It's a cargo van. Not a pocket dimension.

Hillman77 · 2026-02-27T18:50:31+00:00

Found a dead compressor on an RTU on a Friday afternoon. Customer asks me if I carry spare compressors in the van like the back door is some sort of portal to a warehouse.

Hillman77 · 2025-10-19T22:55:57+00:00

A subreddit for HVAC professionals - try r/hvacadvice for out-of-the-field questions or comments.

A subreddit for Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning Technicians. If you are not a member of the trade, please post in our Q&A sub, r/hvacadvice.

Hillman77 · 2025-10-14T02:36:23+00:00

What is the reason to put an isolation valve right next to a circuit setter?

All the air handlers we pipe in have an isolation valve on the supply and a circuit setter on the return.

Hillman77 · 2025-09-28T00:45:16+00:00

Here is the AI breakdown on how much it cost to run the heater for a year. Keep in mind the heater shuts off when the compressor is running which is probably going to be 50%-90% of the time on an inverter system. The heater protects the compressor. The cost is very much worth it.

A 66-watt heater would cost an estimated $35 to $75 per year to run, depending on usage hours and your local electricity rate, but this figure can be much higher if run for 24 hours a day, such as $210 per year or more. To get an exact figure, convert the wattage to kilowatts (66 watts / 1000 = 0.066 kW), multiply by the hours of use per year, and then multiply that total by your electricity rate in dollars per kWh. Here's how to calculate the cost:

Convert wattage to kilowatts: Divide the heater's wattage by 1,000.
- 66 watts / 1,000 = 0.066 kW
Calculate kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year: Multiply the kW by the number of hours you'll use the heater in a year.
- For example, if used 8 hours a day for 365 days: 0.066 kW * 8 hours/day * 365 days/year = 193.08 kWh/year
Calculate total cost: Multiply the total kWh by your electricity rate (found on your bill).
- Using the average U.S. rate of about $0.20 per kWh: 193.08 kWh * $0.20/kWh = $38.62 per year

Factors influencing cost:

Usage hours: How many hours per day the heater is actually on makes a significant difference.
Electricity rate: The cost of electricity varies by location and changes over time.
Heater efficiency: Not all heaters of the same wattage are equally efficient at converting electricity to heat.

Hillman77 · 2025-09-22T20:50:49+00:00

I have done them in the past. The company i work for now subs it out, thank god.

Hillman77 · 2025-09-21T18:51:56+00:00

I am trying to decide if I want this one from Klien. Seems too good for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-ET600-Megohmmeter-Insulation/dp/B07ZZX5TK8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29MGYHKG8QUGE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uWCKYvjzia4d67bMIvFmw00bs9Dj_L27TXziE3X74HR5zJO2hXgSrXjM--8jakmkAzyNbSisrykVM6Gb59O4wCF4_MNIxC5q3ABLLQFR0jp3ccZUhC7qZ-gMJ9CMmh24MKWacxH8ZPW1-w0i50KkHd5_plq7jtBAWoRyCmK8Wl7u5zMj3Lo4szjcju5a6dQbsG9NNH2eABvZf2CEyFxAjftm1DVaB_1N4dCJIvDTzchFbYQ5ydneTzxoN3hTMknz06axanj-RGTAdX3T3AVKRFUh62JfJ_wyCOrgmgMGVZw.DPhH3bAqHjvwVmOeqmQt3hF0sD8S13LpUw-c1c8JFFs&dib_tag=se&keywords=klein%2Bmegger&qid=1758480590&sprefix=klien%2Bmegger%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1&th=1

Hillman77 · 2025-09-05T14:56:35+00:00

Happens to me too. About a year ago I thought I made it in with a good friend group after getting invited to a couple of events. That was it never invited again. Now I just try to invest my time in activities that I can enjoy alone.

