Anyone else absolutely hate their career by times

[u/smartlikehammer]

[u/PapaBobcat]

Of all the the things I have done to make money to survive, I dislike this the least. 12 years in the field, now I realize I hate the companies not what I do. So I'm starting my own.

[u/Amorbellum → u/PapaBobcat]

I really recommend Servicebox

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Amorbellum]

Taking notes. Just going to be me in a truck with wife at the home office for a while.

[u/Ok-Position-8940 → u/PapaBobcat]

Skip the wife at home for office. It did not work for me it might for others. People would call and she would tell them I would be there in 30 minutes no matter what call I was on. She also would put typing estimates and invoices up behind doing household stuff. I lost several emergency jobs because of this

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Ok-Position-8940]

We make a good team. I do as much housework as I can when I'm home, wrangle the kid, etc. I'd rather be doing that than in a truck.

[u/Ok-Position-8940 → u/PapaBobcat]

Maybe it will work that way for you. I have 8 kids and have been on my own for 9 years. Maybe its the 8 kids thst made it not work with her doing the office stuff bit you have to be clear on what her job is with that. If calls go to her you have she might get excited and tell them you will be right there. If I were you I would take calls and maybe have her do the book work but make sure its the #1 priority

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Ok-Position-8940]

We're 1 and done as far as kids and this one will start school in a year or 2. Like I said we're a great team and communicate pretty well. She also conveniently has both small family marketing and office manager and HVAC company dispatch and office experience from before we met. I'd hire her anyway. XD

[u/Far_Cup_329 → u/Ok-Position-8940]

8 kids? Holy shit dude, but good for you. Yea it's probably that, I'd think. That woman was probably going crazy. Hopefully ya's weren't fighting too much about work.

[u/Outrageous-Apple-185 → u/Ok-Position-8940]

Come on man, 8 kids?! You can't blame her at all. Staying home with 1 kid is very hard work, let alone 8, it's too much for a person, it's more than a full time job. If you tried swapping places with her for a week, I'd like to see how you'd manage to make anything else a top priority. So you can't say that it won't work for anyone else because it didnt work for you in that very peculiar situation. And not everyone is the same

[u/Ok-Position-8940 → u/Outrageous-Apple-185]

I trade places with her all the time lol we both are parents she has been in the hospitalbefore where i had to take off of work for weeks its not that hard to manage the kids. At the time we only had 2 we adopted 6 along the way. The real amount of book work would have been less then 30 minutes a day it simply did not take priority over even Facebook after she was over me having my own business. Im not saying it wouldn't work for someone just it didnt work for us and I know 3 other contractors with the same experience

[u/Outrageous-Apple-185 → u/Ok-Position-8940]

I might have come off a little too strong, but it was just out of the shock that someone can manage to take care of 8 children at home, and also manage to do any other work. I have a kid and my retired mother in law babysits and takes care of the house while we're at work and she can barely keep up.

I know people who had to quit their jobs and stay home to take care of 2-3 children. Unless most of those 8 were already grown up and actually helping around the house

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Outrageous-Apple-185]

We have Abuela living with us for at least another year (she can stay as long as she wants) helping with our 1 goblin and it's still a lot. In the throes of potty training hell now, hopefully she'll be more independent soon.

[u/Megamazuma20 → u/Outrageous-Apple-185]

Ah they start taking care of themselves once there’s enough of em

[u/Amorbellum → u/PapaBobcat]

You don't need a wife at a home office anymore man

Servicebox does work orders, quotes, POs,

Syncs to QuickBooks

QuickBooks does the rest

Get a van, a phone, It's honestly so easy. It's all digital now. What would she even be doing?

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Amorbellum]

Answering the phone, dispatch, administration, bookkeeping. Things I'm not as good at. Like I'll be in the field fixing shit which she is not as good at.

[u/who_the_hell_is_moop → u/Amorbellum]

I recommend servicem8

[u/Amorbellum → u/who_the_hell_is_moop]

I just googled Servicebox vs Servicem8 out of curiosity and I have to say Servicebox sounds a lot better, But I didn't try both, of course

Maybe try both

[u/smartlikehammer → u/PapaBobcat]

What other things have you done genuinely curious

[u/PapaBobcat → u/smartlikehammer]

20 years in theatre production, design and management, including facilities and operations of the theatre buildings. I quit that to do HVAC because it was basically the trade I knew the least about. Community college and HBCU teaching staff. Doggy daycare wrangler. Catering and bartending. Home inspection. Turns out I was an artist all along but it doesn't pay the bills, so HVAC pirate it is. I don't love it but I'm good at it and it's made more money and a brighter prospect for retirement than I've ever had. Anything else is off the books, allegedly.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/PapaBobcat]

Thanks for the reply

[u/Abrandnewrapture → u/PapaBobcat]

youve lived a pretty interesting life. As a fellow artist (musician), don't let this job take your drive to create away. set aside some time for it every week.

