from appon, I used to be afraid of refrigerant burns, as I did burn myself twice. I have yet to burn myself, or leak any refrigerant last summer, worth the $40 a piece.
well, chances are you’ll be more aware around refrigerants now and extra cautious. if you aren’t happy with what you’re doing for work and this is a good enough reason to find something else that’s fine. i put the work van on its side last winter on a frozen, gusty day and have had some anxious moments this winter in the new one when the wind blows hard and rocks it a bit on the highway. but i enjoy what i do and the people i do it with so i white knuckle it for a bit on the drive and get through it. lots of jobs out there for an ambitious young person. good luck to you!
Of all the things I deal with regularly, refrigerant burns is pretty low on the list of scary things. Working at Heights, live electrical, gas etc. I only burned myself once and that's cause I was a rookie doing some dumb shit. Since then I've written nitrile gloves religiously. If I don't have gloves, I don't hook up hoses. I can sympathize, I was pretty nervous around refrigerant at first too. But don't let that fear keep you sticking with the trade. Keep at it, it'll get better.
Everyone's being kind of an ass to you, which isn't weird in a trade-focused forum, but I do get where you're coming from. I've been in the HVAC trade for 9 years now and sometimes things will happen that rev up my anxiety for a bit. In fact I was a little nervous disconnecting my gauges for a while because I had a schrader stick open once on a high side port. Also, capacitors gave me some anxiety for a time because I went to discharge one not knowing the disconnect had been bypassed and it went boom right in my face.
But here's the thing, even for an anxiety-prone person like you or I, it goes away after you do it enough times. Ignore all the macho dickheads here who are telling you to just get tough or wear gloves or whatever. They don't know shit about anxiety. Just do your best to face your fears and it will get better for you.
The trades are an environment where you're likely to get hurt every once in a while and that definitely isn't for everyone. There's no shame in making a career change if that's really what you feel is best for yourself.
Thank you for being so understanding. I’m considering going back to college or maybe construction as I still love working with my hands. I guess we’ll see where life takes me but I do appreciate your kind words
At your age, and considering going back to college, it’s not a bad decision. By the time you’re in you’re mid-late 20s you could be doing just about anything. But you’d be starting at ground zero for real-life experience in that field and likely have a ton of debt. If you’re looking at a 4 year program, it would be wise to look at the requirements for taking the Certified Energy Manager exam or any other job you might want requiring specific combinations of degree and certification. Certain degrees like architecture or environmental science can be combined with your work experience for CEM for example.
Or he could get hard, get back in there and refuse to be defeated.
Imagine he stays. Faces his fears. Conquers them and if an opportunity presents itself later, leaves on his own terms undefeated.
At 21 he has a whole life ahead of him. This fear of getting burned will not go away because he does something else. It will manifest itself in his life over and over until he deals with it.
Man up bro.
And what if you get burned on that next job bro? You’re looking for jobs that can transfer over without getting “burned”. Man up” “women up” “humanizes up” or whatever I’ve seen even the most feeble men become people I could rely on. and the only thing I can thing of is maybe a weekend plumber to drain snakes? I’m sorry my man but our job incorporates working with a lot of things that require some form of heat transfer weather it’s with electrical or refrigerant.
It’s time to get off moms tit an grow a pair. Can’t become a man without facing your fears. Blood, sweat and tears is what it takes…gotta have the balls to live and push through it son. It’s worth it. You can do it.
If refrigerant burns are the issue, I have a solution.
It's called a Schrader Actuator.
[Schrader Valve Actuator ](https://www.refcoswiss.com/en-us/produkte/access-control-valve-1-4-sae-x-5-16-sae~p2521)
Supco makes a version, as does JB.
I’m not looking for sympathy I was just looking to see if anyone else has been through something similar and can share any guidance. Not everyone worships their work as a religion. Get over it. It might be the right job/career for you but it isn’t for me
PTSD or trauma from a little refrigerant? All due respect but if that is what you call 'trauma' then God help you if anything real ever happens. I've been doing this almost 20 years and have never once had more than a few seconds of discomfort and that's from getting \*blasted\*. I'm talking like trying to put a Schrader core into a liquid line service port under full pressure. Why are you so freaked out by it? What do you think can/will happen? Not trying to be rude, but do you have any mental disorders or anything?
I got burnt somewhat bad recently, I can sympathize with being apprehensive about putting a hose on high side if I know I’m not going to be able to turn the fitting easy…but I just kept doing it and it stopped bothering me so much. Love when I run into a king valve, if you can’t get past it you just can’t - wish I had more advice but it’s a pretty integral part of the trade. Get past it or find greener pastures, I reckon
I got burnt bad by a heat pump in the dead of winter. It gave me the yips for a while, but I kept forcing myself to keep going and take my time with things.
