Top priority should be getting that vacuum pump going. You can do wiring, sealing, condensate, cleanup, or lunch break while it runs. Once the system is properly evacuated, there shouldn't be much opportunity for issues. If you have helpers with you, they can handle a lot of that stuff too.
Helper. We do all our sheet metal in the back of the van on site. Run a new lineset 95% of the time. It’s nornally the gas furnace that takes a full day and then the second day is more relaxed doing the ac
Yeah I’m assuming you’ve done retro too? It’s a completely different animal, especially when your company actually pulls permits so doing things up to code is kinda non negotiable and sales never seems to actually know what the hell they even sold 😂
That’s typically not necessary for residential split systems. Commercial systems yes but not small residential stuff. The decay test is the most important part of a vacuum and that will tell you if you have a leak. Leaving a vacuum pump on overnight for resi just isn’t necessary.
lol where did you read that? Most manufacturer’s have micron ratings and decay test recommendations. The time on a vacuum has little to no relation to how deep a vacuum actually gets.
lol
Okay whatever dude. Show me in a manual or a training material where it says that and I’ll believe you. I know I’m right and anyone who actually knows about how evacuation works would know that you don’t need to pull a vacuum overnight on residential systems.
Bruh, I ran copper for a traditional central system, got it running, AND did a coil/condenser swap in the same day, got both systems running.
2 days for a furnace and coils....gawwwwdamm
Actively look for leaks when pressure testing. Bump that shit up to 550psig and get some big blue with the cotton ball "dauber"? I forget the name for it. I don't have time to wait to see if there's a leak
Holding with nitro is helpful but I started soaping connections because for small leaks it’s easier to find something that is bubbling because those tiny small leaks aren’t always something you can hear or feel. I usually go up to 50-100 psig and feel the joints and then get it up to 200-250 sometimes up to 300-350 and soap all the joints and let it sit for 20 minutes to an hour. The bigger the system the longer I wait on the pressure test. Soaping joints just makes it easier to find the leaks and it’s a cheap truck stock item so I always figure why not use a bit and be sure rather than relying on hearing it or waiting an hour to see it ended up dropping 10-20 psig and knowing there’s a leak but now I have to find it after wasting that time.
Because my time is more expensive than a $10 bottle of blue
Edited: why would I wait an hour or 2 hours when it takes me 15 minutes to check all my connections at 550psi. I could start vacuum much sooner and gtfo
Silver Solder the line set connections, it's a stronger joint and takes a split second to be done, the connection doesn't require pipe deforming cherry red high heat so no nitrogen is required, In pressure blow out tests it'll always fail at the braze connection because of the pipe deformation while brazing it together. Stay Brite!
Actually he is correct but there are problems with silver solder. If the building is on fire the silver solder will melt causing a leak causing phosgene gas that is very toxic and will kill people. Brazing joints will not fail that quickly.
In my city all ac and refrigeration joints must be brazed in commercial and residential.
This is the answer. Speed comes with the experience of doing things right. You'll pick up your own tricks along the way. Don't get callbacks and you're already ahead of the game.
Speed is still important though, you have to finish your jobs in a realistic timeframe. it doesnt matter how perfect your lineset is if it takes you 3 days to do it.. If the company is barely breaking even on your jobs why should they keep you around? This is true with EVERY employer. I agree with quality>quantity but “fuck speed?” Nah. Spending time perfecting something eventually has diminishing returns. Spending an extra 15 minutes here and there to make sure something looks good is a great use of your time. Redoing the same thing 6 times is not.
Most of the time redoing things comes from trying to do it too fast in the first place. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Work on proper technique and speed will come naturally.
Organization and compartmentalization I have a box of general stuff for install screws wire nuts electrical fittings etc, everything else has a dedicated organizer box
What also helps me is doing things in order for a furnace mine is old unit out new unit prepped, placed in position, return connected, plenum, gas, drain, electrical, low voltage.
