as an apprentice myself its very nice to see you take the time and explain and mentor that guy. Hes clearly learning but you show great patience. He will make a damn good tech if he has someone like that teaching him. Good on you.
I have a journeyman that sometimes teaches me but I am in charge of my own building as an apprentice. It a little unfair not gonna lie. Wish I had a mentor that would teach me everyday
@@alforliniteaching5670 I dont blame em though, I work for a small mom&pop right now and we have guys that will stay a couple years, learn everything they have to offer (which is a lot, we do commercial, refrig, ice machines, boilers) then quit and most likely go somewhere else. We pay good too but it aint easy work, you could probably find a cushier job after learning everything with us then moving on.
I have been an HVAC tech for almost 25 years, and I totally agree with every aspect of what you did on that unit in both the troubleshooting and the repairs. I Wouldn't have done anything different I like the double wire ties idea very clever great job awesome video
The zip tie inside a zip tie to prevent a rub leak is a good idea. I've been a tech for 23+ years and I have never thought of that. You're never to old or experienced to learn from someone else. Thanks for making these videos, I really appreciate it and I Know it's helping a lot of new techs by having the opportunity to see these things done properly. Thanks again for sharing your skill and time with us.
Next Idea: If you cut the end of the zip tie flush with the "zip tie holding thingy" with a proper tool like e.g. "Knipex 78 31 125", then there won't be any sharp edges which cut into your arms if you reach next to this zip tied cable. Normal cutting pliers leave nasty sharp edges on the cut side of the zip tie.
You reminded me of my supervisor when I was a rookie getting my feet wet as a technician. You were articulate and soft spoken to your apprentice. I've always believed that a great teacher produces a great technician. Keep up the great work.
TH-cam recommended this video to me randomly. Never showed interest in this before. But after watching the video I have a new appreciation for what you guys do.
Dude your a damn unicorn in the sense that you forwent all cockiness and put a perfect balance between getting the job done efficiently while providing efficient training. For about just short of a year now Ive been making the transition from residential HVAC/R to commercial/light industrial and your videos have been of great help in getting a better grasp on how these systems work internally as well as focusing on the problem vs symptoms of the problem. Thanks for the insight and great videos, the guys under your wing should consider themselves VERY lucky.
I appreciate your service techniques. Asking yourself the "why?" question is the only way to operate a service company. There is always a cause for why something failed. Teaching new Technicians to work their minds gives them the understanding while teaching them to find the root cause of the problem. If they are just repairing or replacing the obvious, it will result in call backs frustrating the customer and affecting your bottom-line. This is how you differentiate the good technician from the bad and how to develop apprentices. Your direction and patience teaching a new up comer has gained you respect with me. I'm working on starting my own business this year and get excited / motivated while watching these videos. Thank you.
Yeah I noticed that right away with the helper struggling with removing the filter, some guys would give him shit, " what your school didn't teach you about filters", this guy is a great senior tech, I wish I had a mentor like him.
Another tip. Before lighting the torch take the torch and simulate how your going to move your torch around the braze joint. If there's a tricky point you can decide if there's an easier way to solder it
That's a great idea. The whole difficulty are the weird angles you have to move into without burning anything else. A rehearsal. Also going to hook several rods before starting.
I agree. Never under any circumstances flash cool a freshly welded joint, it makes the joint weaker and it may not leak today but I’ve had to go bad behind some install guys that I know were in a hurry and fix their welds because they started leaking within a week after the job was done. To the new guys watching when the copper changes color, it’s time to pull the torch back a little bit, the solder will follow the heat. The torch is the paintbrush, the solder is the paint, drag it into the joint. It wants to be a liquid, and don’t be afraid to add a little extra on the joint. Solder is cheap compared to a callback.
The way you teach your apprentice is really cool. I have a brother who works in a trade, and he never has anything good to say about the guy who's showing him the ropes. Please encourage this behavior in other skilled tradesmen; the world needs more teachers like you. Thanks for sharing this video.
I’m moving from a Boiler Operator to our HVAC group. Appreciated how you taught your apprentice how to sweat the pipe. A calm positive voice of instruction was the right call.
Taught a lot of folk in my field and I really appreciate your teaching style. Letting people make mistakes in as controlled environment is a great teaching aid, especially when you're there to keep them safe and so they can learn why it goes wrong and the dangers/implications of making errors/not following best practice. I always found it fun to watch the new crew start down the wrong path, realise something wasn't right and correct for it, or even better stop and ask for help/question their procedure. That was a great judge of character for me. Seeing someone's ability to deal with a mistake and how they handled it gave me great confidence in sending them out on their own. They also feel better about their progress because they got themselves there and weren't just ushered down the path by the instructor. Also really highlights what the holes in their knowledge and training were. I believe it really helps cement the skills too. More often than not, when given the opportunity to keep going most folk know it's not going right and try find something that works. Jumping in too soon and being overbearing just denies them the opportunity to learn. They usually end up trying the "wrong" way as soon as you're not there anyway and figuring it out for themselves, so why not let them do it now. Then if it is something dangerous or likely to lead to a failure/incident later you can explain why and help them for next time! As always, the best part was working with them 6 months down the line and seeing them nailing the procedure with confidence and skill. Totally different industry, but teaching is universal. Appreciate your work ethics and time making this content, cheers.
Speaking as a career and technical education teacher, one thing that you may find helpful when training anyone new with soldering and brazing is to have them try out on a few practice fittings in several positions before soldering the real thing. A small bag of copper fittings and a short piece of pipe generally helps people who are new to soldering and brazing to pick it up faster. You could even have them sweat on a Schrader valve and pressurize the workpiece to look for leaks. This is one of those things I have my students go through when we cover plumbing. I know that this may cut down on work time but this is a good practice if you have some downtime and usually doesn't take to long to get the hang of. It's great to see you taking the time to train someone new on good practices and tips and tricks while still letting them make a mistake.
When I help train new guys I give them obstacles in my shop to work around. I make sure they get comfortable with vertical and horizontal welds. The Vertical up welds get them every time, they always ask how come they have to weld behind things or use a mirror to weld, my answer may be obvious to some but I tell them, 99% of your welding will not be in a shop, and it’s easier to mess up here and practice than melt a hole through the copper that is even harder to fix.