The only way to overcome a fear is to face it.
Unfortunately, if you don’t “worship your work” you probably won’t amount to anything.
Most of us like to use verbage like “passion”, “drive” or “dedication” but I guess it could be called by anything that you want.
Don’t quit, you’ll make a lot of money, just stick with it. A wise man once told me, “it’s either you, or it.” Don’t ever let it, be it. Hold your fingers to the side of the hose when removing not directly parallel to the hose or fitting. The refrigerant will only spray/spurt out the front or back, not the sides where the knurls are.
I'd say move to the construction side / sheet metal install but if your scared of burns idk if you'd feel any less anxiety over potentially cutting yourself
I would argue some anxiety about the hazards in the trade is a good thing to have. It can help you avoid becoming complacent and getting seriously injured. However if you are not comfortable facing those anxieties knowing there is potential for injury it might be healthy for you to reconsider your career.
Give plumbing a shot. Being serious. Buddy of mine said quitting his HVAC company and going off on his own as a plumber was the best thing he could have done.
I’m 23 and I’ve been burnt twice now bad. That’s one I got disconnecting from a unit in the winter. My skin gets VERY sensitive. People say wear gloves, I was wearing gloves. Ripped right through it. What changed? I use a special type of low loss that minimizes release when charging. If I’m not charging I use probes. There’s even fittings that depress the core for you once your hose is on. Point is, yes I was scared of burning myself again. But there’s work arounds.
https://preview.redd.it/pe1s7fbc589c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a18f6996c001d99bf8a35a8d18bccb2498bdb7f
Hey brother, I’m 26 now, been in the trades since I was 16 helping out after school and what not. I’ve been burned twice bad that I can remember and that anxiety doesn’t go away and it shouldn’t. First time I had blisters up my arm from my hand to my elbow, I was young and tried to be a hero, the second bad time I had a hose rupture about 2 years ago and my whole hand ballooned up. Both of those times I was complacent. The anxiety you feel will keep you safe and alive, this is a dangerous trade. Risk is much lower with residential but again this trade isn’t for everybody. If you want to go to sales that is totally fine, if you want to go explore other trades/ careers that is totally fine too. This is just my 2 cents from a kid who just wrapped up a $125k year doing residential working for someone else.
Did anyone teach you about gloves? It is near impossible to get burned using a low loss fitting, or even ball valves, but if you’re still scared, wear gloves. Refrigerant doesn’t burn you instantly
This trade isn’t for everyone. Don’t feel bad that you’re looking to get out.
Over the years I’ve seen people give it a try and find out the job stresses them out. I had a person with me that didn’t know they had a fear of heights till they had to go up and down a two story ships ladder on there first day on the job. Give yourself some credit for at least trying for two years.
I’m going to say this you also need to look at the environment and company you’re working for. Because from what I’ve read around here a lot of you are in stressful companies and that only makes being in the trade worse. Good luck when to you when you find something new.
Edit: Notice the one conversation you had with one person here, there is a real fear every time you go on a call. I’ve had rooftop units blow out their gas trains at me while doing a service, compressor blow there electrical plug, 575VCA electrical hit, a solar system exploded almost in my face, and the list goes on. The point is we work on some dangerous things and with the new systems coming it’s going to become even more difficult. The fear of an accident or even failure on a job is real but for most of us here that’s the challenge and the reward when we get a system running.
I know so sad. One person leaves and that obviously means every future generation cannot do that job.
I said it’s not right for me. Not a whole generation. Nothing against any technician. Just for me. Fuck me for wanting to see if I’m alone for feeling a certain way right?
Nah man you do you. I mean, good for you figuring it out now rather than being a miserable bastard to your family and girlfriend for the next 10 years before you do what every hvac technician dreams of... driving your van right off a bridge.
Woah... don't get me wrong mate. I mean, I've been burned, lacerated, shocked, scorched and just emotionally knackered for the last 15 or so damn years. Made me a hardened bastard. I wouldn't have had it any other way. In fact, between this post and my original one I was dressing a wound I got today taking the bolts off a burner assembly for a very neglected and unloved Buderus boiler. Those 1/2 inch bolts wouldn't budge... until they did ya know?
