What a nasty mess. I would had to go home and shower after that call. How can ppl live like that? I realize we all need help from time to time, but that is awful living conditions. That "filter" and the trash around it is a health hazard in itself. I feel for the less fortunate, but no sympathy for ppl that wont clean up their surroundings. You're a mighty good and patient man.
Its very common. Worst is messy people with pets. Once had to work on a furnace and all around it was a huge puddle of dog piss from the dog going to the bathroom there all day long. She was nice enough to tell me i didnt have to wear shoe covers in her house..... i insist ma'am
Maybe it's me because I do more commercial and refrigeration work but an hour to drive diagnose, and repair seams awful optimistic, my company charges a 1 hour minimum plus whatever actual drive time is. Good job on that service call though.
WOW! Look at that filter. That's probably the root of the problem. Does it even have a filter rack? Looks like the return box is just sitting there with the filter in between the box and furnace.
I still have our original 1958 Lennox furnace with mechanical blower control a belt driven blower with grease caps on the blower bearings and still the original Lennox tube of grease to fill the grease caps! The filter is the hammock type, and over all the years, I only had to replace three 1 quarter horse split phase motors and one thermostat controlled gas valve! No motherboards and no exhaust fan! The heat exchanger still in good shape, no cracks or leakage! Totally bullet proof and faithfully working all these years!
Costs a small fortune every month in gas bills though: I had one of those in my old house. Loved that filter set up and the ease of service. But I had a wood stove so the furnace wouldn’t come on if I could help it. I burned 3+ cords every winter.
I was really impressed on one of your calls when you washed out the nasty puppy pen.I would have done it too and was expecting you to get a cussing but you showed them shame.Good man!
When a customer calls with a problem, tell them to turn off at thermostat, then circuit breakers if able. Then you'll save yourself a lot of time cooling down motors and melting ice. I'm glad I've got 21 years of good, clean, loyal customers to work for. I got real tired of working on jackleg, dirty installs in the beginning. How much work and money does it take to clean a house and change a $4 filter monthly?
Curtis you should pick up one of those right angle attachments. Those do come in pretty handy at times. Don’t forget to burn your clothes when you get home. 😄👍
Again you are a true professional. And as before I wish I was in your service area. You put up with a lot of BS on many levels. Nicely done and handled my friend.
I love when you ask the customer if they’ve changed the filter lately and they look at you and say “there’s a filter”? My best yet was an HRV that didn’t have a filter change for 21 years. Nice to see you’re switching to team Red, Milwaukee all the way👍🇨🇦
Reminds me of the time I gave a chainsaw away, and an hour or so later the guy said it didn't work for cutting fire wood. and I asked him if he tried pulling the cord, and he said it didn't come with one! So I thought it didn't have the pull cord, so I drove half way across town to see what he was talking about, I grabbed the chainsaw and pulled the cord, and it started, and he said, "Oh man, I thought it was electric!
Just did an igniter change on an oven for a lady who had rabbits in cages with feces overflowing their litter box and out of the cage. Also the three cats had the same living conditions. The house hadn’t been cleaned…ever. There were fly traps hanging all over the place that were filled with gnats and flies. I actually stood up and the back of my head hit one and stuck to it. I’m new in the field after 3 years of training at the local gas and electric utility, so I haven’t quite found the line in the sand yet, but I believe I saw it after that job.
Nova Although I am not à havc tech I was an auto mechanic and feel your pain. 1 year ago my relative had there heating élément on electric dryer burn out. I replaced but there was sooooo much lint that I was surprised it didn't catch on file. About à 5 gallon buckets worth. Took almost as much time to Clean it as it was to replace élément with taking apart.
Back in the day working for my dad I had to hold my nose an several calls and even scrub up after getting back to the truck, and several were where you had to walk sideways in pathways to get to the furnace , thermostat and registers and vents. Nasty one.
I just don't know how folks let their home/equipment get like that. I don't care if it's a rental or not, I'm taking a vacuum to accessible places occasionally.
Step 1, clean air handler and replace filter. I couldn’t have touched that furnace looking like that. Pressures off probably for to air handler condition and lack of air flow.
