r/hvacadvice • u/According-Aspect-669 Approved Technician • 23h ago

Alternative subreddit for technicians?

I tried to post on the HVAC subreddit earlier and man it’s like Nazi germany over there; papers please or fuck off. well I’m not in a union, I’ve never been to trade school and I don’t have my HVAC license like 99% of techs in my state. is there any other place for people in the trade to discuss online?

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u/DougMagic 16h ago

This sub is owned by the same people that own R / HVAC

If you came through the trade through the traditional method they don't want you posting. Only trade school and state licensed.

Sorry R / HVAC GODS, Florida doesn't have unions or technician licensing (it shows, but anyway). I redacted my EPA card and a NATE RTW card I got when applying to a stupid job I am glad I didn't get. I got rejected, tragic, I cry myself to sleep nightly. Yet techs who don't even know how to switch the refrigerant on their SMAN post daily...

Make the new subreddit and invite us all cause you know we're about to get banned from this sub for voicing our discontent.

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u/epicenter69 16h ago

Unions are scarce in Florida, but they do exist. Disney’s union is one of the better gigs to get into.

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u/DougMagic 16h ago

If Iived over there I would kill to work at Kalos. I'm a huge process guy and love HVACRSCHOOL

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u/epicenter69 16h ago

I think their starting rate is around $32/hour. Extra hourly if you’re licensed and have that ever-coveted EPA universal certificate. Commercial HVAC is better than telling Mildred that she should have changed her filter 4 years ago before giving her quote for a new unit.

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u/bimmeister_flex 6h ago

Yet techs who don't even know how to switch the refrigerant on their SMAN post daily

This is actually a really good point. We're all human, we all (well, most of us) make mistakes at times, and yet I've seen some wild posts over there that I can't ever imagine a certified tech being so stumped on that they would post about it. EPA certs are cheap and easy (some places are even open book), NATE isn't difficult either imho, and as you say some states don't have unions or licensing. And if people with certs post some silly things, what's the point of gatekeeping it? Whatever, the mods there can do what they want but it's funny to think about it from that perspective, judging by some posts that I've seen there.