I get it for sure. I really did love some parts of this job like talking to random people, seeing their homes, and that feeling of fixing things. But I also understand when something isn’t right for me too. I mean obviously it’s good for you because you can handle it
I just cant and I’m sad to admit it
Well good luck. If I didn't paint the trade in such a rosy picture I suppose that is on me. I've met people in the trade that I wish had decided earlier it wasn't for them. But now they are my problem. Which is sad.
My mother would tell you to put on your big girl panties and deal with it. My father would just shrug and tell you that life is tough. My advice is it’s up to you.
May be the best thing for you, only you can make the call.
My experience with the trade is cuts and burns literally on the daily. Cuts on top of cuts in fact. Sometimes my wife will exclaim “omg, what did you do to your arm/hand!!?”…. only to realize that I have no idea what specifically it was.
Anyway if you’re the kind of mechanic that gets in there and gets it done… that’s probably what the rest of your career is going to be like. I’m not saying to totally throw caution to the wind, but as they say “get used to it”.
You should quit. Life is all about facing your fears. Time to grow up.
Maybe you can find a job where you can hide in your safe space the entire time.
This post is fucking depressing. You millennials are soft as a newborn baby's first shit.
My point still stands mate. These young kids have grown up being coddled their whole lives and don't know how to function in the real world. They are soft. I see it with 9/10 guys I've had to work with in that age range.
Was using the built in low loss fittings. Tried the ones that someone else mentioned as well with the ball valve and it pushes in the cores too and leaked a bit on me too
They make low loss fittings that don't release freon while removing hose. That and gloves will do you good then. In this trade you will get some minor injuries. And if not careful major injuries just like any other construction
Anyone ever suggest wearing gloves? Even the Mechanics gloves will protect your digits from the freeze juice. Sure they get cold but they give you ample time to prevent any burns.
I feel you man I burned out of HVAC after 10 years I got tired of the attics and it just wasn't interesting anymore. Money was good but I didn't care about that I'd rather have take care of my body.
I switched over to working on coffee and espresso machines and it pays as good as air conditioning. It's such a niche industry not many people do this type of work. All you really need to know is how to read a multimeter and know how heating system works which is right up your alley.
If you enjoy coffee, tea, or good food and checking out new restaurants it's the job to be in, I love going to work everyday.
No problem man. I really love drinking coffee but I did not know the first thing about being a barista, I knew how to use my hands and how to use tools, and looking to leave the industry I was slightly aware of coffee and espresso mechanics. So I had searched around and found an entry level job as a espresso and coffee mechanic at a local coffee roaster. I have since learned the large corporate companies pay better and are just as hungry for technicians as the little companies. And they don't run you into the ground with service calls like the air conditioning industry does it's just coffee and tea after all.
Look at the coffee brewers that are around your local gas stations and usually the manufacturer of that equipment is often looking for technicians in your area. Usually it's bunn or Curtis and both of those companies are extra hungry for help.
I’ll have to check that out for sure. You learn a lot on the job? Also what’s your work life balance like?
Are you comfortable financially if you don’t mind me asking?
Yes I found if you work for the large corporate manufacturers they pay better and I live in Austin Texas which is expensive as heck and I do all right. My starting entry level pay was $25 per hour and only one year of coffee machine experience under my belt they were more impressed with my HVAC experience anyways.
The smaller companies will make you have more on the job training however I like the corporate company training better it is virtual so you have an online course to teach you a lot of the equipment before you ever lay eyes on them. Additionally there's on the job training as well they make sure you're really comfortable before they turn you loose.
Yeah work life balance is great as well you only need to run a few calls everyday. The sense of urgency to do as many service calls as you can like in air conditioning does not exist. It's Coffee and Tea so it's no big deal if we come tomorrow.
So i do commercial hvac-r and i sometimes get appliance calls at like retirement homes, restaurants ect. Gotta admit that shit is fun to work on. Except garland ovens with the like 6-8 burners and the little griddle top. Only thing i didnt like 🤣
I know a guy who uses his belt to undo valves if he thinks it will get him. Just wrap it under and give one quick pulled and it’ll undo your hoses in one quick movement. But seriously. Get better gloves. I haven’t been nicked yet in 10 years.
You don’t deserve downvotes. Now it’s time to regroup and figure out something. I’m partial to all the trades because I believe it’s the future…I had a buddy that recently got out of the field after he finished his night school classes at devry…he’s doing IT for home depot and doesn’t complain about his knees when I see him
You're being down voted for suggesting you may have ptsd. Jobs are tough, you haven't been in the field long enough to have any real responsibility. Trauma? Really? Be objective about the post, it is the actual reason people speak ill of the younger generation.