Have you ever looked into the Nebo Big Larry 2 flashlight and the Nebo lil Larry flashlight? I keep the lil Larry in my pocket and the big Larry in my tech bag. It took me 17 years to find the best flashlight.
So, the motor went out on my furnace and the re-install with the new motor was hell. I couldn't get the motor's chamber to seat into the rear ledge properly so's I could secure the 2 bolts at the front. That motor/cage/chamber combo just weighed too much. I finally came up with building a u-shaped wooden frame to hold the assembly (keeping it from rolling around every which way!) ; slid it into the furnace bottom; placed a small ORV tire tube under it; inflated it to hold the whole thing in place (third hand?) and was able to re-mount the assembly into the furnace... no sweat! Before that, I tried a car's scissor jack but no good.
Once I saw that cage around the compressor I would have packed up and went on to the next call. There are some places no amount of money will make it worth it.
Me asking customer years ago before I retired "sir have you changed the filter?" Customer says" yeah not too long ago" Me looking at a clogged filter just like the one it the video! After watching this I think I'm gonna have a nightmare tonight that I'm back running service calls just like this!
These are the same people that don't know they have to change the oil in their car. I don't know how some people make it through life when they can't even grasp the simple stuff. A good tip I discovered is I take my shop vac and vacuum off the filter once a week. You can get another month or two out of it that way and it just keeps it cleaner all around.
I could see the sweat dripping during that motor change,man. This heat wave is the real deal. Can I get a link for that hat? I’m a service tech in Indy.
This house I live at now, didn't have a filter for the cold air return and last month had the heat pump replaced outside part because it sounded as though the house was shaking apart and now barely hear it at all.
I would like to say that that is the dirtiest furnace I've ever seen..... Unfortunately that one wouldn't even crack my top 10. Worse one I had was a family of 4, ALL heavy chain smokers with multiple cats and borderline hoarding problem who probably haven't see the floor in years. Everything was covered in sticky cigarette tar, stank like cat urine and stale cigarettes so bad I almost puked, lots of little bugs scurrying around as well. I pulled the filter that collapsed into the motor because it was 2 years old and never changed (weighed almost 1.5lbs) and pulled a grocery bag full of cat hair out of the blower as well. To get everything all cleaned up and working properly took over 5 hrs, besides the high limit and a few other small things I even had to clean the secondary heat exchanger and the evap coil with a French sprayer filled with rubbing alcohol to wash the tar off just to get any kind of air flow. To this day my skin still crawls just thinking of that job.
If I was busy I would have walked away. I could see a possible problem on warranty . If I did it I would clean everything right finish job then move on . It cost more time running back and forth. Good luck. Good luck .
Okay I'm 5 minutes into this video and what I can see myself from the camera. The only thing that can fix this is to rip it all out and put in new. Then teach The homeowner how to clean and replace filters and pay attention to the unit that could kill them if they don't...
@@Machoman-ct I didn't say rip it out because it couldn't be repaired I said rip it out because it's so doggone filthy it's not healthy by the time you turn the whole thing out of there repaired it and cleaned it you'd have more time and money into it then it's worth and it still in the end and an old piece of equipment which has a timeline you know we usually say 20 years well how old is it Sorry being a little harsh this morning not feeling great wasn't saying replace it just cuz it's easier.
I might suggest picking up a plastic step stool to sit on . Far better than sitting on the ground . I have been in hoarders houses and as a electrical contractor easy access is important to get a job done efficiently . I remember the smell from animal defecating everywhere made me sick . You want to walk away but you know nobody will help this individual so you suck it up . I have a 2 hour minimum charge . By the time you drive, layout ,figure and repair it's usually over an hour . I guess for HVAC your repair space is smaller and repetitive to expedite more quickly . You are quite efficient .
We all operate different in the field your techniques are the way you work . So guys stop being whining about how other techs perform in the field because everything you is not by the book. Some of these skills we have to use. Good Curtis.
Can you tell me what kind of chuck you have on your drill with all of the different size nut divers, please? Do you like it? I might have to pick one up. I I didn’t see it in your tool breakdown in the description. Thanks!