I’m a freshman in a trade school, and I’m loving it going for the HVAC field, and I’m getting much better at looking at these units and understanding what’s going on. Loving these videos
Watching the soldering had me so nervous I had to pause the video several times to get out of my seat and pace around the house. You got the patience of a saint Chris!
Thanks so much! I will be going live on TH-cam this evening 11/4/19 @ 5:PM (pacific time) to discuss my most recent uploads answer questions from emails, the chat, and TH-cam comments. Come over and check it out if you can. th-cam.com/video/edrzjZTZX18/w-d-xo.html
Some people have a talent, some need a lot of training and tries. And yes it is painful to watch usually and cringy, hard not to laugh or not to get frustrated. But most eventually gets its and are good.
My uncle was a plumber. He helped my parents with installing new pipework when they bought a house back in the 90s. I used to watch him solder the fittings together and at some point he just handed me (I must have been 6 or 7 back then) the torch and let me do some joints. I ended up doing the entire piping for our garden a few years later. Those first joints look like a dog's breakfast. I chuckle whenever I see one of them when I visit my parents.
I’m in commercial, been in the field for about year and 3 months. Was in a apprenticeship program with my current company. I watch your videos for the refrigeration aspect, you have very useful information. I have already learned a lot with refrigeration just by your videos. Thanks! Nice videos!
Great video .. Definitely enjoy your longer video opened my eyes to potential problems rather then seeing the small picture just like you said . Repair the leak ,replace the drier ,nitrogen test, pulled a vacuum ,recharge and walk away as everyone else would you take your trouble shooting skills to my next level . Also love the fact you have patience for you apprentice many guys in this trade would never give guys the opportunity like you did .. Cleary all the super stars in the trade tend to forget where they came from everyone think they where born with this set of skills . I've been in the trade almost 11 years now and learning something new every day . I am also trying my best to pay it forward and also teaching everyone everything I've learned so far ..Great work God bless
A tip on detecting leaks. Soap solution or commercial leak detectors only go so far. Sometimes just spraying the leak solution after it is applied with water will reveal even the most minute leak. Small leaks sometimes do not force the bubbles in a thick solution but a little dilution with water will create a mountain of small bubbles.
We can't learn from our mistakes, if we aren't given the opportunity to make them. We are looking at a proper teacher and example of how such skilled trades should be learned!
I am not an HVAC tec, in fact i'm a karaoke DJ.. worlds apart, but I do enjoy your videos because of your logical way of trouble shooting problems, and well put together content.. nice videos .. keep up the good stuff... all the best..
Been a tech for over 40 years. You did a great job teaching. One thing I would suggest though just as a good practice. On the discharge at the compressor where you thought it might have been a hole. Go ahead and fill it none the less. The reason being is that there would be less solder in that spot in case of vibration again it'e a possible leak point down the road. When in doubt fill it. It's just a good habit to get into and you have everything right there to do it and takes so little time for that but it's worth it in the long run. Great Job
Seems like a good thing to do would be to take the dead compressor and some dead driers and the like back to the shop and just practice soldering on them for a while. Not as good as field work where you have to stand on your head and drip hot solder in your face, but it can give you some cheap practice on some of the awkward joints. Better than just soldering two straight tubes in the vise.
I'd like to see the guts of one of those modern compressors too, I still can't get my head around how they make such effective little things not vibrate like crazy in normal operation.
@@44R0Ndin it's all about balancing the loads. I don't have specific information about AC compressors, but if you pull a pug wire off a 6 or 8 cyl engine it'll start shaking like mad. Similar idea to balancing tires, though now your working more in 3 dimensions rather then two. If all the forces are balanced well there should be little to no shaking.
@@Wooble57 I know the load must be balanced somehow, I just wonder what specific method they used. Did they use two scroll compressor elements and then mount them to the drive shaft 180 degrees out of phase? Did they use a simple counterweight? That kind of thing. I just want to see one without the hermetic casing on it, and then see it taken down even further if possible. I know sort-of how a scroll compressor works, but I wonder if there's other types besides scroll and reciprocating. Screw compressor maybe (built kinda like a Detroid Diesel engine's supercharger)? Those are inherently balanced as all the rotating parts are radially symmetrical.
@@44R0Ndin th-cam.com/video/yNgqI4XPUZc/w-d-xo.html is a good animation of the internals, at a glace i'd guess they must use some sort of counterweight
@@44R0Ndin Most scroll compressors have counterweights built into the main motor/rotor. You can find teardowns readily here on TH-cam. Because the scroll elements move in a predictable eccentric pattern, it's simple to counter it with added mass to the driveshaft and motor - which has to be relatively wide anyways to develop operating torque. Rotary units, usually only seen on small inexpensive units, also use the counter-weighted motor method. Reciprocating models are balanced the same way as a car engine is, with crank counterweights to oppose the motion of the pistons. This is imperfect, as anyone who's been in a car can attest, thus why these units still vibrate some.
I've made those exact mistakes when I was learning to braze, your level of patience reminds me of my instructors who were fully understanding that a lot of the class have never done anything HVAC related before.
Very good Chris, I think there was couple of times you just wanted to grab the torch and finish it, you showed restraint and gave him explanation. If I can only do that.
The company that ran that gas line was Gas-holes - R- us ... Lol ... You did a great teaching job without belittling the guy . That makes him appreciate rather than be angry ... Much appreciated ... Hey to the Missus ...
As an apprentice finishing my apprenticeship next year. i wish i had more guidance from someone like you. through my time i was handed a tool and told to do a job. then get yelled at because i didn't know what was right. but i managed later to get it right through watching your videos and leaning stuff on my own. taking welding classes etc. but your videos have been a huge help in my trouble shooting ability and i really think that these videos should be a part of what you have to learn before your first day in the field. like we got a 20 week course before being allowed out working. where we weld and learn the basics of HVAC. but i never work on business calls and freezers etc i mostly do my job on ships (including the queens of Denmark's) but that ass crack story is for another time. keep up with the awesome videos.