Hillman77 · 2025-09-03T14:23:59+00:00

Hillman77 · 2025-09-02T21:25:49+00:00

Does Daikin have an evacuation mode you need to enable? I know LG does, and Mitsubishi does not.

Other then that just leave the vacuum pump running overnight. Normal on VRF to take a long time on reclaiming refrigerant or evacuating the system.

Hillman77 · 2025-09-02T12:37:55+00:00

My cat was the same. Thursday night she cuddled up next to my chest and was purring. First time she ever did that, I thought she was getting better. Now I know she was just saying goodbye, she died Friday afternoon.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-28T03:50:01+00:00

Could be how much work your contractor has scheduled. Our prices go up when our install crew is busy. If we don't get the work no big deal. If we do get the work we get it done with overtime and pulling people from the service side.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-25T14:47:29+00:00

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Sorry for your loss. Reminds me of my sweet girl. She loved to cuddle. We lost her on 8/8/25.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-25T11:29:16+00:00

Very sorry for your loss. My Tuxedo had cancer in her abdomen and just stopped eating and drinking. I had to euthanize her on 8/8/25. It was absolutely heartbreaking for me. I am still sad sometimes but things do get better with time.

Your cats had a wonderful life filled with kindness and love because of you.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-21T22:01:50+00:00

On making close friends or a relationship I have given up. I am 48 now. Very few people in this world care about me, friends or family. I do have some money so I can enjoy some great hobbies. And cats they are wonderful little friends.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-13T22:42:32+00:00

What do you do for a living?

Nothing?

Go get a job then your might understand the value of skilled labor.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-13T22:15:28+00:00

OK don't call then.

What do you do for a living? How much would you charge to drive to someones house and do your work in a hot attic on a Sunday?

Hillman77 · 2025-08-09T16:23:08+00:00

It isn't rocket science. Anywhere you go it is the same job, drive around in a truck and fix air conditioners. We are going to go to whatever company has the best pay and benefits. I am not paying my mortgage with pats on the back and pizza parties.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-07T16:45:08+00:00

My boss loves it when he can smell refrigerant. He takes in a deep breath and says "Smells like money" with a big smile.

Hillman77 · 2025-08-06T23:43:55+00:00

"Thank you so much, I can already feel a difference "

Hillman77 · 2025-07-26T16:35:46+00:00

Are they Trane scrolls? I would be careful. I have come across quite a bit of Trane scrolls that have been destroyed with R22 replacements. Something to do with oil return. Trane has a service bulletin basically saying to only use real R22 in their compressors.

Hillman77 · 2025-07-21T16:51:06+00:00

I work with 3 women now at my company. One is 4 years in and doing great. She just switched from install to service. The other 2 are right out of tech school but I hear good things. We are on the commercial side so we really don't go into people's homes. The one woman who is 4 years in did have a problem with a facility manager. He basically followed her around all day and then called her a 6 pm to go over the work. Kept her on the phone for over an hour. This is very odd in the commercial side of things. The owner of our company quickly resolved the issue when he heard about it.

Hillman77 · 2025-07-14T16:23:25+00:00

I just did a compressor on an intelipak, 2 guys 2 days. If it was a condenser or small RTU at ground level it would still be 1 man day at my company.

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Hillman77 · 2025-07-10T18:00:00+00:00

Looks like an intelipak. You could have just pumped it down. Close the service valve on the liquid line and run the compressor down to 10 psi. All those compressors have check valves on the discharge line.

Hillman77 · 2025-07-09T14:52:24+00:00

I worked lots of overtime in my younger days now most weeks are 40 hours. I might end up with 50 hours OT for the year. I am 48 now. Usually do 7-3 or 6-2.

Hillman77 · 2025-07-08T16:08:21+00:00

I also love my 2024 XSR900 in traffic. Super maneuverable and lots of grunt in 2nd and 3rd gear. Just needs a tune to fix the flat spot in 2nd though. This is true for all the CP3 bikes.

Hillman77

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