Seen hundreds worse than that one, seriously. I would maintenance 3-7 units a day and would clean 60% of blowers and telling customers, "You breathe this!" Someone could make a living just cleaning blower wheels for $75 a pop. Add in a Duct inspection free, perhaps a duct cleaning for $800.
Curtis, when a job like this with multiple issue and you won't know the final diagnosis until you change each part on each step to further diagnosis like the blower motor, how would you explain to the customer without upsetting them?
If that blower wheel was that dirty, what do you think the bottom of that coil looks like? How can you even check charge without even knowing the condition of the evaperator coil and proper airflow?
Why not pull all the electronics, it's a few screws, and then wash the ENTIRE blower housing and wheel?!?! Also, with the unit in view that filthy, what do you think the indoor coil looks like!!!!!That is one of the downsides to using a universal multi horsepower motor, in a small unit, like that, the motor needs to be a smaller type, like the OEM. Sometimes getting one of those in is NOT possible. The weight of them can be an issue as well.
You are for sure a good patient man. It’s hard to believe you have to work in such conditions.
Shoving that fan motor back in was like packing 10 lb of s*** into a 5 lb bag
What a nasty mess. I would had to go home and shower after that call. How can ppl live like that? I realize we all need help from time to time, but that is awful living conditions. That "filter" and the trash around it is a health hazard in itself. I feel for the less fortunate, but no sympathy for ppl that wont clean up their surroundings. You're a mighty good and patient man.
Its very common. Worst is messy people with pets. Once had to work on a furnace and all around it was a huge puddle of dog piss from the dog going to the bathroom there all day long. She was nice enough to tell me i didnt have to wear shoe covers in her house..... i insist ma'am
@@gravestoner2488 LOL.!
its definitely one of the ways severe mental illness manifests.
@@steveH384 Yes its pretty bad. Ronald Reagan cut services to folks with mental issues and hospitals were dumping these folks out in the streets!
doesnt cost much to be clean!
These videos have really sold me on the virtue of the "disposable" window AC unit.
Has he posted the follow up yet? Can't seem to find it.
The third time that screwdriver slipped off I would have thrown it in the woods haha
Maybe it's me because I do more commercial and refrigeration work but an hour to drive diagnose, and repair seams awful optimistic, my company charges a 1 hour minimum plus whatever actual drive time is. Good job on that service call though.
This is why I don’t do residential anymore just rooftops and chillers
You are a better man than me. I could not work in such a filthy mess!
The reason I want to do commercial not residential
WOW! Look at that filter. That's probably the root of the problem. Does it even have a filter rack? Looks like the return box is just sitting there with the filter in between the box and furnace.
Yeah I 100% agree with you.I know that system is going to have future problems
I wouldn't have spent a minute longer than absolutely necessary in that shithole. Screw preventative maintenance...
The security cage around the AC tells the story.
.........In that area a clean house is a target for burglars 🥴
@@ccmogs5757 you're right. ain't that so frigging sad?
I still have our original 1958 Lennox furnace with mechanical blower control a belt driven blower with grease caps on the blower bearings and still the original Lennox tube of grease to fill the grease caps! The filter is the hammock type, and over all the years, I only had to replace three 1 quarter horse split phase motors and one thermostat controlled gas valve! No motherboards and no exhaust fan! The heat exchanger still in good shape, no cracks or leakage! Totally bullet proof and faithfully working all these years!
Costs a small fortune every month in gas bills though: I had one of those in my old house. Loved that filter set up and the ease of service. But I had a wood stove so the furnace wouldn’t come on if I could help it. I burned 3+ cords every winter.
I was really impressed on one of your calls when you washed out the nasty puppy pen.I would have done it too and was expecting you to get a cussing but you showed them shame.Good man!
i saw the same vid. i'm grateful it wasn't me there to see it. there's good samaritan and then there's aggravated assault...
18:35 That Mockingbird showing off reminded me of my growing up years in South Miss.
I'm stunned that you sat directly on that floor!