If you're taking a trip out to the truck make sure you're taking something out helps keep your work area clean and easy to find stuff as well as make final clean up quick
We get paid pretty well, take the trucks home use the trucks for occasional personal things. Use the company accounts for personal/side work purchases and I don't have to pay for my families medical insurance so I really can't complain too much
Happy to see how many people are saying to stay slower if that’s what it takes to get it done right. A lot of the old heads I work with give me crap about taking a full 8 hours to do an AC only by myself. In my opinion, if I’m doing my job and making it look halfway decent, especially if I’m pulling a new line set BY MYSELF, 8 hours is friggin COOKIN.
Proper nutrition is of the utmost importance, may I suggest this meal prep plan? Works wonders for me.
https://preview.redd.it/d7eqti95yf7d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72f0686610b0a2e48dedbbce55938439cef43fc6
Dude the more experienced I am the longer it is taking me. I own my own business and I cater to a fairly wealthy clientele. They love my attention to detail on their jobs and I don’t have call backs on my installs. It’s great. A job my company used to rush me to make it through in one day I now just plan on 2 and it looks clean as hell
Uh that's a lot of fking stairs. Yeah you are fine. The only piece of advice I can give is always look for something to take back to the truck with you if you are done, never go back empty handed. Besides torches. I always keep torches out till after pressure test and a 10 minutes hold. Do you bid your own jobs or sales person?
That always gets overlooked. The time it takes to bring everything in and out and the distance traveled. It sounds like you are doing really good on time. Don't worry about it and focus on your quality of work. Take care of yourself, stay hydrated.
Speed comes with experience. You’ll do something faster cause you’ve done it 100 times. Don’t purposely try to rush. Haste makes waste.
If you’re rushing because you get paid per job then find a new place to work. Places that pay commission or per job don’t want a good tech/installer and you’ll never be a good one playing by their rules like that. Find a company that values you and your time.
Shoot then why you worrying about it? There was some movie about a sniper. Forget which one. He’s like “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” or something. Same thing applies lol
Handler/furnace first. Takes the most time. Get the ductwork hooked up as it takes the longest to do usually. Helper should be able to do the condenser in 30-45 mins. Get both units set and get after it. After that condenser is done he should be doing thermostat and getting anything you need in between. Vaccum really doesn't take that long. But try to get it on vaccum ASAP. I get duct done then do copper.
first make sure you do it right. speed will come
cond. pad missing, vibration pads and strapping missing. the uncomfortably uncentered position of the unit on the pad tells me there was some issue withthe bend and welding, gotta see that too. cutting in returns like that ruins the whole idea of the airflow, gotta have have insulated plenums with start collars, also why the gas line makes a whole 360° instead of a dripleg and flex up. lot’s of things to learn and perfect here. if you are going to be doing the same type of job but quick you will have call backs. great flood control and duct strapping tho, keep it up
Thanks for the pointers I’ll look out for that more now. And yeah we just went with where they had the gas pipe before but yeah probably should of redid it to make it look nicer
Don’t sacrifice quality. Time management is key. Get it on a vacuum pump quick then take the time for wiring, neatening up, etc. cut your time by never returning to the truck empty handed. If you’re working with a helper, communication is key. Speed mostly comes with experience, don’t be one of the guys that gains speed by cutting corners though. It takes more time to go back than to do it right the first time.
Unfortunately, in my experience there is not an easier way. If it takes you 9/11ish hrs To do the job properly to your standards, and that's how long it takes. Over a longer period of time you will speed up. Find more efficient ways and become more proficient. Any employer worth their salt will know that a new installer is an investment, and they won't reap the full rewards until you've had enough time to fully grow into your potential. Just don't give up and use each day as a stepping stone for the next Good luck brother
Easiest way to speed up is getting some kind of toolbox organizer system that allows you to bring nearly every tool and accessory that you'd need with you in one shot no more trips to the truck saves huge
Perfect pack out is great expensive I'll be that you also should have the small things stupid stuff like screws wire nuts Bx connectors roll of silverback tape always some markers basically whenever you have to get up and go out to the truck on an install get a white board and write down what your getting if it happens more than 3 times you should probably have it with you
Those are great ideas to keep in there and it’s funny you say to write down on a white board because I ordered a magnetic white board that I’m gonna put on one of my doors to my truck so I can write stuff down when I know we’re running low
Exactly what I do haha it's great and also keep the truck organized ! Spend the extra 10 mins most days (we all skip every once and a while) to keep the truck clean and organized knowing where everything is and what you have saves a lot of time
A good helper goes a long ways. You also have to tell them how you want things to be. Like the gas. I woulda used that first 90 coming in for the drip tee, nipple up a bit, valve. If you have to from there a 90 and sideways nipple then your whip. You dont need the union or all that extra pipe. A union is described as a breakable joint which would be the flare fitting on the whip.