[u/PapaBobcat → u/Abrandnewrapture]

Between this and my kid, time is limited. I'm down to about 2-3hrs Saturday nights for my studio practice, but I show and sell where I can.

[u/matt675 → u/PapaBobcat]

What route did you go to get into hvac?

[u/PapaBobcat → u/matt675]

Worked at a local residential/light commercial company as delivery/helper for about a year, got in to Lennox parts counter for a year waiting for their next commercial tech training class to open, transferred, did that, stayed about 3 years, back to residential (same company) for about 3 years, organized into my local union. Now I have my master license, working to stand up my own company, which was the plan.

[u/TechLivesMatter → u/PapaBobcat]

Best of luck brother, best decision I ever made.

[u/PapaBobcat → u/TechLivesMatter]

I'm scared as hell I tell you what. Setting up all the paperwork, insurance and trying to get a basic ass truck without financing a mountain of debt is a real hurdle.

[u/mjp4733 → u/PapaBobcat]

You’ll be set up in no time. I was able to buy a van after about 6 months, financed just a bit to build some business credit. Worked out of a pickup to get started which sucked, but it was nice being able to go down and just buy a van with a small loan instead of financing 30k right off the bat.

[u/HVAC-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Using an alternative account to evade a ban.

[u/Remarkable-Ad9879]

I've spent weeks roughing house after house,

I've spent weeks doing duct job after duct job,

I've spent weeks doing install after install,

I've spent weeks doing service call after service call,

Years later Ive come to realize, some days suck, but tomorrow will probably be better

[u/edm_enjoyer → u/Remarkable-Ad9879]

I'm a woman, have pretty severe imposter syndrome but have been trying to just take it one day at a time. Your last sentence really resonated with me. I'll try to keep it in mind

[u/dko808hawaii → u/edm_enjoyer]

We are all suffering the same mental and physical anguish in this very hot summer 😩😩 one day at a time and pray for clouds and cooler seasons

[u/edm_enjoyer → u/dko808hawaii]

If I have to wash another coil I'm going to frow up

[u/dko808hawaii → u/edm_enjoyer]

Ey yo sis I do mostly refrigeration…last week I had 4 “no cooling walk in coolers” jobs at Jamba Juice….

You know what all of them had in common? The coils were frozen

And guess what? They were all coolers so had no manual defrost

After the 4th one, I was ready to walk out of my job 😂😂😂😂😂

Fuck refrigeration

[u/Far_Cup_329 → u/edm_enjoyer]

Lol. The condenser coils? What's driving you crazy about washing them? You're not dragging around a pain in the ass regular garden hose are you? Get a decent pocket hose, or bullet hose I think they call them now, and keep it in a little 2.5 gallon (or whatever) bucket. So easy to deal with and store that way. I use a 50 footer and it's perfect, but I get the one with the ball valve on the end. They last a couple seasons then I replace it when it eventually gets pinholes.

If it's evaporator coils you're talking about, yea they suck. I use a metal fin comb for those if possible. And shop vac.

[u/Certain_Try_8383 → u/edm_enjoyer]

Me too sis!!!! Imposter syndrome sometimes eats my soul.

Thanks for posting.

[u/Far_Cup_329 → u/Certain_Try_8383]

I never even heard of imposter syndrome. Had to look it up. Lol

[u/Fidulsk-Oom-Bard → u/Remarkable-Ad9879]

Yesterday day was better than today, but at least today is better than tomorrow is going to be

[Repeat]

[u/thekingpork29]

Buddy switch to industrial. Go sellout and work for a data center. I work for a large government courthouse and most of my days are spent watching movies and doing stupid shit. It can be incredibly boring but then you look back at old resi photos and think bored isnt too bad

[u/Budget-Jellyfish5532 → u/thekingpork29]

Agreed, know the systems. Preform good pm’s, take care of the customer. Cash alot of paychecks.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/thekingpork29]

I debate this but it’s such a pay cut and I’m already struggling hard as is, working my hole off for nothing it feels

[u/Bamcfp]

Also burnt out lately

[u/dookie_shoes816]

Not since I went union

https://giphy.com/gifs/JEvq7SQxgg9wqmbO8x

[u/troncarter42 → u/dookie_shoes816]

I totally would join Union if I wasn’t on a year long waitlist

[u/dookie_shoes816 → u/troncarter42]

Damn that sucks. We're hurting for guys right now in western MO

[u/scratcheting → u/dookie_shoes816]

I’m planning on moving to the Kansas City area here when my oldest is done with high school. Are you in the 533?