When a customer calls with a problem, tell them to turn off at thermostat, then circuit breakers if able. Then you'll save yourself a lot of time cooling down motors and melting ice. I'm glad I've got 21 years of good, clean, loyal customers to work for. I got real tired of working on jackleg, dirty installs in the beginning. How much work and money does it take to clean a house and change a $4 filter monthly?
Curtis you should pick up one of those right angle attachments. Those do come in pretty handy at times. Don’t forget to burn your clothes when you get home. 😄👍
Burn your clothes when you get home😆🤣🤣
Again you are a true professional. And as before I wish I was in your service area. You put up with a lot of BS on many levels. Nicely done and handled my friend.
Damn....so you're the one that finally fixes things I turn away.... good for you....I don't have that kind of patience
I love when you ask the customer if they’ve changed the filter lately and they look at you and say “there’s a filter”? My best yet was an HRV that didn’t have a filter change for 21 years. Nice to see you’re switching to team Red, Milwaukee all the way👍🇨🇦
I love when they argue about how often they change it when it’s obvious they don’t change it lol.
Reminds me of the time I gave a chainsaw away, and an hour or so later the guy said it didn't work for cutting fire wood. and I asked him if he tried pulling the cord, and he said it didn't come with one! So I thought it didn't have the pull cord, so I drove half way across town to see what he was talking about, I grabbed the chainsaw and pulled the cord, and it started, and he said, "Oh man, I thought it was electric!
Braaaave soul spraying down the wheel and housing with the board still attached. Cowboy up!
Right
I was saying the same thing!
Yeah I had to learn the hard way doing that back in my green years
Delicate, brittle, circuit board. I would of wrapped it in plastic before spraying. Curtis gambled this time and won!
Just did an igniter change on an oven for a lady who had rabbits in cages with feces overflowing their litter box and out of the cage. Also the three cats had the same living conditions. The house hadn’t been cleaned…ever.
There were fly traps hanging all over the place that were filled with gnats and flies. I actually stood up and the back of my head hit one and stuck to it.
I’m new in the field after 3 years of training at the local gas and electric utility, so I haven’t quite found the line in the sand yet, but I believe I saw it after that job.
Nova
Although I am not à havc tech I was an auto mechanic and feel your pain. 1 year ago my relative had there heating élément on electric dryer burn out. I replaced but there was sooooo much lint that I was surprised it didn't catch on file. About à 5 gallon buckets worth. Took almost as much time to Clean it as it was to replace élément with taking apart.
Back in the day working for my dad I had to hold my nose an several calls and even scrub up after getting back to the truck, and several were where you had to walk sideways in pathways to get to the furnace , thermostat and registers and vents. Nasty one.
Respect to resi guys, good lord what a mess
You are a very patient and professional man!
That was a strange one. I'll bet that cage around the condenser was as big a pain as that nasty blower! That was disgusting. Great video
“A call that just would end”… I sure hate those type of calls!
Me and you both bro, been on plenty
I can just imagine the stories you could tell about the condition of some customers' homes over the years.
You go above and beyond!
Good morning good morning from Mississippi
Good morning ☀️
Did you leave with any roaches or fleas?
You are showing patience with this job. Will teach me when waiting on my service, their is a reason.
I wonder if the guy gets his car oil changed on regular intervals?
I "Salute" You Curtis.
👍
You are the GREATEST HVAC TECH IN THE WORLD 🌎…
I hope to be like you one day ..
Can you send me the link to your camera holder ? Lol it’s bitching !!
Wow, I just changed that filter last month. The landlord told me to keep up on it and I try my best to do it every month or so. 😂
That filter is a disgrace, pigpen for sure! Hope they changed it!
Poor repairman. What a mess! Earned your money on this one.
Hosing out the blower with the circuit board still on there, Living on the edge I see lol.
I just don't know how folks let their home/equipment get like that. I don't care if it's a rental or not, I'm taking a vacuum to accessible places occasionally.
At least that call you weren’t in an attic. Last 3 days have all been attic’s for me. Hopefully we’ll all get a break
Great job under those conditions. Can't wait for the follow-up.
NC here love your videos
Step 1, clean air handler and replace filter. I couldn’t have touched that furnace looking like that. Pressures off probably for to air handler condition and lack of air flow.