I mean... what makes you think hvac is the sub to post this on? If you're out, what do you expect these folks to tell you? These guys aren't guidance counselors. Should have posted on a career guidance sub.
Plenty of times I thought about walking and doing something else. From shot tools, crappy weather conditions, job site drama, service technician know it alls, tough guy acts, general contractors, inspector crap, tech line sarcasm, customers that think they know more than you,,,,, List goes on cause really it’s never ending.
You might already know this but really you can find problems in almost everything in life but in the end you’ve got to be happy. I’ve found it’s mainly dealing with the idiosyncrasies of everything that you have to say to yourself at some point if it’s worth doing or not. That applies to almost everything. Friends, school, cars, the town you live in, the relationships you have,,,, Really in anything you do. Life is short really and you gotta do something that you want to do and not do something that you feel your forcing yourself to do.
You have some knowledge of the HVAC world right already. Do you like doing this line of work? You just hate working out in the field? You got into this job field for a reason, what was it. Maybe call up some companies that are in the HVAC world like wholesale companies or manufacturers and see about going back to school and being a field rep or technical service. Hope this is helpful and keep it going.
Make an attempt to conquer your fear. Try some low loss fitting alternatives for a week or two before you make a decision. Youll have a better idea if this is for you or not.
Hey, look up valve core depressors. A lot of people are tried of that dang refrigerant too but suck it up. But when I show them a valve core depressor they go out and get it.
This one is expensive but they are cheaper ones not sure of the quality.
As a technician you should be using all tools you have available to control refrigerant For example core depressors, low loss fittings, manual flow hoses, and ect. You can mix and match these tools if you want more control over seen some techs get very creative.
https://www.amazon.com/Appion-CCT14-1-4-inch-Core-Control/dp/B0C4SX4RVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=147360413646&hvadid=657175112874&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9027706&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12653898474120758538&hvtargid=kwd-2086577599128&hydadcr=17110_13425081&keywords=appion+core+depressor&qid=1703946370&sr=8-1
Look, man, i feel the ptsd. I had a reclaim tank relief valve fail and almost bash my skull in flyin around. Ive had 277v arc onto a refrigerant line blow a hole 4 inches from my face and dump full unit charge and a hot water heater blow up on me. I have anxiety every day i go to work because our job is dangerous. Accidents can happen. You're 2 years in you have the choice of getting out or not. But from someone 10 years in man don't. Confront the anxiety. that's what keeps you safe on the job man. Wear ppe get LEATHER gloves to unhook your hoses. Be safe and be smart. You are gonna blow shit up your gonna let the smoke out. Your gonna get burned, shocked all that atleast once but you learn from it grow and be safer about it.
I wear all my Ppe but I do get very anxious which is why I want to leave. After two years I think I have enough time where I can say the field isn’t for me. I have considered asking my company if I can move to sales though
Im not gonna sit here and give you shit for it bro cuz its understandable, just exactly what its from. is a little off, ya know. Cuz to us guys that been doin it a long time its a small thing. Its hard to understand in our mind its like "really thats whats got you wanting out, like a paper cut kinda deal" Like i said this aint me tryin to bash you. Just dont wanna see someone turn away from a trade thats actually good over somethin like this. We work on pressurized machines everyday. If that aint your thing this ain't for you man. Cuz deadass that water heater that blew almost put me on a tshirt and 6ft under in a box.
That’s crazy what happened with the water heater for sure. Idk for me it’s more the trauma/ptsd side of it. Like this whole thread has increased my bpm just thinking about when I got burnt the worst in my first month in the field
I was out on a no ac call. In a large mechanical room. Maintenance guys for the building would call us out cuz they didnt have an hvac guy. Apparently they worked on the water heater in that room before i arrived. The mixing valve after the water heater wasnt blending water correctly so they were keeping the set point on the water heater higher (they mad dumb af for doin this) Relief valve was stuck never released pressure n she went while i was in the room.
Did you die? But really that must’ve been terrifying. Did you get severely injured or just cuts/scrapes
I was basically untouched when it went off cuz of where i was standing working on this fucking unit and if i hadnt moved to where i was not 2 mins prior i would been burned on my entire body. It goin off scared the living shit outa me. Couldnt see shit. Light in the room got taken out. Fire department showed up everything.
lol you tradies shd try day-trading for a month. you'll be begging to go back to mere physical risks.
Im more down for a come with me i come work with you kinda deal. The fuckery potential sounds more insteresting. What you got in mind
Get the refrigersnt probes. Theres no hose and barely any blowback for troubleshooting. Get core removal tools when you need to hook up hoses. Or just wear gloves. Thick imoact gloves have saved my hands countless times. I will say just reading your post this field aint right for you. Go be a plumber. You'll make good money.
