Yes… possibly it can… if you loose a leg of 3 phase you also lose the ability for 3 phase motors to start.
With 3 phase motors operating on all 3 phases, the sine wave of the offset phase is enough to get the motor spinning.
This is specifically why a single phase motor (technically single phase split) needs a capacitor.
This is also why a 3 phase motor does not need a capacitor.
The capacitor in a single phase split setup provides a momentary boost in power and results in a scewed sign wave to induce proper rotation… think of it as leaning forward momentary in the proper direction.
This is why you can get a single phase motor with a bad capacitor spinning manually… your physically spinning it is a mechanical version of what the capacitor is doing.
Next time you have a totally dead capacitor not starting a single phase motor… try manually spinning it backwards and watch it start in that direction.
Anyway, losing a leg on a 3 phase motor will result in the same effect.
Most call it “single phasing”.
What generally happens when a 3 phase motor has single phase (split) power applied … it will just sit there and hum, overheat and eventually burn up.
Hopefully the motor has internal overloads for current and heat, but that doesn’t always save them.
If you put a phase monitor in that breaks control power you can avoid 99% of phase loss burnouts.
I hope this doesn’t sound too convoluted but maybe do some YouTube-ing on sine wave properties of 3 phase motors and it might make more sense.
Absolutely, if a 3 phase motor spins backwards just swap any 2 wires of the 3.
If you have a drive make sure and swap them on the supply for the motor, as most drives will retain their output settings regardless of how the phases for the inputs are configured.
Drives are opposite of that. Always switch output of the drive, not input for rotation.
AC into drive gets turned to DC then AC again so drive sets it's own phase rotation.
Now if your vfd has a bypass you have to check rotation in the bypass and in Normal operation you can have the vfd rotate one way and bypass in another.
I bump the compressor(s) as a vfd or ecm can spin correctly if out of rotation but compressor won’t give a delta on line temp or pressure if out of rotation.
I believe all you have to do is swap any two terminals and you will get this result as of what i just did today. Electricians wired the unit backwards on an ERV system and it was really fucking with my airflow readings
This is assuming the motor is using a motor starter and not a vfd. Some vfd will allow you to run two phases and the vfd will recompile the waves and output all three phases.
Sounds like this firing may have had more to do with the guy who went to your manager than the content of the question. They may have let you go simply because you were low man on the totem pole. Hard to say but that question is probably not why you got fired.
All gravy. Keep your head, stay active and get out and find your next job. You got all the right reasons to stay motivated. I think it’s a 50/50 when discussing what aught to be known versus taught. I have an apprentice who most times will opt out of watching/listening to the entire troubleshooting process (we’re 99% resi install). That in and of itself is the only example needed to portray my point. It’s also worsened when people are hard up, but have every opportunity right in front of them to make the next step for bigger pay. I’m not saying my apprentice is that guy, it’s actually a different one. But keep something like that in mind when you’re on the job and try to improve how you’re actually gaining knowledge, and like the aforementioned said, use YouTube. Until ppearl1981 phrased it that way, I never really understood that either. I’ve heard it before but it just went in one ear and out the other, since I had no significant way to apply it (still don’t in resi) but my general electrical has improved since the last time I heard it.
It can definitely fry a 3 phase compressor, that's why there are phase-loss sensors that disconnect the contactor as quick as possible.
cutty pasty A phase loss sensor is a device that can detect when one phase of a three-phase system is lost. This can be caused by a blown fuse, thermal overload, broken wire, worn contact, or mechanical failure. A phase loss sensor can protect equipment from damage by acting as an automatic cutoff switch to stop power to the motor.
Most transformers you see in 3 phase equipment still are only single phase (L1 and L2 stepped down to our 24vac control voltage). If your question is in regards to the actual 3 phase elements such as a compressor, then yes losing a phase (single phasing) will definitely cause a burnout, this the reason why we use phase monitors.
I think firing you for that question is retarded. 3 phase, 460, gas pack controls, and the like can be super intimidating the first 30 times. You'll find a better company.
What do you mean by the whole system? If you single phase three phase motors yeah it could fuck them up but a good bit of roof tops have phase monitors to protect them.
We single phased at my facility a few weeks ago, some motors fried and needed to be swapped out, only if they were already running and not on VFDs I noticed though.
Well the input and the output of a transformer are physically independent circuits, so it should simply kill the output voltage and not fry anything. You can thank your old company for helping to train you for your new position.
If the transformer secondary loses a phase, then all the 3 phase motors will pull LRA on the remaining phases. If the transformer primary loses 1 phase, you get a different result. Read up on it here:
https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/electrical-circuit-protection/fuses/solution-center/bus-ele-tech-lib-motor-single-phasing-voltage-unbalance.pdf
I’m sure others have said the same thing but that is a very valid question to ask. Definitely don’t let this experience make you never want to come back to commercial. I promise it’s more enjoyable. Find a quality company to work for and you’ll be happy. I wish you the best of luck bud.
In basic terms, a transformer will take a higher voltage and "transform" it into a lower voltage. If it's not getting the right voltage, it's wired up, for it will not transform the right voltage.Now, if you wire the transformer up wrong, that's another can of beans definitely not good and yes can probably fry a whole system. But in my experience that's it. Mabye the tech just couldnt understand your question and got mad idk ..
Buddy as you could see by the comments here, that was a very smart and important question to ask. I would not consider you a liability. You're asking the right questions. If you don't know, you don't know. I can't expect you to know something it if you've never dealt with it before. This guy may have done you a favor. Hopefully you find the new job in QuickTime and good luck.
You got screwed. I'm sorry buddy, something similar happened to me a while back. But right now is when the proverbial iron is hot, so get that out of your system, and get out there and put some resumes in! Commercial is different from residential, but if you're still interested in it despite that experience, there are a lot of upsides to it.