Wow that unit needs vacuum out and that filter good night they going keep having problems maybe charge them extra $100 give them a vacuum lol
Hahaha yeah 🤣
Have you ever looked into the Nebo Big Larry 2 flashlight and the Nebo lil Larry flashlight? I keep the lil Larry in my pocket and the big Larry in my tech bag. It took me 17 years to find the best flashlight.
We used acid and a water rinse to clean blowers and coils for residential apts,, 30 years ago.
So, the motor went out on my furnace and the re-install with the new motor was hell. I couldn't get the motor's chamber to seat into the rear ledge properly so's I could secure the 2 bolts at the front. That motor/cage/chamber combo just weighed too much. I finally came up with building a u-shaped wooden frame to hold the assembly (keeping it from rolling around every which way!) ; slid it into the furnace bottom; placed a small ORV tire tube under it; inflated it to hold the whole thing in place (third hand?) and was able to re-mount the assembly into the furnace... no sweat! Before that, I tried a car's scissor jack but no good.
Love that mockingbird
All that work in a dark room no trouble light .That heat exchanger is cracked !
Looks new to me
that might have been the original filter when that unit was installed!
These videos would be great training for newer techs or people who just want to learn about troubleshooting HVAC systems. Nice work.
Curtis run for the heels from that unit defiantly change out
Once I saw that cage around the compressor I would have packed up and went on to the next call. There are some places no amount of money will make it worth it.
There is another hvac guy on TH-cam who experienced something similar. It was a horders house and downstairs was cat shit city.
Me asking customer years ago before I retired "sir have you changed the filter?" Customer says" yeah not too long ago"
Me looking at a clogged filter just like the one it the video!
After watching this I think I'm gonna have a nightmare tonight that I'm back running service calls just like this!
These are the same people that don't know they have to change the oil in their car. I don't know how some people make it through life when they can't even grasp the simple stuff. A good tip I discovered is I take my shop vac and vacuum off the filter once a week. You can get another month or two out of it that way and it just keeps it cleaner all around.
That unit has COPD
Great looking filter
I could see the sweat dripping during that motor change,man. This heat wave is the real deal. Can I get a link for that hat? I’m a service tech in Indy.
This house I live at now, didn't have a filter for the cold air return and last month had the heat pump replaced outside part because it sounded as though the house was shaking apart and now barely hear it at all.
I just love your videos thanks for making them
Maintenance is obviously not a concern for those that live there.. not even basic DIY maintenance.
I would like to say that that is the dirtiest furnace I've ever seen..... Unfortunately that one wouldn't even crack my top 10.
Worse one I had was a family of 4, ALL heavy chain smokers with multiple cats and borderline hoarding problem who probably haven't see the floor in years. Everything was covered in sticky cigarette tar, stank like cat urine and stale cigarettes so bad I almost puked, lots of little bugs scurrying around as well.
I pulled the filter that collapsed into the motor because it was 2 years old and never changed (weighed almost 1.5lbs) and pulled a grocery bag full of cat hair out of the blower as well. To get everything all cleaned up and working properly took over 5 hrs, besides the high limit and a few other small things I even had to clean the secondary heat exchanger and the evap coil with a French sprayer filled with rubbing alcohol to wash the tar off just to get any kind of air flow.
To this day my skin still crawls just thinking of that job.
I couldn't live like that
Curtis, great video. Is that rat poison your sitting in front of. Your my hero.
This was a hot mess
If I was busy I would have walked away. I could see a possible problem on warranty . If I did it I would clean everything right finish job then move on . It cost more time running back and forth. Good luck. Good luck .
Another replacement man
I have to get something from the van , then pack up the tools and reverse out of the drive and on to the next call
Wow that’s was crazy my friend keep up the great work 👍🏻 , and keep them videos coming and stay safe out there
Brave of you to rinse the blower housing with water with the board still attached. Great work!
The man is a pro!
@@bobboscarato1313 his videos are amazing aren't they?
Is the cage to protect from 2 leggers or 4? Thanks for posting.