I have to be honest since I started watching your videos even though I've been in the industry close to 20 years you make me want to do my job even better and I totally appreciate your way of explaining things and not just looking at one thing but the overall picture thank you and keep them coming
I have found that it is hard to find people to mentor in the electrical field and I am sure it is in all of the construction trades. I applaud your willingness to show us this process. Anyone would be lucky to have you as an instructor.
Ftngot ( For the New Guys out there ) --- if you have no refrigerant in a system , and u have pipes that are so close together that they may vibrate or rub together. You Can Weld a Brace across them to keep them apart using Your torch , 15% and some 1/4" soft copper scrap. Just weld a piece of copper from pipe to pipe to eliminate shaking pipes. or u can Run a Bit of silfoss across close stuff to create a permanent bridge to eliminate rubbing or movement.
Love watching your videos, you explain everything in detail. As an apprentice it's nice to come home from work and watch your video's. The more I learn, the better I become and the better at my trade I become.
Hope that young guy appreciates the training he’s getting, a lot of companies will not go the expense ( at least that was my experience when I started )
Love the detail on the work and the thoroughness. I've learned a lot from about fixing the problem no the symptoms. Tell your apprentice that he's moving the torch to much before the side he's heating gets hot.
Love the patience you have with the rookie. I remember when i was in the same position learning the trade patience was not something the senior tech had which is critical for confidence. Great job.
Polishing turds pays the bills too, and the new guy got a good lesson, I couldn’t believe my eyes you pulling out the True Blue for that beaut, great work as always Chris
The problem with using those plastic zip ties on a discharge line where you have high temperature is they will soften , stretch and come loose and the pipe may rub again easier just to separate them so they can`t touch
I've done this exact same repair and that's what I did was reroute the lines and deem it an engineering flaw. It seemed the leak started small enough that it lost too much oil before it shutdown and took out the compressor. Some compressors are more sensitive than others to oil loss.
im 21, just started working as a gas fitter for the past 9 months and I WISH my boss was half of what you seem to be sir, love watching your videos, you do a great job at explaining things and doing everything the right way. Love learning little hints and tricks that can help us out!
Oh! I love these Carrier units! I have to clean condenser coil at least once per year, if it is located close to big street with traffic it might be twice per year. Blower motor belt needs replacement every ~ 2 years. The leak caused by the compression vibration like it is shown in this video is very common, problems with metering device are very common, etc. Thank you Carrier we love you! P.S. Recently Carrier has changed its technical support over the phone. Now they ask for $75 fee for tech support. Something tells me that this manufacturer will start loosing its new units sales soon if they dot do it already.
As an IT guy was use to solder on circuit boards and other things. When I learned how to sweat pipes for a home repair, a good tip I got from another youtube channel was to remember heat rises. So when you want the solder to suck in, heat from the bottom up. Its a little harder when your upside down, and at weird angles, but you could tell he was a little uncomfortable handling the torch. Not terrible, and overheating is definitely going to happen when you're learning. You're a great teacher and very patient, I subscribed cause I like your content and love your big picture approach.
Great job 👍 funny to see R22 still being used there, our phase out ended Dec 2016 (UK). That stuff was liquid gold! £400 per kg here at one point! R422D was our go to drop in.
Its phased out here as well. Jan 1st cannot make or or important it, equipment can no longer be manufactured with it either. Once is runs out, it will be gone. Its getting expensive though. Lol
I really like the Video. As a Superintendent for a general contractor I like to know everything i can about the jobs i run. This is gives me some more understanding of how some of the HVAC systems work and what is required to maintain them.
Yeah I would really enjoy learning from you. I would learn a lot just spending a day or even better a week running service calls with you. I work only on residential heating and cooling systems. I like your philosophy of finding out "why" something failed, instead of just replacing parts or fixing broken parts. Great video.
Nice video. I like the explanations in the middle of the video and the recap at the end. I like that you are ensuring that the customer will be happy and will have their unit clean and working for a long time.
I had this exact repair on a slightly newer model for my first call this past Monday... the rub out leak atleast. Your apprentice is very lucky to have you to teach them this trade. I try to do the same things when I have someone that's new with me.
I have had this problem 3 times I'm my life as a HVAC technician in Honduras it occurs because friction and heat and Cold the pipe. Thanks for your help it give us a chance to look real call to attend. Blessings from Honduras
Enjoy watching the videos brother. You’re a very patient person when it comes to training. Any chance we could get a tutorial video on basic soldering? How to’s and maybe do’s and dont’s.
Great video , I'm in school now for AC and this is a great addition , I applaud your patience with your worker that shows your confidence and professionalism
Carrier started using scroll compressors with no crankcase heaters. Unit gets cold at night , liquid refrigerant migrates to bottom of compressor. On first startup in the morning refrigerant under the oil makes oil foam and carries oil from compressor and bottom bearing fails causing your vibration problem. I have seen the shell of the compressor crack right at the weld that holds the motor.
Randomly got recommended this and I don't even really know what's going on but it was actually a pretty enjoyable and interesting video, hella props for that!
the 2nd weld he did much better. when you thought there was a hole., i think your a good teacher you have the patience to explain and carry under your wing. love the bent wire so simple. good down to earth instructor. 100
Nice job and diagnosis and fix. Like the fact you found root cause versus just fixing the leak and recharging. Now you have another compressor to open up to see what was causing the vibration! :-)
Nice to have an apprentice with the potential to learn. Just got rid of one. He had earned the name Flatliner due to the fact their was no brain activity. He actually stood a nitrogen tank on the bumper of my van with the regulator on it. A rocket waiting take off. It’s so hard to find good help.
If you have a teacher who explains everything step by step and in detail (With a WHO, WHAT WHEN, WHERE, and WHY approach) you are lucky. Not many teachers take the time or know how to do that with their students.
I really, really appreciated the part where you let him do the sodiering. I learned from it too. I have been doing electronics and soldering for over 40 years, but plumbing soldering is different. Thanks.
Completely agree with you on the compressor remark! On the Roof Top/Package Units from my experience there not that bad In my opinion the only bad part about them is lugging them up the roof and back down. BUT Split systems are a total nightmare! You have almost no room to grab them and get the out.
