Oil and Refrigerant

By November 20, 2016

We all see a lot of questions about dyes, leak stoppers, lubricants, inhibitors, and snake oil. All of those were designed to go into the refrigerant circuit and “improve” something.

I just go back to what Ray Johnson always said. (Ray is one of my early heroes in the biz, and he taught me a lot at Carrier classes.)

“Oil and refrigerant.”

If it isn't oil and refrigerant, it doesn't belong in the system.

Now, I know there are rare exceptions. Heck, Carrier has a tech bulletin from 2014 insisting that Zerol Ice should be added to certain systems due to TXV sticking issues.

But when in doubt… Just oil and refrigerant.

—Bryan

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Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this short podcast episode, Bryan shares his top tips for fighting boredom at work. You can use these tips to help you get out of a rut if you don’t feel productive or get bored easily.

The first tip is to see the art or creativity in your work. Even in the HVAC industry, there are plenty of opportunities for artisan skills and craftsmanship. When you see your work as an art that you need to refine, especially in terms of duct strapping and brazing, it’s easier to get engaged in your work and feel proud of it.

Another way to stop from getting bored is to do more things that challenge you. Being constantly challenged and being out of your comfort zone keeps you interested and can even spark a new passion.

Pursuing mastery allows you to focus on one particular skill or subject to become an expert. When you master a skill, you also become a marketable job candidate and can carve out a niche within your organization. Mastery is about going deep rather than wide, and more people will feel enriched by working towards mastery than others.

If you’re a social person, finding a community can keep you from getting bored. When you have a community, you will be around people who have the same interests and experience the same challenges as you. So, you won’t get bored from feeling alone.

Mentorship is another way to rekindle your passion. When you choose to invest in and guide less experienced people in the trade, you can feel a renewed sense of purpose in your work.

And if you’re REALLY bored, you can change everything up entirely and try something new.

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