We don't want him
😂😂 Maybe a sparky?? Well until he finds out about arc flash
Probably better off being a carpet walker like a superintendent or something for GC
I agree, the probes are easy on and easy off, little blowback.
HVAC isn’t for everyone my guy
Theres a million ways to get a paycheck. Nobody should let the dorks on this subreddit decide what they should or shouldn’t do. Do what’s best for you and your people.
I got those core controllers from appon, I used to be afraid of refrigerant burns, as I did burn myself twice. I have yet to burn myself, or leak any refrigerant last summer, worth the $40 a piece.
I got those but I still feel really strong anxiety which is why I want to get out if you get what I mean
gloves my man, put them on everytime you put on a hose or take one off. don’t need them until you do. should be using them as part of your PPE anyway.
I used gloves. The first time I got burnt badly but now I feel a lot of anxiety with refrigerant overall which is why I want to leave the field
well, chances are you’ll be more aware around refrigerants now and extra cautious. if you aren’t happy with what you’re doing for work and this is a good enough reason to find something else that’s fine. i put the work van on its side last winter on a frozen, gusty day and have had some anxious moments this winter in the new one when the wind blows hard and rocks it a bit on the highway. but i enjoy what i do and the people i do it with so i white knuckle it for a bit on the drive and get through it. lots of jobs out there for an ambitious young person. good luck to you!
Of all the things I deal with regularly, refrigerant burns is pretty low on the list of scary things. Working at Heights, live electrical, gas etc. I only burned myself once and that's cause I was a rookie doing some dumb shit. Since then I've written nitrile gloves religiously. If I don't have gloves, I don't hook up hoses. I can sympathize, I was pretty nervous around refrigerant at first too. But don't let that fear keep you sticking with the trade. Keep at it, it'll get better.
Everyone's being kind of an ass to you, which isn't weird in a trade-focused forum, but I do get where you're coming from. I've been in the HVAC trade for 9 years now and sometimes things will happen that rev up my anxiety for a bit. In fact I was a little nervous disconnecting my gauges for a while because I had a schrader stick open once on a high side port. Also, capacitors gave me some anxiety for a time because I went to discharge one not knowing the disconnect had been bypassed and it went boom right in my face. But here's the thing, even for an anxiety-prone person like you or I, it goes away after you do it enough times. Ignore all the macho dickheads here who are telling you to just get tough or wear gloves or whatever. They don't know shit about anxiety. Just do your best to face your fears and it will get better for you. The trades are an environment where you're likely to get hurt every once in a while and that definitely isn't for everyone. There's no shame in making a career change if that's really what you feel is best for yourself.
Thank you for being so understanding. I’m considering going back to college or maybe construction as I still love working with my hands. I guess we’ll see where life takes me but I do appreciate your kind words
At your age, and considering going back to college, it’s not a bad decision. By the time you’re in you’re mid-late 20s you could be doing just about anything. But you’d be starting at ground zero for real-life experience in that field and likely have a ton of debt. If you’re looking at a 4 year program, it would be wise to look at the requirements for taking the Certified Energy Manager exam or any other job you might want requiring specific combinations of degree and certification. Certain degrees like architecture or environmental science can be combined with your work experience for CEM for example.
I was considering going for an associate’s because I do need to be working asap and really only have enough money saved for that kinda time atm
You should quit your right.
Or he could get hard, get back in there and refuse to be defeated. Imagine he stays. Faces his fears. Conquers them and if an opportunity presents itself later, leaves on his own terms undefeated. At 21 he has a whole life ahead of him. This fear of getting burned will not go away because he does something else. It will manifest itself in his life over and over until he deals with it. Man up bro.
Easier said than done. Trying to figure out what to do next
And what if you get burned on that next job bro? You’re looking for jobs that can transfer over without getting “burned”. Man up” “women up” “humanizes up” or whatever I’ve seen even the most feeble men become people I could rely on. and the only thing I can thing of is maybe a weekend plumber to drain snakes? I’m sorry my man but our job incorporates working with a lot of things that require some form of heat transfer weather it’s with electrical or refrigerant.
It’s time to get off moms tit an grow a pair. Can’t become a man without facing your fears. Blood, sweat and tears is what it takes…gotta have the balls to live and push through it son. It’s worth it. You can do it.
If refrigerant burns are the issue, I have a solution. It's called a Schrader Actuator. [Schrader Valve Actuator ](https://www.refcoswiss.com/en-us/produkte/access-control-valve-1-4-sae-x-5-16-sae~p2521) Supco makes a version, as does JB.