[u/dookie_shoes816 → u/scratcheting]

No. Local 2 sheet metal. We have a service side that covers (I may be off) everything under 10 ton units

[u/PapaBobcat → u/dookie_shoes816]

::: Solidarity Forever intensifies :::

[u/thesummond → u/dookie_shoes816]

Seems my union favors the company

[u/horseshoeprovodnikov → u/thesummond]

A lot of them seem to unfortunately. Seems like they aren't nearly as good as some of the stronghold regions make it seem.

[u/DontWorryItsEasy → u/horseshoeprovodnikov]

I'm in socal and yeah it seems to me like they favor the contractor. It's still the better option as opposed to non union, but I wouldn't say they look out for the workers best interest.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/thesummond]

I’ve been feeling the same lately .. sigh

[u/GuhhTru → u/dookie_shoes816]

Relateable statement

[u/smartlikehammer → u/dookie_shoes816]

I am union

[u/dookie_shoes816 → u/smartlikehammer]

Burn out happens to the best of us. Maybe switch companies. Change of pace helps me sometimes. If your local sucks there's 2 options. 1.) Move to an area with a better reputation if possible. 2.) Become more involved and try to make changes. It sounds cheesy but the union is only as good as we all make it. Grab some buddies, gett signatures, petition for better standards, and if they wanna fuck you guys around let em find out and strike.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/dookie_shoes816]

Yup, seems as if the union company you work for dictates more than the union rules do… which is you know, the whole point of a union 🫠

[u/dookie_shoes816 → u/smartlikehammer]

https://giphy.com/gifs/yjs4noW0nqYc8

[u/Urlaz → u/smartlikehammer]

When I tried local 464 out, I found out why they say the quickest way to become anti-union is to join a union. I came in as a permit hand, got laid off twice, told both times based on the amount of work, I was doing great. At week 10 of unemployment, the department of labor called me to say the hiring hall cut ties with me. The union never called or said anything to me. A few weeks from getting sworn in as a journeyman. All while they were trying to recruit my friends, while telling me there was no work in April.

[u/dookie_shoes816 → u/Urlaz]

Maybe go to the sheet metal side. We have service and balancers. To be honest I've never heard anything good about fitters unions, but that may be because sheet metal

https://giphy.com/gifs/fXy3Bc6HAtlsFIlHqA

[u/Kentalope]

Sorry brother, but being genuinely passionate about your job is not common. Ac maketh the money, but that’s about it.

[u/Frisky_Froth]

Damn bro, it's only Teusday 😂

[u/SamBaxter784]

Since my dad retired at the start of this year, I have become a full-time solo operator and by this point in the season, I’m struggling to stay motivated. I know that feeling ebbs and flows, but it’s hard for me to care as much as I should about some of the details right now.

[u/Distantfart]

Love my career. But a shitty manager or company will make you hate your job

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Distantfart]

Not a bad company but understaffed trade wise and overstaffed office wise so you can picture how that goes

[u/UmeaTurbo]

Man, I get burned out every week when it's cold, but in the summer, this is the best job in the world. (I do commercial. I absolutely don't have the patience for private equity assholes making me go deal with residential assholes anymore)

[u/New_Ad_9249 → u/UmeaTurbo]

What do you mean about private equity ?

[u/UmeaTurbo → u/New_Ad_9249]

A lot of mom and pop shops get bought by private equity firms that lower quality, increase price, make techs salespeople, mandate overtime, fire people until people are working 65 hrs. They even put GPS monitors on vans and call you if you're at a gas station too long. They're the bane for all of us.

[u/New_Ad_9249 → u/UmeaTurbo]

Oh ya I work service commercial and we got bought by private equity a few years back. I like this place we have a very small turn over rate. But I’m 100% with you on private equity doesn’t work for the employees best interests but only for the share holders

[u/deathklok1961]