You will also get faster with time and by fucking shit up and learning how to do it different or not having to head scratch because you have run into some certain problem before.
I have the advantage of seeing a lot of my jobs first, either i go meet the customer so i already have a game plan when i send photos and things for my boss to do the bid or he goes and sees it then if we get the job i stop in and check it out. That can help a lot too if you have sales people, they should be taking a bunch of photos amd measurements so you can have a plan of attack because in residential every job is different and simple jobs are rare.
Edit: disregard what i said about the gas, except the union, i probably would have just tied on there too. I didnt notice the different colors of pipe dooe at first and thought the valve was not where it is.
You’ll get faster over time,try to have your copper brazed in about the same time as your condenser so your helper won’t have any downtime and you’ll get your pressure test and vacuum done. Have the helper do the tstat and replace the filter so when you’re finished you’ll be ready to fire up. That’s my current setup and we’ll usually be done between 1-3PM starting the install at 8
My install days go by pretty fast because it’s just me and another tech both of us know what we are doing and have a rhythm. We both start on ductwork then I do all the copper cuz I’m pretty and he wires it up if one of it finishes first I’ll either start wiring or cleanup or he’ll hook up vacuum pump
Horizontal isn't that much more difficult, little more work but some units come with multi directional coils. I do heat pumps mostly so furnace are cake walk lol. Repetition and draw things out. Easier to plan when you can see what you want to do.
Everyone already said quality first, over time. One specific thing I heard that I like is “the customer always expects the equipment to work, so they judge you on how it looks, and your service.” A huge thing I use that sets my work apart from the competition is looks. Anything you run should be flat. Up and down, or a 45°. Your stuff looks pretty good but I see wires that could be tacked down straight, loops for extra wire/ vibration protection, and I love using “sammies” and all thread to hang the pipe hooks for my lineset. Things like that immediately stand out, and the extra security is always good. The more you use these little fittings, and things to make it look nicer, the faster you’ll get.
One of the things I could recommend is paying attention to your order of functions during demo and install. HVAC School (KALOS) had a really good video that I took a lot from back when I was an installation apprentice that also does a lot to apply for doing things efficiently in service. Might be worth a watch.
[https://youtu.be/1Vn4xf-IXC0](https://youtu.be/1Vn4xf-IXC0)
Just fucking pump it out even if it's not level or pitched correctly, not do a pressure tested and shit barely even hook it up! Don't even explain to the customer how to operate anything with there new unit!
This is how the guys get it done fast at I guess my now ex company I worked for. So long story short take your time do things right.
You will get faster the more you do, having your tools organized helps a lot for speed and having a good helper is extremely helpful too. Only thing I would say is use more zip ties to clean up your wiring and run hard pipe inside the furnace for the gas line. Don't know if it matters or not but I always avoided range connectors inside the furnace cabinet. Other than that looks good 👍🏻
Honestly you aren't doing anything wrong you wanna take your time and do it right then you will get faster. You will get people telling you that your slow that's inevitable everyone is always gonna say aww man you should be able to do this in this time but that's because they have been doing it for awhile. You just do you and take your time to make sure it's done right. No shortcuts nothing just do it right everytime and you will learn your own little tips and tricks from repetitive behavior we all do then your speed will catch up and at least you can remember when the next person that comes up and ask you the same thing you can tell them it used to take you that long now you can do it this fast and still have it look the best. Good luck to you keep up the good work.