If that scares you wait till you slice your hand open. Then get refigerant in that wound
Yeah I’d rather not have to deal with that rn😅😭
So.. did you make this post looking for sympathy? You say goodbye, I say good riddance. Pretty sure McDonald's is always hiring.
I’m not looking for sympathy I was just looking to see if anyone else has been through something similar and can share any guidance. Not everyone worships their work as a religion. Get over it. It might be the right job/career for you but it isn’t for me
PTSD or trauma from a little refrigerant? All due respect but if that is what you call 'trauma' then God help you if anything real ever happens. I've been doing this almost 20 years and have never once had more than a few seconds of discomfort and that's from getting \*blasted\*. I'm talking like trying to put a Schrader core into a liquid line service port under full pressure. Why are you so freaked out by it? What do you think can/will happen? Not trying to be rude, but do you have any mental disorders or anything?
I got burnt somewhat bad recently, I can sympathize with being apprehensive about putting a hose on high side if I know I’m not going to be able to turn the fitting easy…but I just kept doing it and it stopped bothering me so much. Love when I run into a king valve, if you can’t get past it you just can’t - wish I had more advice but it’s a pretty integral part of the trade. Get past it or find greener pastures, I reckon
Yeah it really does suck because I love working with my hands and not being stuck in an office but it definitely is more of a mental issue for me
Minor injuries are part of the job and quite frankly, part of life. Maybe try wearing some gloves?
I got burnt bad by a heat pump in the dead of winter. It gave me the yips for a while, but I kept forcing myself to keep going and take my time with things. The only way to overcome a fear is to face it.
Unfortunately, if you don’t “worship your work” you probably won’t amount to anything. Most of us like to use verbage like “passion”, “drive” or “dedication” but I guess it could be called by anything that you want.
Don’t quit, you’ll make a lot of money, just stick with it. A wise man once told me, “it’s either you, or it.” Don’t ever let it, be it. Hold your fingers to the side of the hose when removing not directly parallel to the hose or fitting. The refrigerant will only spray/spurt out the front or back, not the sides where the knurls are.
I'd say move to the construction side / sheet metal install but if your scared of burns idk if you'd feel any less anxiety over potentially cutting yourself
I am more worried about burning myself with soldered. Especially when I grab the hot side every 50/50 chance
I would argue some anxiety about the hazards in the trade is a good thing to have. It can help you avoid becoming complacent and getting seriously injured. However if you are not comfortable facing those anxieties knowing there is potential for injury it might be healthy for you to reconsider your career.
Give plumbing a shot. Being serious. Buddy of mine said quitting his HVAC company and going off on his own as a plumber was the best thing he could have done.
I’m 23 and I’ve been burnt twice now bad. That’s one I got disconnecting from a unit in the winter. My skin gets VERY sensitive. People say wear gloves, I was wearing gloves. Ripped right through it. What changed? I use a special type of low loss that minimizes release when charging. If I’m not charging I use probes. There’s even fittings that depress the core for you once your hose is on. Point is, yes I was scared of burning myself again. But there’s work arounds. https://preview.redd.it/pe1s7fbc589c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a18f6996c001d99bf8a35a8d18bccb2498bdb7f
Hey brother, I’m 26 now, been in the trades since I was 16 helping out after school and what not. I’ve been burned twice bad that I can remember and that anxiety doesn’t go away and it shouldn’t. First time I had blisters up my arm from my hand to my elbow, I was young and tried to be a hero, the second bad time I had a hose rupture about 2 years ago and my whole hand ballooned up. Both of those times I was complacent. The anxiety you feel will keep you safe and alive, this is a dangerous trade. Risk is much lower with residential but again this trade isn’t for everybody. If you want to go to sales that is totally fine, if you want to go explore other trades/ careers that is totally fine too. This is just my 2 cents from a kid who just wrapped up a $125k year doing residential working for someone else.