This is a small comment but 28:56 make sure to keep your micron gauge as upright as you can because if you don’t the vacuum pump oil overtime will fuck up your sensor in the micron gauge. Keeping upright prevents this. Love your videos very informative keep it up
Great tip bud thanks! Thanks for watching I will be going live on TH-cam this evening 7/1/19 @ 5:PM west coast time to discuss my most recent uploads and answer questions from emails and the chat. Come check it out if you can th-cam.com/video/rlHkdZSIjdU/w-d-xo.html
Great job! And very comprehensive instructions, I appreciate it. Could you please tell us: what is the material you use to cover compressor and dryer during brazing?
ive learned more from your videos then most of my trade school courses. Not for lack of attention but in terms of quality of courses. great vid thank you
To y'all who are patronizing the boss for being patience with his apprentice, When you go for an HVACR job always go with a small company ,You will always learn more (Dont worry of the pay ) Learn and then you will be making money and fixing units for real like this young boss is doing , Especially if you feel gifted and serious of your endeavors . Good Luck
i have heard of this problem before, i believe it can be traced back to Carrier assembly where someone is over tightening the vibration mounts, causing the rubber to become in compression instead of in shear. then the excessive vibration causes further problems down the line
You had basic protection for the drier, so I wouldn't worry about it breaking down. One thing about brazing. I found out many years ago, I brazed much better holding the torch in my left hand and brazing stick in my right (I'm right handed). You might have your trainee try that. I was glad to see you try and get the old oil out as much as possible. It's most important if there were severe compressor overheating as that breaks the oil down and you don't want that in there. I think you did as good a job as the customer would allow and that compressor should last a long time. Strange how I've been at this (Residential and commercial) for over 46 years and I still love it! In fact, at 65 years old, I'm still running my business and doing calls and advising techs at other companies.
My AC keeps popping the breaker but it doesn’t do it right away. The unit will run sometimes for days before it will pop the breaker. There is no weird sounds when it does it but it will just pop the breaker out of the blue. My unit is a Goodman and it’s a split unit. I believe it’s either a 4-5 ton unit. I’ve checked the compressor for a direct ground as well as the fan and both check out good. I tested all the wiring and found no shorts etc. would you have any ideas that could direct me in a direction that may be the issue? Thank you for your help.
Maximus Decimus Meridius can you give a quick explanation on how to test for a ground short? Just want to be sure I’m checking correctly. Basically you put one lead on the wire you want to test and your other lead to the ground screw on the unit, does that sound correct to you?
I was literally staring at the filter dryer line rubbing right on that copper line for like 2 min before you sprayed it lol. I see alot of goodman units where the service line from inside the unit runs on the suction line in the unit and creates a nice chafe
Not trying to be a wise guy here but your apprentice is really struggling will his torch setup. I would switch to a Smith Quick Braze or a Smith AW1A both with Kevlar hose. Plenty of heating power and the kevlar hose allows ease of torch movement when in a difficult position. Please tell your apprentice to never wear nitrile or a rubber glove when brazing or soldering. A burn to the skin can be bad enough without rubber embedded in it. Good luck, great video and instruction
When i started as an apprentice the journeymen called me "blob". Mainly because i suck ass at brazing, but you learn with each mistake. I think that apprentice has a hell of a teacher. He is gonna be a super tech!
as an apprentice myself its very nice to see you take the time and explain and mentor that guy. Hes clearly learning but you show great patience. He will make a damn good tech if he has someone like that teaching him. Good on you.
I have a journeyman that sometimes teaches me but I am in charge of my own building as an apprentice. It a little unfair not gonna lie. Wish I had a mentor that would teach me everyday
This didn't happen in the early years. Mostly 2 years experience was needed before a hire. Familiy companies were not training outsiders.
@@alforliniteaching5670 I dont blame em though, I work for a small mom&pop right now and we have guys that will stay a couple years, learn everything they have to offer (which is a lot, we do commercial, refrig, ice machines, boilers) then quit and most likely go somewhere else. We pay good too but it aint easy work, you could probably find a cushier job after learning everything with us then moving on.
Your helper is very lucky to have someone like you teaching him.
I have been an HVAC tech for almost 25 years, and I totally agree with every aspect of what you did on that unit in both the troubleshooting and the repairs. I Wouldn't have done anything different I like the double wire ties idea very clever great job awesome video
The zip tie inside a zip tie to prevent a rub leak is a good idea. I've been a tech for 23+ years and I have never thought of that. You're never to old or experienced to learn from someone else. Thanks for making these videos, I really appreciate it and I Know it's helping a lot of new techs by having the opportunity to see these things done properly. Thanks again for sharing your skill and time with us.
thanks for watching!
Silicone works too 😉
Next Idea: If you cut the end of the zip tie flush with the "zip tie holding thingy" with a proper tool like e.g. "Knipex 78 31 125", then there won't be any sharp edges which cut into your arms if you reach next to this zip tied cable. Normal cutting pliers leave nasty sharp edges on the cut side of the zip tie.
Same! Never thought of the either. I have zipped a piece of armaflex between two pipes...doesn't always hold
You reminded me of my supervisor when I was a rookie getting my feet wet as a technician. You were articulate and soft spoken to your apprentice. I've always believed that a great teacher produces a great technician. Keep up the great work.
TH-cam recommended this video to me randomly. Never showed interest in this before. But after watching the video I have a new appreciation for what you guys do.
Dude your a damn unicorn in the sense that you forwent all cockiness and put a perfect balance between getting the job done efficiently while providing efficient training. For about just short of a year now Ive been making the transition from residential HVAC/R to commercial/light industrial and your videos have been of great help in getting a better grasp on how these systems work internally as well as focusing on the problem vs symptoms of the problem. Thanks for the insight and great videos, the guys under your wing should consider themselves VERY lucky.
Retired 42 years industrial/commercial ur a good teacher nice job 👏 👍
I appreciate your service techniques. Asking yourself the "why?" question is the only way to operate a service company. There is always a cause for why something failed. Teaching new Technicians to work their minds gives them the understanding while teaching them to find the root cause of the problem. If they are just repairing or replacing the obvious, it will result in call backs frustrating the customer and affecting your bottom-line. This is how you differentiate the good technician from the bad and how to develop apprentices. Your direction and patience teaching a new up comer has gained you respect with me. I'm working on starting my own business this year and get excited / motivated while watching these videos. Thank you.