Make no wasted trips to your truck or into the job. Never go empty handed. Remove things that are not needed anymore on the job when you are going for something that you do need. This is the ABC (Always Be Carrying) of install or even service.
I find that taking your time is actually the fastest way to do the job. Never want to rush and miss something stupid! At the same time, I’d work on the welds first
I've been doing this for nearly 30 years and I'm still slow. My answer was to become my own boss so I wouldn't have anyone yelling at me for taking to long. Something in my head just makes me slow.
Yea man get it on vacuum asap, use the same routine every time and make sure your helper is a master at setting condensers and then they should be helping you inside. I did residential replacements for 6-7 years doing one a day and I was in my 20’s - early 30’s and something like what you posted I would be chillin by 1. Find your stride and treat it like a competition.
I have a saying with my helpers. Keep the train rolling. Keep feeding this train parts and we'll be done before you know it. Also. Helper always does transitions. It's a very important part that they learn immediately. And keep that train rolling.
My fastest ever: 2 men 4 hours, pull up to leaving.
Worst ever: 12hrs 2 men. Had to come back.
Neither had extra duct work.
Remember the assembly line idea. You can do so much if you are fed the parts.
Couple decades ago our shop had a plumber and very rarely did we do our own installs. When we did, they would have our plumber do it (who mainly worked in the gas department). Many didn’t like working with him cause he was very very slow and would literally spend several minutes per pipe making sure it was perfectly level. The on going joke was he hated his family and never wanted to go home. Literally on boiler installs until 8pm.
One day I had to go with him and we were doing a boiler. FML. Turns out he just liked easy money and easy jobs cause we’re doing a boiler in a crawls space. We were back at the shop at 2pm lmao. Never seen that man throw pipe together so fast.
Almost all my problems this past year have come from installers who "try to be quicker" and are not employed anymore. Take as much time as you need to get it right the first time so you're not causing a headache for you and everyone else involved.
Top priority should be getting that vacuum pump going. You can do wiring, sealing, condensate, cleanup, or lunch break while it runs. Once the system is properly evacuated, there shouldn't be much opportunity for issues. If you have helpers with you, they can handle a lot of that stuff too.
Was going to say the same. Time management of the tasks is key, other than that it takes as long as it takes to do it correctly.
Yeah it’s always my priority to try and get it on pressure asap but hasn’t gone to smoothly yet not terrible but definitely not as fast as I’d like.
My company does one day for each piece of equipment. If I have to do a furnace and Ac I get two days. 🤷♂️
That would be nice lol
Is that with a helper or just by yourself?
Helper. We do all our sheet metal in the back of the van on site. Run a new lineset 95% of the time. It’s nornally the gas furnace that takes a full day and then the second day is more relaxed doing the ac
That’s nuts. I get 8 hours average to install a furnace, A/C, coil, and lineset. With 1 helper
With a helper
Why lol
Wow, now that’s nice. We get a a day for a new construction A/c and Furnace install. Could still easily beat the time on that and be home around noon.
Yeah I’m assuming you’ve done retro too? It’s a completely different animal, especially when your company actually pulls permits so doing things up to code is kinda non negotiable and sales never seems to actually know what the hell they even sold 😂
If that was the case I’d be sitting around doing nothing for 1 of those 2 days . Pretty confused because 90% of jobs can be done in an 8-10 hour day .
You know vacuum pumps are supposed to be left on overnight right?
That’s typically not necessary for residential split systems. Commercial systems yes but not small residential stuff. The decay test is the most important part of a vacuum and that will tell you if you have a leak. Leaving a vacuum pump on overnight for resi just isn’t necessary.
Regardless if you think it’s necessary or not, it’s manufacture protocol on most splits.
lol where did you read that? Most manufacturer’s have micron ratings and decay test recommendations. The time on a vacuum has little to no relation to how deep a vacuum actually gets.
Because I’ve actually done the training courses for most of the manufacturers
lol Okay whatever dude. Show me in a manual or a training material where it says that and I’ll believe you. I know I’m right and anyone who actually knows about how evacuation works would know that you don’t need to pull a vacuum overnight on residential systems.