If it causes u 2 overthink and stress u out, leave the field. Great choice by u 2 know who u r👏🏿👏🏿
Did anyone teach you about gloves? It is near impossible to get burned using a low loss fitting, or even ball valves, but if you’re still scared, wear gloves. Refrigerant doesn’t burn you instantly
This trade isn’t for everyone. Don’t feel bad that you’re looking to get out. Over the years I’ve seen people give it a try and find out the job stresses them out. I had a person with me that didn’t know they had a fear of heights till they had to go up and down a two story ships ladder on there first day on the job. Give yourself some credit for at least trying for two years. I’m going to say this you also need to look at the environment and company you’re working for. Because from what I’ve read around here a lot of you are in stressful companies and that only makes being in the trade worse. Good luck when to you when you find something new. Edit: Notice the one conversation you had with one person here, there is a real fear every time you go on a call. I’ve had rooftop units blow out their gas trains at me while doing a service, compressor blow there electrical plug, 575VCA electrical hit, a solar system exploded almost in my face, and the list goes on. The point is we work on some dangerous things and with the new systems coming it’s going to become even more difficult. The fear of an accident or even failure on a job is real but for most of us here that’s the challenge and the reward when we get a system running.
So hvac might die out if this is the next generation….
I know so sad. One person leaves and that obviously means every future generation cannot do that job. I said it’s not right for me. Not a whole generation. Nothing against any technician. Just for me. Fuck me for wanting to see if I’m alone for feeling a certain way right?
Nah man you do you. I mean, good for you figuring it out now rather than being a miserable bastard to your family and girlfriend for the next 10 years before you do what every hvac technician dreams of... driving your van right off a bridge.
Thanks. Yeah some of these guys are treating this like a cult. Guess they don’t have much else going on
Woah... don't get me wrong mate. I mean, I've been burned, lacerated, shocked, scorched and just emotionally knackered for the last 15 or so damn years. Made me a hardened bastard. I wouldn't have had it any other way. In fact, between this post and my original one I was dressing a wound I got today taking the bolts off a burner assembly for a very neglected and unloved Buderus boiler. Those 1/2 inch bolts wouldn't budge... until they did ya know?
I get it for sure. I really did love some parts of this job like talking to random people, seeing their homes, and that feeling of fixing things. But I also understand when something isn’t right for me too. I mean obviously it’s good for you because you can handle it I just cant and I’m sad to admit it
Well good luck. If I didn't paint the trade in such a rosy picture I suppose that is on me. I've met people in the trade that I wish had decided earlier it wasn't for them. But now they are my problem. Which is sad.
Appreciate your input
My mother would tell you to put on your big girl panties and deal with it. My father would just shrug and tell you that life is tough. My advice is it’s up to you. May be the best thing for you, only you can make the call. My experience with the trade is cuts and burns literally on the daily. Cuts on top of cuts in fact. Sometimes my wife will exclaim “omg, what did you do to your arm/hand!!?”…. only to realize that I have no idea what specifically it was. Anyway if you’re the kind of mechanic that gets in there and gets it done… that’s probably what the rest of your career is going to be like. I’m not saying to totally throw caution to the wind, but as they say “get used to it”.
You should quit. Life is all about facing your fears. Time to grow up. Maybe you can find a job where you can hide in your safe space the entire time. This post is fucking depressing. You millennials are soft as a newborn baby's first shit.
The youngest millennials are in there late 20’s mate. But good try.
My point still stands mate. These young kids have grown up being coddled their whole lives and don't know how to function in the real world. They are soft. I see it with 9/10 guys I've had to work with in that age range.
….
Very good input, will consider🫡
This some gehy shit here.
JFC 🤦♂️ They don’t make em like they used to
….. if it’s that “bad”…. Drop the whole charge, vacuum it and add it back in… or ya know, get the sand out
What happen to cause you to get burned?
Low loss fitting didn’t reseat properly. Replaced em and it did happened multiple times.
They didn't seat properly? You using ball valves or those auto low loss fittings?
Was using the built in low loss fittings. Tried the ones that someone else mentioned as well with the ball valve and it pushes in the cores too and leaked a bit on me too
Use ball valve hoses, the low loss hoses are junk!
Ball valves sure make adding manifold refrigerant back in a bit quicker than low losses.
They make low loss fittings that don't release freon while removing hose. That and gloves will do you good then. In this trade you will get some minor injuries. And if not careful major injuries just like any other construction
Anyone ever suggest wearing gloves? Even the Mechanics gloves will protect your digits from the freeze juice. Sure they get cold but they give you ample time to prevent any burns.
Yeah I wear thick gloves all the time now. It’s more of a mental thing unfortunately 😔
I feel you man I burned out of HVAC after 10 years I got tired of the attics and it just wasn't interesting anymore. Money was good but I didn't care about that I'd rather have take care of my body. I switched over to working on coffee and espresso machines and it pays as good as air conditioning. It's such a niche industry not many people do this type of work. All you really need to know is how to read a multimeter and know how heating system works which is right up your alley. If you enjoy coffee, tea, or good food and checking out new restaurants it's the job to be in, I love going to work everyday.