I wish my boss talked to me the way you talk to him. Too many pricks out in this field. Great video!
Yep. Unfortunately, I'm working for one of those pricks...for now.
I Agree!!!
its all about picking the right company. some people have to run a company, and some want that company.
Yeah I noticed that right away with the helper struggling with removing the filter, some guys would give him shit, " what your school didn't teach you about filters", this guy is a great senior tech, I wish I had a mentor like him.
Does this career pay well?
Another tip. Before lighting the torch take the torch and simulate how your going to move your torch around the braze joint. If there's a tricky point you can decide if there's an easier way to solder it
That's a great idea. The whole difficulty are the weird angles you have to move into without burning anything else. A rehearsal. Also going to hook several rods before starting.
Make the flame blueish yellow and and keep he torch maximum away. Heat the portion even and apply solder.
+Roy -- Great tip! It's like my HS football coaches beat into us -- You Play Like You Practice!
always do this while welding too, helps you get the angles right and get comfortable
Always wear your ppe
I agree. Never under any circumstances flash cool a freshly welded joint, it makes the joint weaker and it may not leak today but I’ve had to go bad behind some install guys that I know were in a hurry and fix their welds because they started leaking within a week after the job was done. To the new guys watching when the copper changes color, it’s time to pull the torch back a little bit, the solder will follow the heat. The torch is the paintbrush, the solder is the paint, drag it into the joint. It wants to be a liquid, and don’t be afraid to add a little extra on the joint. Solder is cheap compared to a callback.
The way you teach your apprentice is really cool. I have a brother who works in a trade, and he never has anything good to say about the guy who's showing him the ropes. Please encourage this behavior in other skilled tradesmen; the world needs more teachers like you. Thanks for sharing this video.
Awesome thanks for the nice words
I’m moving from a Boiler Operator to our HVAC group. Appreciated how you taught your apprentice how to sweat the pipe. A calm positive voice of instruction was the right call.
Taught a lot of folk in my field and I really appreciate your teaching style. Letting people make mistakes in as controlled environment is a great teaching aid, especially when you're there to keep them safe and so they can learn why it goes wrong and the dangers/implications of making errors/not following best practice. I always found it fun to watch the new crew start down the wrong path, realise something wasn't right and correct for it, or even better stop and ask for help/question their procedure. That was a great judge of character for me. Seeing someone's ability to deal with a mistake and how they handled it gave me great confidence in sending them out on their own. They also feel better about their progress because they got themselves there and weren't just ushered down the path by the instructor. Also really highlights what the holes in their knowledge and training were. I believe it really helps cement the skills too.
More often than not, when given the opportunity to keep going most folk know it's not going right and try find something that works. Jumping in too soon and being overbearing just denies them the opportunity to learn. They usually end up trying the "wrong" way as soon as you're not there anyway and figuring it out for themselves, so why not let them do it now. Then if it is something dangerous or likely to lead to a failure/incident later you can explain why and help them for next time!
As always, the best part was working with them 6 months down the line and seeing them nailing the procedure with confidence and skill. Totally different industry, but teaching is universal. Appreciate your work ethics and time making this content, cheers.
That kids lucky to have a guy like you actually showing him the correct way to do things let alone having him do it. Great job.
I’m an advance DIY person and your explanation of how to work on AC units is impressive compared to other videos. Please keep making more videos.
My old teacher would like you dude. Talk to the guy calmly and clearly without going off on him for tiny things. How I learned myself.
Speaking as a career and technical education teacher, one thing that you may find helpful when training anyone new with soldering and brazing is to have them try out on a few practice fittings in several positions before soldering the real thing. A small bag of copper fittings and a short piece of pipe generally helps people who are new to soldering and brazing to pick it up faster. You could even have them sweat on a Schrader valve and pressurize the workpiece to look for leaks. This is one of those things I have my students go through when we cover plumbing. I know that this may cut down on work time but this is a good practice if you have some downtime and usually doesn't take to long to get the hang of. It's great to see you taking the time to train someone new on good practices and tips and tricks while still letting them make a mistake.
When I help train new guys I give them obstacles in my shop to work around. I make sure they get comfortable with vertical and horizontal welds. The Vertical up welds get them every time, they always ask how come they have to weld behind things or use a mirror to weld, my answer may be obvious to some but I tell them, 99% of your welding will not be in a shop, and it’s easier to mess up here and practice than melt a hole through the copper that is even harder to fix.
I’m a freshman in a trade school, and I’m loving it going for the HVAC field, and I’m getting much better at looking at these units and understanding what’s going on. Loving these videos
Watching the soldering had me so nervous I had to pause the video several times to get out of my seat and pace around the house. You got the patience of a saint Chris!
It's not that big of a deal LOL
It’s really not
Braze(n)
25 yr HVAC tech myself and its refreshing to watch your style that mirrors exactly my own. You're the real deal!
Thanks so much! I will be going live on TH-cam this evening 11/4/19 @ 5:PM (pacific time) to discuss my most recent uploads answer questions from emails, the chat, and TH-cam comments. Come over and check it out if you can. th-cam.com/video/edrzjZTZX18/w-d-xo.html
The soldering was hard to watch; but I remember myself being in that position many many years ago. Gotta start somewhere =)
I remember when I first started and I managed to blow through a 3/8 filter dryer...Face Palm...Never happened again...
Some people have a talent, some need a lot of training and tries. And yes it is painful to watch usually and cringy, hard not to laugh or not to get frustrated. But most eventually gets its and are good.
I nearly lost my patience at one point
@@ogaremmanuel4032 you'd make a terrible teacher then
Wet rag by refrigeration Technologies
My uncle was a plumber. He helped my parents with installing new pipework when they bought a house back in the 90s. I used to watch him solder the fittings together and at some point he just handed me (I must have been 6 or 7 back then) the torch and let me do some joints. I ended up doing the entire piping for our garden a few years later. Those first joints look like a dog's breakfast. I chuckle whenever I see one of them when I visit my parents.