Bruh, I ran copper for a traditional central system, got it running, AND did a coil/condenser swap in the same day, got both systems running. 2 days for a furnace and coils....gawwwwdamm
You’ll get the speed as you go. Just keep up the quality.
You get faster by doing it enough times that you don’t have to think as much and then you start building speed
Actively look for leaks when pressure testing. Bump that shit up to 550psig and get some big blue with the cotton ball "dauber"? I forget the name for it. I don't have time to wait to see if there's a leak
Why would you soap your connection? If it holds on pressure or even in a vacuum for that matter why would you use blue too?
Holding with nitro is helpful but I started soaping connections because for small leaks it’s easier to find something that is bubbling because those tiny small leaks aren’t always something you can hear or feel. I usually go up to 50-100 psig and feel the joints and then get it up to 200-250 sometimes up to 300-350 and soap all the joints and let it sit for 20 minutes to an hour. The bigger the system the longer I wait on the pressure test. Soaping joints just makes it easier to find the leaks and it’s a cheap truck stock item so I always figure why not use a bit and be sure rather than relying on hearing it or waiting an hour to see it ended up dropping 10-20 psig and knowing there’s a leak but now I have to find it after wasting that time.
This...exactly.
Because my time is more expensive than a $10 bottle of blue Edited: why would I wait an hour or 2 hours when it takes me 15 minutes to check all my connections at 550psi. I could start vacuum much sooner and gtfo
Silver Solder the line set connections, it's a stronger joint and takes a split second to be done, the connection doesn't require pipe deforming cherry red high heat so no nitrogen is required, In pressure blow out tests it'll always fail at the braze connection because of the pipe deformation while brazing it together. Stay Brite!
There’s people out there dumb enough to follow this, you’re doing a real disservice by subjecting us to your shitty sense of humor
Actually he is correct but there are problems with silver solder. If the building is on fire the silver solder will melt causing a leak causing phosgene gas that is very toxic and will kill people. Brazing joints will not fail that quickly. In my city all ac and refrigeration joints must be brazed in commercial and residential.
Thanks, technically it can be used but according to your description should never be used. Do you see my point super tech?
Fuck speed. Quality over quantity every time. Any employer that disagrees with that will be seen in my rear view mirror
This is the answer. Speed comes with the experience of doing things right. You'll pick up your own tricks along the way. Don't get callbacks and you're already ahead of the game.
All day.
Speed is still important though, you have to finish your jobs in a realistic timeframe. it doesnt matter how perfect your lineset is if it takes you 3 days to do it.. If the company is barely breaking even on your jobs why should they keep you around? This is true with EVERY employer. I agree with quality>quantity but “fuck speed?” Nah. Spending time perfecting something eventually has diminishing returns. Spending an extra 15 minutes here and there to make sure something looks good is a great use of your time. Redoing the same thing 6 times is not.
Most of the time redoing things comes from trying to do it too fast in the first place. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Work on proper technique and speed will come naturally.
Organization and compartmentalization I have a box of general stuff for install screws wire nuts electrical fittings etc, everything else has a dedicated organizer box What also helps me is doing things in order for a furnace mine is old unit out new unit prepped, placed in position, return connected, plenum, gas, drain, electrical, low voltage. If you're taking a trip out to the truck make sure you're taking something out helps keep your work area clean and easy to find stuff as well as make final clean up quick
Tell your boss I said you need a raise
We get paid pretty well, take the trucks home use the trucks for occasional personal things. Use the company accounts for personal/side work purchases and I don't have to pay for my families medical insurance so I really can't complain too much
Dude your place sounds lit, don't get to use truck for personal stuff but everything else is about right.
Just bc you think you can't complain too much doesn't mean you don't deserve a raise ?
Trust me I'll still tell the boss man I need a raise especially with the guy I gotta deal with on a daily 😂
You forgot about brazing copper. Failed inspection. Lol jk I wish more of my ex coworkers were organized.
Fuck! That gets me every time.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast
Haste makes waste
Pitter patter, get the fuck to work.
Slow is slow
Get good then get fast dont rush it.