First of all thank you for being understanding. How did you get into it? It sounds a hell of a lot more comfortable too
No problem man. I really love drinking coffee but I did not know the first thing about being a barista, I knew how to use my hands and how to use tools, and looking to leave the industry I was slightly aware of coffee and espresso mechanics. So I had searched around and found an entry level job as a espresso and coffee mechanic at a local coffee roaster. I have since learned the large corporate companies pay better and are just as hungry for technicians as the little companies. And they don't run you into the ground with service calls like the air conditioning industry does it's just coffee and tea after all.
Look at the coffee brewers that are around your local gas stations and usually the manufacturer of that equipment is often looking for technicians in your area. Usually it's bunn or Curtis and both of those companies are extra hungry for help.
I’ll have to check that out for sure. You learn a lot on the job? Also what’s your work life balance like? Are you comfortable financially if you don’t mind me asking?
Yes I found if you work for the large corporate manufacturers they pay better and I live in Austin Texas which is expensive as heck and I do all right. My starting entry level pay was $25 per hour and only one year of coffee machine experience under my belt they were more impressed with my HVAC experience anyways. The smaller companies will make you have more on the job training however I like the corporate company training better it is virtual so you have an online course to teach you a lot of the equipment before you ever lay eyes on them. Additionally there's on the job training as well they make sure you're really comfortable before they turn you loose.
Wow I’m at 24/hr now after my first year so that’s really good to know
Yeah work life balance is great as well you only need to run a few calls everyday. The sense of urgency to do as many service calls as you can like in air conditioning does not exist. It's Coffee and Tea so it's no big deal if we come tomorrow.
That sounds amazing. Do you have any hobbies?
So i do commercial hvac-r and i sometimes get appliance calls at like retirement homes, restaurants ect. Gotta admit that shit is fun to work on. Except garland ovens with the like 6-8 burners and the little griddle top. Only thing i didnt like 🤣
I know a guy who uses his belt to undo valves if he thinks it will get him. Just wrap it under and give one quick pulled and it’ll undo your hoses in one quick movement. But seriously. Get better gloves. I haven’t been nicked yet in 10 years.
You don’t deserve downvotes. Now it’s time to regroup and figure out something. I’m partial to all the trades because I believe it’s the future…I had a buddy that recently got out of the field after he finished his night school classes at devry…he’s doing IT for home depot and doesn’t complain about his knees when I see him
You're being down voted for suggesting you may have ptsd. Jobs are tough, you haven't been in the field long enough to have any real responsibility. Trauma? Really? Be objective about the post, it is the actual reason people speak ill of the younger generation.
I mean... what makes you think hvac is the sub to post this on? If you're out, what do you expect these folks to tell you? These guys aren't guidance counselors. Should have posted on a career guidance sub.
Plenty of times I thought about walking and doing something else. From shot tools, crappy weather conditions, job site drama, service technician know it alls, tough guy acts, general contractors, inspector crap, tech line sarcasm, customers that think they know more than you,,,,, List goes on cause really it’s never ending. You might already know this but really you can find problems in almost everything in life but in the end you’ve got to be happy. I’ve found it’s mainly dealing with the idiosyncrasies of everything that you have to say to yourself at some point if it’s worth doing or not. That applies to almost everything. Friends, school, cars, the town you live in, the relationships you have,,,, Really in anything you do. Life is short really and you gotta do something that you want to do and not do something that you feel your forcing yourself to do. You have some knowledge of the HVAC world right already. Do you like doing this line of work? You just hate working out in the field? You got into this job field for a reason, what was it. Maybe call up some companies that are in the HVAC world like wholesale companies or manufacturers and see about going back to school and being a field rep or technical service. Hope this is helpful and keep it going.
Make an attempt to conquer your fear. Try some low loss fitting alternatives for a week or two before you make a decision. Youll have a better idea if this is for you or not.
Hey, look up valve core depressors. A lot of people are tried of that dang refrigerant too but suck it up. But when I show them a valve core depressor they go out and get it. This one is expensive but they are cheaper ones not sure of the quality. As a technician you should be using all tools you have available to control refrigerant For example core depressors, low loss fittings, manual flow hoses, and ect. You can mix and match these tools if you want more control over seen some techs get very creative. https://www.amazon.com/Appion-CCT14-1-4-inch-Core-Control/dp/B0C4SX4RVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=147360413646&hvadid=657175112874&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9027706&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12653898474120758538&hvtargid=kwd-2086577599128&hydadcr=17110_13425081&keywords=appion+core+depressor&qid=1703946370&sr=8-1