I really love this trade.. I remember starting with a master technician such as yourself.. the right teacher really does make the difference!.
I’m in commercial, been in the field for about year and 3 months. Was in a apprenticeship program with my current company. I watch your videos for the refrigeration aspect, you have very useful information. I have already learned a lot with refrigeration just by your videos. Thanks! Nice videos!
Thanks for watching Kyle!
Great video .. Definitely enjoy your longer video opened my eyes to potential problems rather then seeing the small picture just like you said . Repair the leak ,replace the drier ,nitrogen test, pulled a vacuum ,recharge and walk away as everyone else would you take your trouble shooting skills to my next level .
Also love the fact you have patience for you apprentice many guys in this trade would never give guys the opportunity like you did .. Cleary all the super stars in the trade tend to forget where they came from everyone think they where born with this set of skills . I've been in the trade almost 11 years now and learning something new every day . I am also trying my best to pay it forward and also teaching everyone everything I've learned so far ..Great work God bless
I think you are a very nice man who is trying to help out other techs in this sector. Thank you for doing this. It helps me a lot.
A tip on detecting leaks. Soap solution or commercial leak detectors only go so far. Sometimes just spraying the leak solution after it is applied with water will reveal even the most minute leak. Small leaks sometimes do not force the bubbles in a thick solution but a little dilution with water will create a mountain of small bubbles.
I have never been in this job and I watch him and learned a lot from him. He is a good teacher
We can't learn from our mistakes, if we aren't given the opportunity to make them. We are looking at a proper teacher and example of how such skilled trades should be learned!
You're awesome teacher. Letting your apprentice do work without putting him under tension is awesome.
I am not an HVAC tec, in fact i'm a karaoke DJ.. worlds apart, but I do enjoy your videos because of your logical way of trouble shooting problems, and well put together content.. nice videos .. keep up the good stuff... all the best..
Been a tech for over 40 years. You did a great job teaching. One thing I would suggest though just as a good practice. On the discharge at the compressor where you thought it might have been a hole. Go ahead and fill it none the less. The reason being is that there would be less solder in that spot in case of vibration again it'e a possible leak point down the road. When in doubt fill it. It's just a good habit to get into and you have everything right there to do it and takes so little time for that but it's worth it in the long run. Great Job
Seems like a good thing to do would be to take the dead compressor and some dead driers and the like back to the shop and just practice soldering on them for a while. Not as good as field work where you have to stand on your head and drip hot solder in your face, but it can give you some cheap practice on some of the awkward joints. Better than just soldering two straight tubes in the vise.
I'd like to see the guts of one of those modern compressors too, I still can't get my head around how they make such effective little things not vibrate like crazy in normal operation.
@@44R0Ndin it's all about balancing the loads. I don't have specific information about AC compressors, but if you pull a pug wire off a 6 or 8 cyl engine it'll start shaking like mad. Similar idea to balancing tires, though now your working more in 3 dimensions rather then two. If all the forces are balanced well there should be little to no shaking.
@@Wooble57 I know the load must be balanced somehow, I just wonder what specific method they used.
Did they use two scroll compressor elements and then mount them to the drive shaft 180 degrees out of phase? Did they use a simple counterweight? That kind of thing.
I just want to see one without the hermetic casing on it, and then see it taken down even further if possible. I know sort-of how a scroll compressor works, but I wonder if there's other types besides scroll and reciprocating.
Screw compressor maybe (built kinda like a Detroid Diesel engine's supercharger)? Those are inherently balanced as all the rotating parts are radially symmetrical.
@@44R0Ndin th-cam.com/video/yNgqI4XPUZc/w-d-xo.html is a good animation of the internals, at a glace i'd guess they must use some sort of counterweight
@@44R0Ndin Most scroll compressors have counterweights built into the main motor/rotor. You can find teardowns readily here on TH-cam.
Because the scroll elements move in a predictable eccentric pattern, it's simple to counter it with added mass to the driveshaft and motor - which has to be relatively wide anyways to develop operating torque.
Rotary units, usually only seen on small inexpensive units, also use the counter-weighted motor method.
Reciprocating models are balanced the same way as a car engine is, with crank counterweights to oppose the motion of the pistons. This is imperfect, as anyone who's been in a car can attest, thus why these units still vibrate some.
I've made those exact mistakes when I was learning to braze, your level of patience reminds me of my instructors who were fully understanding that a lot of the class have never done anything HVAC related before.
Very good Chris, I think there was couple of times you just wanted to grab the torch and finish it, you showed restraint and gave him explanation. If I can only do that.
Yes i really wanted to grab it, I'm gonna be honest I am not always like this sometimes I just gotta get it done!
@@HVACRVIDEOS I much prefer the longer ones. The longer ones have more info in them
The company that ran that gas line was Gas-holes - R- us ... Lol ... You did a great teaching job without belittling the guy . That makes him appreciate rather than be angry ... Much appreciated ... Hey to the Missus ...
As an apprentice finishing my apprenticeship next year. i wish i had more guidance from someone like you. through my time i was handed a tool and told to do a job. then get yelled at because i didn't know what was right. but i managed later to get it right through watching your videos and leaning stuff on my own. taking welding classes etc. but your videos have been a huge help in my trouble shooting ability and i really think that these videos should be a part of what you have to learn before your first day in the field. like we got a 20 week course before being allowed out working. where we weld and learn the basics of HVAC. but i never work on business calls and freezers etc i mostly do my job on ships (including the queens of Denmark's) but that ass crack story is for another time. keep up with the awesome videos.
I have to be honest since I started watching your videos even though I've been in the industry close to 20 years you make me want to do my job even better and I totally appreciate your way of explaining things and not just looking at one thing but the overall picture thank you and keep them coming
I have found that it is hard to find people to mentor in the electrical field and I am sure it is in all of the construction trades. I applaud your willingness to show us this process. Anyone would be lucky to have you as an instructor.
