AC Installation - Career change

[GinSoakedBoy]

Any AC installers on here?

I am interested to know how you went about getting into the industry? The cost for accreditation, how long training takes and the potential rewards once qualified? Are there any routes to fast track progression.

Been mulling over possible career changes with a mate, and AC installation was one of the jobs we discussed as we both felt its going to be increasingly in demand in the coming years.

Just interested to hear some advice from the people that do the actual job.

Thanks

James

 

[Wayners]

Lift engineer
CCTV and alarms
Heat pumps and air conditioning.
Fitters and engineers.
Designers.
All good things to get into but expect lot's of driving and jobs that will take you away from home.
They all seem to be from plumbing and electrical background that get the job from what I've seen, but with varying skills. Some are useless and but others are really good and knowledgeable.
Just got to get a CV put together and put it out.
You thinking about college course?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Been mulling over possible career changes with a mate, and AC installation was one of the jobs we discussed as we both felt its going to be increasingly in demand in the coming years.

Your present job, skills, and qualifications, have a large bearing on what jobs you can look to do in the future.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What about EV charger installation, that's gotta grow.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What about EV charger installation, that's gotta grow.

Might that need some electrical skill, knowledge, and qualifications first?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

For sure but presumably you need similar with AC installation?

 

[Justin Passing]

Welders are getting 6 figure salaries in the US - Data Centre buildout.
Sparks and plumbers are in demand too, but not as much. Strings to your bow, I'd go for.

I'd avoid doing a job which is competitive and needs loads of little private jobs. Not much certification to do AC, no real craft/skill involved.

But if you went to college to study the larger engineering/designing aspect (like the welders do to get 150k) that could become an in-demand niche. I'm sure with something like those you'd earn far more in USA, Australia etc.

 

[GinSoakedBoy]

Thanks for the response guys, and sorry for the slow response, busy few days.

My career was office based, but after a really ****ty run of redundancies, dead end contracts and literally no luck finding new roles I have been working the past few years as a handyman / property maintenance, picking up the jobs that are usually too small for the main trades to bother with.
I have always been handy, and have done all the work on my past homes (mainly as I was always on the bones of my arse). Everything from the cosmetic to the structural, as well as complete rewires and installing central heating.

I went to college and obtained a NVQ L2 as a site carpenter. Hopefully going back this September to do a NVQ L2 in Plumbing. Did also attend the NVQ L2 Electrical course but that fell apart when the tutor left.

So jack of all trades, master of none, but keen to focus on a particular sector where earning potential isn't limited by the days / hours I work.

AC installation seemed like a possible option, and I have heard (admitted anecdotal) statements about AC installers being flat out all year round. Ev charging point install was something I had considered but without any electrical qualifications could be more limiting?

 

[flameport]

Ev charging point install was something I had considered but without any electrical qualifications could be more limiting?

Total waste of time without the rest of the electrical knowledge to go with it.

Even with that it's mostly a waste of time, with car vendors, energy suppliers and other bandwagon companies offering to sling in EV charging equipment for next to nothing before riding off into the sunset and leaving all the problems for someone else to deal with.

 

[GinSoakedBoy]

Total waste of time without the rest of the electrical knowledge to go with it.

Even with that it's mostly a waste of time, with car vendors, energy suppliers and other bandwagon companies offering to sling in EV charging equipment for next to nothing before riding off into the sunset and leaving all the problems for someone else to deal with.

Great point. Do you think the same would the same also apply to Solar and Heat Pumps?

 

[malonnot]

best wishes

 

[flameport]

Great point. Do you think the same would the same also apply to Solar and Heat Pumps?

Yes, it will. Already does for solar, and heat pumps will either already be there or certainly won't be very long..

Unless you already have a sizeable customer base who want to pay decent amounts for such things, it's a waste of time.

'new' customers are likely to just go with the cheapest, and/or be hoodwinked into thinking some large company or existing name is perfectly fine.
Then they end up with things like mini consumer units stuck into the metering cabinet, or even on the outside wall of the house. Or solar with the inverter in the loft, tiles out of line because they 'forgot' to cut the backs of them, and pigeons nesting underneath the panels as they didn't know that screening around the panel edges even existed.

 

[ChrisW_Midlands]

Good thread. I run a small building firm and we've had a couple of lads look into AC and heat pump work as a sideline. The demand is definitely there, especially with the push towards renewables.
One thing I'd flag though, make sure you stay on top of which qualifications you actually need before you start advertising. The rules change more often than you'd think and getting caught without the right cert can land you in trouble. I had a gas lad working for me who nearly missed his Gas Safe renewal because he just forgot the date.
College route is solid if you can afford the time. Good luck with it.

 

[ericmark]

1980 I got a job on a pipeline in Algeria and started to work on heat pumps, or ACs as we called them back then. The problem was charging the units with gas, we had around 5 sites over a 310 kilometre pipeline, and one unit to recharge them with. So as an electrician, I would fix the fault, then have to wait for the one guy to re-gas it. I am guessing the gear was expensive, or we would have had more than one.

The problem today with the heat pumps, is selecting the right one. Youtube is full of cases where the wrong one has been fitted, or when there are massive price differences between the types, with even Heat Geek being criticised as to selection.

This type

has been used for years, and they did work well, in the main we want fan assistance as heat raises, so without fan assistance it can only heat or cool, not both so

or

high or low, both need fans, and also condensate pumps. The system has been used for years, in most hot countries, and we are fitting because of global warming, so not to be able to cool is daft.

But we are trying to replace central heating. Which likely poorly specked in the first place, in an old house, which likely has drafts, and humidity issues, and dealing with the general public, who have no idea what to expect.

So take a typical housing estate, two identical houses when built, but not any more, so you fit one system in one house, and another firm fits one in the other house, and one home has over twice the bill to the other, likely part down to what has been fitted, part to how used, and part down to changes to the two homes. And your in the firing line, as yours it the one with high running costs.

As to EV charging points, we are seeing unfair compertition, when firms like Octopus are offering a package, which includes a lower off-peak tariff if fitted by them, something you can't compete with.

Solar panels, we are seeing balcony DIY, which does not matter if it works or not, it will reduce how much is fitted.

What we are looking at, is the same as what happened with double glazing, the bubble has burst with that, it will be the same with the rest, so it is a real gamble as to when it will burst.

Fitting a heat pump in an all electric home, there is no problem with diffrent cost, oil, gas and electric, but moving from oil or gas to electric, yes at moment oil prices have soured, but for how long? And the compertition is can installed ACs compete?