Okay I'm 5 minutes into this video and what I can see myself from the camera. The only thing that can fix this is to rip it all out and put in new. Then teach The homeowner how to clean and replace filters and pay attention to the unit that could kill them if they don't...
It's called repairing, hell anybody can be a replacement man
@@Machoman-ct I didn't say rip it out because it couldn't be repaired I said rip it out because it's so doggone filthy it's not healthy by the time you turn the whole thing out of there repaired it and cleaned it you'd have more time and money into it then it's worth and it still in the end and an old piece of equipment which has a timeline you know we usually say 20 years well how old is it Sorry being a little harsh this morning not feeling great wasn't saying replace it just cuz it's easier.
What a disgusting mess.. Even had mouse bait blocks in the thing. Charge extra!
I would have doubled my price after looking at that sloppy mess, unless they wanted to clean it up themselves first.
I might suggest picking up a plastic step stool to sit on . Far better than sitting on the ground . I have been in hoarders houses and as a electrical contractor easy access is important to get a job done efficiently . I remember the smell from animal defecating everywhere made me sick . You want to walk away but you know nobody will help this individual so you suck it up . I have a 2 hour minimum charge . By the time you drive, layout ,figure and repair it's usually over an hour . I guess for HVAC your repair space is smaller and repetitive to expedite more quickly . You are quite efficient .
always forgive a hard working Fella!
Sometimes I just feel like walking off from that but its hard to
Good job Curtis.
what a way to get threw that
Evaporator probably totally clogged with crap, did tech inspect it?
My God you need hazardous pay...
That place is making me itch !! Lol
We all operate different in the field your techniques are the way you work . So guys stop being whining about how other techs perform in the field because everything you is not by the book. Some of these skills we have to use. Good Curtis.
Did the Slum Lord make the service call, or the Slum Residence?
Wiring looks safe, lol.
You need a hazmat suit to work on that unit!!!
Maybe time for a. NEw filter?
Can you tell me what kind of chuck you have on your drill with all of the different size nut divers, please? Do you like it? I might have to pick one up. I I didn’t see it in your tool breakdown in the description. Thanks!
Those are Klein socket driver - Klein flip bit, and the three in one came from a nut driver sold at Home Depot, also a Klein
@@HVACGUY thank you!
The Klein 32900!! Absolutely love that thing!
I can smell this service call..and it’s not good.
They need to do some PM’s. Wow 😮 what brand did you say that was?
At that point its mind as well get a dam new system man
Looks like junk. Maybe Dukane or Comfortmaker. I used to come across that junk all the time at housing authority apartments.
Seen hundreds worse than that one, seriously. I would maintenance 3-7 units a day and would clean 60% of blowers and telling customers, "You breathe this!" Someone could make a living just cleaning blower wheels for $75 a pop. Add in a Duct inspection free, perhaps a duct cleaning for $800.
It looks like the old motor had 2 speeds wired together, that's why it was burned out
When that motor is gonna need to be changed again. Should make for a fun time trying to pull that motor out that wheel 🛞. 😂
Curtis, when a job like this with multiple issue and you won't know the final diagnosis until you change each part on each step to further diagnosis like the blower motor, how would you explain to the customer without upsetting them?
What a mess. It must have smelled awful.
If that blower wheel was that dirty, what do you think the bottom of that coil looks like? How can you even check charge without even knowing the condition of the evaperator coil and proper airflow?
Furnace and air filter need replacement. That furnace looks at least 20 yrs old
The homeowners didn't thin a filter was something to be replace every 30 to sixty days! Most likely were tenants!
Where is part 2? Thanks
No wonder the fan motor burned up with all that crap in there
Why not pull all the electronics, it's a few screws, and then wash the ENTIRE blower housing and wheel?!?!
Also, with the unit in view that filthy, what do you think the indoor coil looks like!!!!!That is one of the downsides to using a universal multi horsepower motor, in a small unit, like that, the motor needs to be a smaller type, like the OEM. Sometimes getting one of those in is NOT possible.
The weight of them can be an issue as well.
Hello, you’re not advertising the arm sleeves. Where are they from?
Hvac tactical.com