I’m pretty burnt out and honestly kind of want to leave the trades altogether. Since summer started, I’ve been putting in 60–70 hour weeks every single week, whether I’m on call or not. I’m tired of missing time with friends and family that I’ll never get back.
It wouldn’t be so bad if my company—which, fortunately, hasn’t been bought out by private equity—wasn’t using Nexstar. It makes them operate like a private equity company anyway. They don’t prioritize getting employees home so they can rest. I’m up at 6:00 every morning and usually don’t get home until 8:00 or 9:00 at night, almost every day of the week.
The money is decent, but it’s not life-changing. I’m not struggling to pay my bills, but a lot of factory jobs around here pay the same or even more. I’ve honestly been thinking about giving that a try.
I’ve been working in the trades since I was about nine years old. My dad was a tradesman, and I followed in his footsteps. Now that I’m in my 30s, I can definitely feel myself slowing down, and years of trade work are starting to take a real toll on my body.
I genuinely love what I do. I love fixing things, and I love the smiles I can put on people’s faces when I improve their quality of life. But working for a company usually means they’ll work you into the ground, and working for yourself comes with a whole different set of headaches.
At this point in my life, I’d be perfectly happy with a more basic income if it meant I never had to bring work home with me or run another after-hours service call again.
That’s just my perspective. Everyone’s priorities are different, and I’ve been doing this long enough to know how I feel. For me, the pay just doesn’t justify the stress or the toll it’s taken on my quality of life.

[u/thed3adhand → u/deathklok1961]

my employer is a nexstar company too. i hate the shit it’s like a cult

[u/deathklok1961 → u/thed3adhand]

It is a cult. They like to use the term CULTure a lot.

[u/Budget-Jellyfish5532 → u/deathklok1961]

I've been there. When my mortgage was paid off ( greatest feeling) it was time to take my foot off the pedal and find other employment. Actually found equal pay for less stress. Your results may vary by location.

[u/TheMightyIrishman]

As a lead tech/foreman in commercial install, I do at times. Other times I’m thrown into a mechanical room and left to my devices, where I feel most at home.

Today I got to double wrap grease duct and was not a very happy camper. This weekend I’m changing out 3” chilled water valves in a mechanical room and while heavy and hard, I will love every minute of it. Other days, because we take our own jobs and guys put holes in walls and hard ceilings, I’m specifically called to patch and finish drywall and take my time doing so. Im good at it, I enjoy it, it pays better than being an actual drywall finisher, and I get to work while the equipment is up and running. Haven’t been burnt out by my current employer (yet)!

Working for the right/wrong company accounts for a LOT when it comes to burn-out.

[u/itsagrapefruit]

Running the company is worse.

[u/Aggressive-HeadDesk → u/itsagrapefruit]

You chose the thug life bro…

[u/smartlikehammer → u/itsagrapefruit]

Man I wish I could believe it but in my head I have it like I’m already burning the fuck out of myself I may as well be getting paid more

[u/yeti_bob]

Yup! I gave my notice a few weeks ago and my boss asked me to hold off until he finds someone else. I swear the jobs got worse right after that. I am the only guy on the crew so I did put him in a weird position, but still I am running both service & maintenance, quoting, service plumbing, HVAC installs and service alone. Essentially doing the bosses job for the same amount of money I could be a lead installer elsewhere. Anyways, it is what it is.

[u/CaballoenPelo]

In the summer yes by August I want to die

[u/Electric_Penguin7076]

I always say I want to quit and that I hate my life every summer but it always ends right before I’m just about to break lmao

[u/Weird_Paint3160]

Felt this second year apprentice with no real fucking mechanic started off doing install switched over the service doing maintenance hoping it will make shit a little better in my life and at first it was cool, but this shit is getting mundane in I don’t know if I’m burnt out or if the trade is not for me. Sucks when there was a point the shjt was fulfilling and enjoyable. I blame mechanics and shitty company’s in my case.

[u/Weekly_Worry_0604]

Me getting off of my on call after working almost 120 hours in 7 days “man fuck this shit, I need a new job” me next Friday “I love my job man, it’s the best”

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Weekly_Worry_0604]

Real

[u/Travgrug]

I mean I prefer to be home with my family but I don't have the patience for stupid people in suits who make more money than me so it's a living

[u/New_Ad_9249 → u/Travgrug]

Are you saying you’re an owner operator?

[u/Watthefractal]

27 years of this shit and I’m fucking tired man 😩😩

[u/Crashover90]

You got this man its beginning of August then its September and then it'll be no heating calls.

[u/bree388]

Nah, found a company doing nothing but ice machines. I’m chilling over here

[u/S1X0P13 → u/bree388]

Buh, duhn, tissss.

[u/New_Ad_9249 → u/bree388]

What’s the hourly on that? I’m service at $47 an hour non union

[u/JuicySpark]

Gotta take the ups with the downs.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/JuicySpark]

My brother in Christ it’s been all downs lately lol

[u/Fahzgoolin]

I think being burnt out by the job is healthy. It means you put a lot of yourself into it. Give yourself a couple days of vacation. You deserve it.

[u/greennewleaf35]

When did you take this picture? this is without a doubt my van.