Ftngot ( For the New Guys out there ) --- if you have no refrigerant in a system , and u have pipes that are so close together that they may vibrate or rub together. You Can Weld a Brace across them to keep them apart using Your torch , 15% and some 1/4" soft copper scrap. Just weld a piece of copper from pipe to pipe to eliminate shaking pipes. or u can Run a Bit of silfoss across close stuff to create a permanent bridge to eliminate rubbing or movement.
great points for the green techs. I have done this in hydronics as well. cheers
I always put a drop of solder at joint and acts as a thermostat. When starts flowing add stick and regulate heat.
Love watching your videos, you explain everything in detail. As an apprentice it's nice to come home from work and watch your video's. The more I learn, the better I become and the better at my trade I become.
Hope that young guy appreciates the training he’s getting, a lot of companies will not go the expense ( at least that was my experience when I started )
That heat blocker you were using worked awesome on the drier! Saved that drier 100%! Great call and teaching moments.
Love the detail on the work and the thoroughness. I've learned a lot from about fixing the problem no the symptoms. Tell your apprentice that he's moving the torch to much before the side he's heating gets hot.
Love the patience you have with the rookie. I remember when i was in the same position learning the trade patience was not something the senior tech had which is critical for confidence. Great job.
Polishing turds pays the bills too, and the new guy got a good lesson, I couldn’t believe my eyes you pulling out the True Blue for that beaut, great work as always Chris
I’m a hvac student as SJVC and i must say, I’ve been watching you’re videos and they are helping me out al lot man. Thank you
The problem with using those plastic zip ties on a discharge line where you have high temperature is they will soften , stretch and come loose and the pipe may rub again easier just to separate them so they can`t touch
They do make stainless steel zip ties, seen my city use them to hold street signs on traffic signal poles.
The zip tie idea was pretty slick.....in that situation ive also used scrap pieces of armaflex from line set
General-purpose nylon zip ties have a working temperature of 185 at the high end.
I've done this exact same repair and that's what I did was reroute the lines and deem it an engineering flaw. It seemed the leak started small enough that it lost too much oil before it shutdown and took out the compressor. Some compressors are more sensitive than others to oil loss.
im 21, just started working as a gas fitter for the past 9 months and I WISH my boss was half of what you seem to be sir, love watching your videos, you do a great job at explaining things and doing everything the right way. Love learning little hints and tricks that can help us out!
You have to love Carrier package units. They have made me a lot of money over the years. I don't sell them but I do work on them. Lol
if major marketing problem call me.
I'm an HVAC Student myself GB and I'm understanding why Carrier units are unpopular with HVAC techs. Thanks for the video.
Oh! I love these Carrier units! I have to clean condenser coil at least once per year, if it is located close to big street with traffic it might be twice per year. Blower motor belt needs replacement every ~ 2 years. The leak caused by the compression vibration like it is shown in this video is very common, problems with metering device are very common, etc. Thank you Carrier we love you!
P.S. Recently Carrier has changed its technical support over the phone. Now they ask for $75 fee for tech support. Something tells me that this manufacturer will start loosing its new units sales soon if they dot do it already.
As an IT guy was use to solder on circuit boards and other things. When I learned how to sweat pipes for a home repair, a good tip I got from another youtube channel was to remember heat rises. So when you want the solder to suck in, heat from the bottom up. Its a little harder when your upside down, and at weird angles, but you could tell he was a little uncomfortable handling the torch. Not terrible, and overheating is definitely going to happen when you're learning. You're a great teacher and very patient, I subscribed cause I like your content and love your big picture approach.
Great job 👍 funny to see R22 still being used there, our phase out ended Dec 2016 (UK). That stuff was liquid gold! £400 per kg here at one point! R422D was our go to drop in.
407c here
Its phased out here as well. Jan 1st cannot make or or important it, equipment can no longer be manufactured with it either. Once is runs out, it will be gone. Its getting expensive though. Lol
I just change the oil and dryer and use 404
That blower bracket is actually the modified bracket from the original. So you are absolutely right about the bracket being garbage.
Really good qualified teacher, let the guy do some mistakes so he knows what to do next time. We learn from our mistakes 👍👍👍👍
I really like the Video. As a Superintendent for a general contractor I like to know everything i can about the jobs i run. This is gives me some more understanding of how some of the HVAC systems work and what is required to maintain them.
Yeah I would really enjoy learning from you. I would learn a lot just spending a day or even better a week running service calls with you. I work only on residential heating and cooling systems. I like your philosophy of finding out "why" something failed, instead of just replacing parts or fixing broken parts. Great video.
Nice video. I like the explanations in the middle of the video and the recap at the end. I like that you are ensuring that the customer will be happy and will have their unit clean and working for a long time.
I like how you explain and as you say letting your apprentice learn by making mistakes. You are doing a good job keep it up.
I had this exact repair on a slightly newer model for my first call this past Monday... the rub out leak atleast. Your apprentice is very lucky to have you to teach them this trade. I try to do the same things when I have someone that's new with me.
GOOD JOB MAN ! I TEACH MYSELF, YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK ! KEEP GOING SIR ! SOMEONE NEEDS TO TEACH THEM RIGHT !
I have had this problem 3 times I'm my life as a HVAC technician in Honduras it occurs because friction and heat and Cold the pipe. Thanks for your help it give us a chance to look real call to attend. Blessings from Honduras
Good job,good practices, good teaching to your worker, I enjoy watching your videos Learn something good today thank you.
I like a video a lot... marami ako natutunan sa video na ito,,sana mag labas kapa ng ganitong klase ng video ....salamat a lot....
Enjoy watching the videos brother. You’re a very patient person when it comes to training. Any chance we could get a tutorial video on basic soldering? How to’s and maybe do’s and dont’s.
Great video , I'm in school now for AC and this is a great addition , I applaud your patience with your worker that shows your confidence and professionalism
Carrier started using scroll compressors with no crankcase heaters. Unit gets cold at night , liquid refrigerant migrates to bottom of compressor. On first startup in the morning refrigerant under the oil makes oil foam and carries oil from compressor and bottom bearing fails causing your vibration problem. I have seen the shell of the compressor crack right at the weld that holds the motor.