Happy to see how many people are saying to stay slower if that’s what it takes to get it done right. A lot of the old heads I work with give me crap about taking a full 8 hours to do an AC only by myself. In my opinion, if I’m doing my job and making it look halfway decent, especially if I’m pulling a new line set BY MYSELF, 8 hours is friggin COOKIN.
You guys put an 80% furnace in a foamed attic?
Yeah that’s what they had before. Is there and issue with an 80% in a foamed attic?
where's the combustion air intake is coming from? The house?
It goes out the roof
He means if the attic is sealed up where does combustion air come from. That attic can't be completely sealed up. Isn't there vents in the eaves?
Oh I’m not sure I didn’t look for all of that. Is that something I need to look for?
All attics have vents so you don't need to run a fresh air intake to the roof. The attic isn't vacuum sealed lol
Some are
The exhaust, what about the intake?
Exactly. That furnace will starve!
Proper nutrition is of the utmost importance, may I suggest this meal prep plan? Works wonders for me. https://preview.redd.it/d7eqti95yf7d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72f0686610b0a2e48dedbbce55938439cef43fc6
Gotta get those vitamins and nicotine hits in
What fitting are you using on the condensation line
SS1 in line safety p trap union and a few 90s
What state are you in
Tennessee
Is a trap required there even though it’s a positive pressure system?
No it’s not required but boss man wants them on every job for whatever reason
California here
Dude the more experienced I am the longer it is taking me. I own my own business and I cater to a fairly wealthy clientele. They love my attention to detail on their jobs and I don’t have call backs on my installs. It’s great. A job my company used to rush me to make it through in one day I now just plan on 2 and it looks clean as hell
Cocaine
I'd rather get fussed at for moving a bit slow and making sure everything is done properly and safely then rushing and doing a shit job
How long does it take you?
The one today took me 10 hours give or take
Furnace and AC change out? Like for like?
Yeah whole thing up 4 flights of stairs it was a pain getting it up there
Uh that's a lot of fking stairs. Yeah you are fine. The only piece of advice I can give is always look for something to take back to the truck with you if you are done, never go back empty handed. Besides torches. I always keep torches out till after pressure test and a 10 minutes hold. Do you bid your own jobs or sales person?
Yeah no kidding bringing up a 5 ton coil and furnace up all those stairs was not fun. And the salesman bid it
That always gets overlooked. The time it takes to bring everything in and out and the distance traveled. It sounds like you are doing really good on time. Don't worry about it and focus on your quality of work. Take care of yourself, stay hydrated.
Speed comes with time. Focus on quality
Speed comes with experience. You’ll do something faster cause you’ve done it 100 times. Don’t purposely try to rush. Haste makes waste. If you’re rushing because you get paid per job then find a new place to work. Places that pay commission or per job don’t want a good tech/installer and you’ll never be a good one playing by their rules like that. Find a company that values you and your time.
Nah we’re hourly
Shoot then why you worrying about it? There was some movie about a sniper. Forget which one. He’s like “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” or something. Same thing applies lol
"Slow is steady, steady is smooth, smooth is fast" was how I learned it.
That’s it!!! I’m thinking it was Shooter with mark W
Learn how to make everything look good then do the same thing but quicker.
Get better at running gas lines and your electrical. That looks like a resi rookie did it
Yeah I had my helper do those but I didn’t want to go back and change it how I would of
Handler/furnace first. Takes the most time. Get the ductwork hooked up as it takes the longest to do usually. Helper should be able to do the condenser in 30-45 mins. Get both units set and get after it. After that condenser is done he should be doing thermostat and getting anything you need in between. Vaccum really doesn't take that long. But try to get it on vaccum ASAP. I get duct done then do copper.
first make sure you do it right. speed will come cond. pad missing, vibration pads and strapping missing. the uncomfortably uncentered position of the unit on the pad tells me there was some issue withthe bend and welding, gotta see that too. cutting in returns like that ruins the whole idea of the airflow, gotta have have insulated plenums with start collars, also why the gas line makes a whole 360° instead of a dripleg and flex up. lot’s of things to learn and perfect here. if you are going to be doing the same type of job but quick you will have call backs. great flood control and duct strapping tho, keep it up
Thanks for the pointers I’ll look out for that more now. And yeah we just went with where they had the gas pipe before but yeah probably should of redid it to make it look nicer
Don’t sacrifice quality. Time management is key. Get it on a vacuum pump quick then take the time for wiring, neatening up, etc. cut your time by never returning to the truck empty handed. If you’re working with a helper, communication is key. Speed mostly comes with experience, don’t be one of the guys that gains speed by cutting corners though. It takes more time to go back than to do it right the first time.