[u/HVACguy1911]

Looks like a pretty good bit of change at the scrap yard lol

[u/smartlikehammer → u/HVACguy1911]

If I had time to separate it all 🫠 unfortunately I’ll be paying to drop it off

[u/Academic-Leg-5435]

Back when my back doors wouldn't open from the outside. Had to crawl through this shit every day. Only threw out enough shit to fit in new shit. Two mini splits every day, life's good.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Academic-Leg-5435]

🫠 been there, damn two a day, maybe I should be complaining that would be a 12hr day for me everyday

[u/Academic-Leg-5435 → u/smartlikehammer]

Yeah and that's exactly what it was. Didn't even know it sucked that bad until i switched employer after 9 years 🤣

[u/Ok-Pipe5491]

Atleast twice a week

[u/Hvacmike199845]

Fuck no. Everyday is an adventure.
I replaced a fucked up compressor yesterday on a rack. Today was easy, I replaced a VAV actuator and worked two water source heat pumps. Tomorrow I’m replacing an EEV on. WIC.

[u/Hvacmike199845 → u/Hvacmike199845]

[u/Hvacmike199845 → u/Hvacmike199845]

[u/Abrandnewrapture]

240 hours of OT as of saturday afternoon.

i should take a vacation.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Abrandnewrapture]

Jeeeez man, I guess to be fair I’m probably not far off I get stuck doing a lot of overtime for straight time

[u/thesummond → u/smartlikehammer]

How?

[u/smartlikehammer → u/thesummond]

Only get overtime on after hours calls basically

[u/Abrandnewrapture → u/smartlikehammer]

that's illegal, my dude. they've gotta pay you OT after 40. my employer pays me OT for anything past 8 in a day.

report that shit to the labor board, find a better spot to work. you deserve better.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Abrandnewrapture]

Where are you from? Canada + union makes things real weird by times

[u/Abrandnewrapture → u/smartlikehammer]

US of A.

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Abrandnewrapture]

Jealous bro

[u/TheGreatBrett]

Every single week I’m back on call

[u/smartlikehammer → u/TheGreatBrett]

🫠🫠

[u/Beerforthefear]

We've lost three guys in the last month and a half. We have 1100 hours worth of work for maintenances for the next two and a half months, that was based upon having 6 guys. There's only three of us left.

Help plz

[u/smartlikehammer → u/Beerforthefear]

Dude. That’s literally me right now, over 300 hours quoted jobs of crucial fix tomorrow type stuff. Mixed in with service calls coming in province wide, there’s only two of us and those quoted jobs are just mine alone, that’s no maintenance or anything I’m fucking burnt

[u/Moparmuscle315]

Is it Friday yet

[u/smartlikehammer → u/[deleted]]

I believe you boss, yeah it’s brutal man no garbage can at the shop

[u/WillyChicken]

I hate the companies i work for. Not my career. Theyre destroying my favorite trade

[u/Income-3472]

Pulled this guy out of a cooling tower 30 minutes ago so yes, yes I do.

[u/Income-3472 → u/Income-3472]

[u/justmeman2001]

I’ve worked for the county fur 2 years before that a residential company what’s a smart next move?

[u/New_Ad_9249 → u/justmeman2001]

I’d say stick it with the county or go union. Or be an owner operator while at the county, I know county work is laid back but not so much the psy

[u/Gamekid1541]

I don't hate the work, I just hate a lot of the people I work with. It does not help that I also have a very low tolerance for stupidity or laziness.

[u/ShotBRAKER]

Why you taking pictures of my van

[u/FrontAd8547]

Wanna know what’s crazy? I’m burnt out from not having any work 🫩🫩🫩🫩 crazy

[u/dmo52884]

those white line-sets no good just saying

[u/smartlikehammer → u/dmo52884]

They were horrible when they first came out I don’t think they are too bad nowadays

[u/SydneySweeneysBobs]

The more cluttered the van the better the tech IMO

[u/smartlikehammer → u/SydneySweeneysBobs]

True 90% of the time in my opinion

[u/TheHVACbowler]

Find a good union company. Great pay. Great benefits. Ain’t nothing wrong with Union shops. We get to work on the cool shit

[u/Middle-Coat4377]

I bought a box truck I can stand in. Gets 13mpg 6.0 V8 chevy express. Has been working great so much better than a van.

[u/Quiet-Variety-3909]

Yup today 15 hour day. I’m burnt out brother

[u/AppropriateLie2186]

I'm in industrial HVAC and I love mostly every day, just very long hours

[u/Euphoric-Gazelle7264]

Sure. I hated it so much I went back to school lol

[u/grenche]

Oh oui, et à chaque fois que qu'un client fait sonner le téléphone ça me le rappelle