Your teaching style is excellent. I don't know who you work for, but you're a credit to them and your trade
Randomly got recommended this and I don't even really know what's going on but it was actually a pretty enjoyable and interesting video, hella props for that!
the 2nd weld he did much better. when you thought there was a hole., i think your a good teacher you have the patience to explain and carry under your wing. love the bent wire so simple. good down to earth instructor. 100
Nice job and diagnosis and fix. Like the fact you found root cause versus just fixing the leak and recharging. Now you have another compressor to open up to see what was causing the vibration! :-)
I am enjoying watching your problem solving methodology. It is refreshing that you are so thorough in your repair and commentary. ❄
So this is what getting taught without getting yelled at looks like.
Nice to have an apprentice with the potential to learn. Just got rid of one. He had earned the name Flatliner due to the fact their was no brain activity. He actually stood a nitrogen tank on the bumper of my van with the regulator on it. A rocket waiting take off. It’s so hard to find good help.
Very nice video Chris! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. I know it can be a long day repairing those package units.
If you have a teacher who explains everything step by step and in detail (With a WHO, WHAT WHEN, WHERE, and WHY approach) you are lucky. Not many teachers take the time or know how to do that with their students.
Really nice to see ya take someone under your wing to reach them the trade. That is something this field is lacking......
So true man. A lot of apprentices are journeymanout not being fully ready
i am experienced 35 years in the field.
I really, really appreciated the part where you let him do the sodiering. I learned from it too. I have been doing electronics and soldering for over 40 years, but plumbing soldering is different. Thanks.
when you have a dirty filter just use the other side
on a serious note i think compressors should be more user serviceable... i hate replacing them
@@djenson I think it was a joke. Like a winter and summer air in Tyre joke
Completely agree with you on the compressor remark! On the Roof Top/Package Units from my experience there not that bad In my opinion the only bad part about them is lugging them up the roof and back down. BUT Split systems are a total nightmare! You have almost no room to grab them and get the out.
@@jonnywilson9117 lol whoops. don't even remember typing the comment
@@djenson hahaha you were probably drunk and having a good old time :D
This is a small comment but 28:56 make sure to keep your micron gauge as upright as you can because if you don’t the vacuum pump oil overtime will fuck up your sensor in the micron gauge. Keeping upright prevents this.
Love your videos very informative keep it up
Great tip bud thanks! Thanks for watching I will be going live on TH-cam this evening 7/1/19 @ 5:PM west coast time to discuss my most recent uploads and answer questions from emails and the chat. Come check it out if you can th-cam.com/video/rlHkdZSIjdU/w-d-xo.html
Great job! And very comprehensive instructions, I appreciate it.
Could you please tell us: what is the material you use to cover compressor and dryer during brazing?
That putty is called wet rag
ive learned more from your videos then most of my trade school courses. Not for lack of attention but in terms of quality of courses. great vid thank you
That's a very good video thanks,
I dont recommend using rubber gloves when blazing
I like the way you are teaching the next guy up and doing it right!
can't remember if ive said this here before but you solidified my decision to try HVAC work. Been doing it for 3 months and it has been fun.
Welcome to the trade bro!! We hvacr guys gotta stick together were a dying breed! Which means more money for us!!
That zip tie trick is genius I will start employing this
very informative video! and the patience you showed to your helper was awesome! you are great teacher Chris! I really enjoy your videos!
Highly quality work, high quality teaching, high quality tools, high quality video!!
Thanks bud
I love finding leaks. I saw the liquid and discharge line was touching together so before y’all sprayed on there I called it. Love it.
Great to see U keep the next generation schooled on brazing and other aspects related to the job.God Bless.
Good job brother!! That’s the way to teach someone!! With patience and guidance.
To y'all who are patronizing the boss for being patience with his apprentice, When you go for an HVACR job always go with a small company ,You will always learn more (Dont worry of the pay ) Learn and then you will be making money and fixing units for real like this young boss is doing , Especially if you feel gifted and serious of your endeavors . Good Luck
i have heard of this problem before, i believe it can be traced back to Carrier assembly where someone is over tightening the vibration mounts, causing the rubber to become in compression instead of in shear. then the excessive vibration causes further problems down the line
You had basic protection for the drier, so I wouldn't worry about it breaking down. One thing about brazing. I found out many years ago, I brazed much better holding the torch in my left hand and brazing stick in my right (I'm right handed). You might have your trainee try that.
I was glad to see you try and get the old oil out as much as possible. It's most important if there were severe compressor overheating as that breaks the oil down and you don't want that in there.
I think you did as good a job as the customer would allow and that compressor should last a long time.
Strange how I've been at this (Residential and commercial) for over 46 years and I still love it! In fact, at 65 years old, I'm still running my business and doing calls and advising techs at other companies.
My AC keeps popping the breaker but it doesn’t do it right away. The unit will run sometimes for days before it will pop the breaker. There is no weird sounds when it does it but it will just pop the breaker out of the blue. My unit is a Goodman and it’s a split unit. I believe it’s either a 4-5 ton unit.
I’ve checked the compressor for a direct ground as well as the fan and both check out good. I tested all the wiring and found no shorts etc. would you have any ideas that could direct me in a direction that may be the issue? Thank you for your help.
Maximus Decimus Meridius appreciate it. I will try that.
Maximus Decimus Meridius can you give a quick explanation on how to test for a ground short? Just want to be sure I’m checking correctly.
Basically you put one lead on the wire you want to test and your other lead to the ground screw on the unit, does that sound correct to you?
Jerry Polete yes sir that sounds correct.
I was literally staring at the filter dryer line rubbing right on that copper line for like 2 min before you sprayed it lol. I see alot of goodman units where the service line from inside the unit runs on the suction line in the unit and creates a nice chafe
Not trying to be a wise guy here but your apprentice is really struggling will his torch setup. I would switch to a Smith Quick Braze or a Smith AW1A both with Kevlar hose. Plenty of heating power and the kevlar hose allows ease of torch movement when in a difficult position. Please tell your apprentice to never wear nitrile or a rubber glove when brazing or soldering. A burn to the skin can be bad enough without rubber embedded in it. Good luck, great video and instruction
When i started as an apprentice the journeymen called me "blob". Mainly because i suck ass at brazing, but you learn with each mistake. I think that apprentice has a hell of a teacher. He is gonna be a super tech!