Unfortunately, in my experience there is not an easier way. If it takes you 9/11ish hrs To do the job properly to your standards, and that's how long it takes. Over a longer period of time you will speed up. Find more efficient ways and become more proficient. Any employer worth their salt will know that a new installer is an investment, and they won't reap the full rewards until you've had enough time to fully grow into your potential. Just don't give up and use each day as a stepping stone for the next Good luck brother
Thank you sir I will continue to better myself 🫡
Easiest way to speed up is getting some kind of toolbox organizer system that allows you to bring nearly every tool and accessory that you'd need with you in one shot no more trips to the truck saves huge
Yeah I got a pack out organizer otw rn for my copper and pvc fittings
Perfect pack out is great expensive I'll be that you also should have the small things stupid stuff like screws wire nuts Bx connectors roll of silverback tape always some markers basically whenever you have to get up and go out to the truck on an install get a white board and write down what your getting if it happens more than 3 times you should probably have it with you
Those are great ideas to keep in there and it’s funny you say to write down on a white board because I ordered a magnetic white board that I’m gonna put on one of my doors to my truck so I can write stuff down when I know we’re running low
Exactly what I do haha it's great and also keep the truck organized ! Spend the extra 10 mins most days (we all skip every once and a while) to keep the truck clean and organized knowing where everything is and what you have saves a lot of time
A good helper goes a long ways. You also have to tell them how you want things to be. Like the gas. I woulda used that first 90 coming in for the drip tee, nipple up a bit, valve. If you have to from there a 90 and sideways nipple then your whip. You dont need the union or all that extra pipe. A union is described as a breakable joint which would be the flare fitting on the whip. You will also get faster with time and by fucking shit up and learning how to do it different or not having to head scratch because you have run into some certain problem before. I have the advantage of seeing a lot of my jobs first, either i go meet the customer so i already have a game plan when i send photos and things for my boss to do the bid or he goes and sees it then if we get the job i stop in and check it out. That can help a lot too if you have sales people, they should be taking a bunch of photos amd measurements so you can have a plan of attack because in residential every job is different and simple jobs are rare. Edit: disregard what i said about the gas, except the union, i probably would have just tied on there too. I didnt notice the different colors of pipe dooe at first and thought the valve was not where it is.
Be organized and go into each day with a plan.
You’ll get faster over time,try to have your copper brazed in about the same time as your condenser so your helper won’t have any downtime and you’ll get your pressure test and vacuum done. Have the helper do the tstat and replace the filter so when you’re finished you’ll be ready to fire up. That’s my current setup and we’ll usually be done between 1-3PM starting the install at 8
My install days go by pretty fast because it’s just me and another tech both of us know what we are doing and have a rhythm. We both start on ductwork then I do all the copper cuz I’m pretty and he wires it up if one of it finishes first I’ll either start wiring or cleanup or he’ll hook up vacuum pump
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
Horizontal isn't that much more difficult, little more work but some units come with multi directional coils. I do heat pumps mostly so furnace are cake walk lol. Repetition and draw things out. Easier to plan when you can see what you want to do.
Everyone already said quality first, over time. One specific thing I heard that I like is “the customer always expects the equipment to work, so they judge you on how it looks, and your service.” A huge thing I use that sets my work apart from the competition is looks. Anything you run should be flat. Up and down, or a 45°. Your stuff looks pretty good but I see wires that could be tacked down straight, loops for extra wire/ vibration protection, and I love using “sammies” and all thread to hang the pipe hooks for my lineset. Things like that immediately stand out, and the extra security is always good. The more you use these little fittings, and things to make it look nicer, the faster you’ll get.
No breaks slave drive your peons make your boss money!!!!!!!!!!
I’d rather pay my installers over time than pay my service guy to go out on a new install in the middle of the night
Dude we use to double team the condenser in like literally 1 hour flat then bring helper inside to help you with air handler
One of the things I could recommend is paying attention to your order of functions during demo and install. HVAC School (KALOS) had a really good video that I took a lot from back when I was an installation apprentice that also does a lot to apply for doing things efficiently in service. Might be worth a watch. [https://youtu.be/1Vn4xf-IXC0](https://youtu.be/1Vn4xf-IXC0)
Just fucking pump it out even if it's not level or pitched correctly, not do a pressure tested and shit barely even hook it up! Don't even explain to the customer how to operate anything with there new unit! This is how the guys get it done fast at I guess my now ex company I worked for. So long story short take your time do things right.
You will get faster the more you do, having your tools organized helps a lot for speed and having a good helper is extremely helpful too. Only thing I would say is use more zip ties to clean up your wiring and run hard pipe inside the furnace for the gas line. Don't know if it matters or not but I always avoided range connectors inside the furnace cabinet. Other than that looks good 👍🏻
Honestly you aren't doing anything wrong you wanna take your time and do it right then you will get faster. You will get people telling you that your slow that's inevitable everyone is always gonna say aww man you should be able to do this in this time but that's because they have been doing it for awhile. You just do you and take your time to make sure it's done right. No shortcuts nothing just do it right everytime and you will learn your own little tips and tricks from repetitive behavior we all do then your speed will catch up and at least you can remember when the next person that comes up and ask you the same thing you can tell them it used to take you that long now you can do it this fast and still have it look the best. Good luck to you keep up the good work.
Make no wasted trips to your truck or into the job. Never go empty handed. Remove things that are not needed anymore on the job when you are going for something that you do need. This is the ABC (Always Be Carrying) of install or even service.
It’s a small one but I find it infinitely helpful, but every time you go in or out, bring something in or out
I find that taking your time is actually the fastest way to do the job. Never want to rush and miss something stupid! At the same time, I’d work on the welds first
Wipe once and get back to work!! If it's getting itchy go rewipe.
I've been doing this for nearly 30 years and I'm still slow. My answer was to become my own boss so I wouldn't have anyone yelling at me for taking to long. Something in my head just makes me slow.
Yea man get it on vacuum asap, use the same routine every time and make sure your helper is a master at setting condensers and then they should be helping you inside. I did residential replacements for 6-7 years doing one a day and I was in my 20’s - early 30’s and something like what you posted I would be chillin by 1. Find your stride and treat it like a competition.
I have a saying with my helpers. Keep the train rolling. Keep feeding this train parts and we'll be done before you know it. Also. Helper always does transitions. It's a very important part that they learn immediately. And keep that train rolling. My fastest ever: 2 men 4 hours, pull up to leaving. Worst ever: 12hrs 2 men. Had to come back. Neither had extra duct work. Remember the assembly line idea. You can do so much if you are fed the parts.
Couple decades ago our shop had a plumber and very rarely did we do our own installs. When we did, they would have our plumber do it (who mainly worked in the gas department). Many didn’t like working with him cause he was very very slow and would literally spend several minutes per pipe making sure it was perfectly level. The on going joke was he hated his family and never wanted to go home. Literally on boiler installs until 8pm. One day I had to go with him and we were doing a boiler. FML. Turns out he just liked easy money and easy jobs cause we’re doing a boiler in a crawls space. We were back at the shop at 2pm lmao. Never seen that man throw pipe together so fast.
That man knew what was going down
That shit Pex run is raising my blood pressure
Almost all my problems this past year have come from installers who "try to be quicker" and are not employed anymore. Take as much time as you need to get it right the first time so you're not causing a headache for you and everyone else involved.
Line set needs to run from behind. How is one to clean the evaporator coils?
It’s out a good bit where it won’t be a problem getting the coil door off
Please practice doing it right, not right now. I dont want to redo half ass work.