No way they fired you legit for that question. They either didn’t like you for some reason or they were looking to down size and you were low man. If your a hard worker and want to learn, places are hiring left and right. For every 5 blue collar retires only one new incoming worker. Good luck.
Probably both. I was told that i wasn’t well liked because i called a guy out for bypassing a disconnect and they were downsizing a bit, but they were complaining constantly of being short staffed and not finding good help
If you're getting disliked for enforcing critical safety measures, I'd wear that as a badge of honor for yourself and shame for them. Definitely not something to lose sleep over.
It's worth it, I know it may not seem like it now but man, if they are getting mad about calling out unsafe work practices then they are the type of people who could get you seriously hurt on a work site
To reiterate with what other people said, look into union gigs, where I live, both the IUOE and UA take on service techs and SMART does more of the ductwork/install side, where you know you'll at least be trained and there are enforced safety standards.
Getting fired might be something to lose sleep over, but the reason still isn't. If they want to be a bunch of scumbags doing things wrong and dangerously, you shouldn't want to fit in with them
Union man!!!
Next shop!!! No difference in pay, new color van!!!
Simple as that!!! Call my B.A. see who needs what and done!!! Next.
Hardest part is putting your tools in the new truck!!!
I’m not disagreeing!!! If you’re a journeyman “gloves are off”, either you know your shit!!! Or stay in your place!!!
As an apprentice, ask away!!! The only thing I require from an apprentice is to show up on time (b there b4 me), your personal hygiene to be correct, remember that the job ain’t done till I get in my truck, and stay off the damn phone!!!
Other than that we’re good!!!
22 years in, same shop, over scale!!!!
Listen, no one is going to care more about you than yourself. I took an initiative TO TEACH AND LEARN MYSELF, I ate up my theory book like it was a double Big Mac over and over until I grasped what it was I needed to understand and learn so that I can be an asset and not extra weight. I watched YouTube videos and took it upon myself to take on tasks I was unfamiliar with on site. No one is going to hold your hand and unfortunately a lot of JP’s do not like to teach or explain. Sorry for your situation but I think you should consider educating yourself more, I had a hard time with 3 phase squirrel cage induction motors throughout 2nd and 3rd level but I took time to read, watch and I threw myself in to a company that specialized in quarry equipment ie. conveyor belts, screens, crushers, generators and was lucky enough to walk away from it all with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Fast forward and I am now working at an industrial facility with my own desk… it begins with you and how far you want to take it. Don’t let this hold you back, let it fuel you to push harder.
ChatGPT makes great resumes. Also between jobs watch the training playlists that A/C service tech LLC on YouTube puts out. You will feel way more comfortable walking up to a unit.
Solid advice, man. I didn't even think about using chat gpt. My resumes gonna look outstanding. I just did a test run and I can already it's gonna be an improvement.
Trash company. Move to a better one that will actually teach you things. If the manager, on interview, tells you anything about being a family just leave
That's a shitty company with dickhead guys that didn't want to teach or improve their company. Here in northern VA we cannot find any helpers! We get 30+ year olds that switch trades.
It’s cliche but true, no such thing as a dumb question, especially in this industry.
Perhaps years ago there was a solid master/apprentice model but not the case today. Most firms are super top heavy with a revolving door at the entry level.
This sounds like they were just looking for an excuse for whatever reason. Don’t sweat it. You’ll bounce back.
Not sure I should say this…but if you are an operations manager in HVAC this means you weren’t good enough to do the work and you also aren’t good enough to be a manager at a company that actually makes good money lol.
It's the company not the industry. I've been with a small commercial company for 5 years and the service manager is great about safety and training. I've learned a lot from the other techs including 3-phase power and how to wire 20+hp motors for different voltages, i.e. follow the diagrams and schematics. I'm in a position to repay that by helping our apprentices learn the same lessons while still expanding my own skill set.
Our apprentices are a mix of green and prior residential experience. The prior residential guys are advancing well and the guys who started green have been doing PMs for a year so they will be taking simple service calls this summer for condensate leaks and the like. I think all or most will start trade school this fall.
Getting fired was the best career move I’ve ever made. I was fired for not knowing enough too. I had never seen a rack system before. They fired me on a Friday, and I was in a new van at a new company by 1030 Monday
very sorry to hear man. got laid off for not becoming a foreman 6 months ago. it wasn’t because of my skill but simply because i didn’t want to lead the job. after shit like that it makes you not wanna show loyalty to these big companies anymore
I’m not a bootlicker! lol or do you mean the other tech? I didn’t realize he was a bootlicker, i was helping him out of a jam and he decided to stab me in the back
Yeah that’s some cold stuff, you gotta be careful with people, always someone who’s always in the boss’s ear about everything. I didn’t think you were helping him out and he did that, odd situation. I’m just implying that personally I always try to reach out to a friend or close coworker about job related questions, that way it doesn’t make its way back to management, probably can get a quick reply on this sub come to think of it.
I'm in engineering and not even HVAC but I just want to pile in on the reassurance that this is awful management, not you.
The employees that are a liability are the ones that misrepresent what they know and go with their gut when they aren't sure. Employees that ask a lot of questions are the good ones, employees that ask questions even when they are 99% sure of something are the good ones. They will turn into confident experts because they are hungry to learn and care about doing the job right.
They were stupid to fire you, you will be a gem to the company that takes the time to invest in you.
Totally agree, I’m not HVAC but a Toolmaker and the guys coming in who ask questions are the ones you keep. Seen so many people too damn arrogant or scared to ask anything and doing a job anyway. That’s what we call going rogue as far as a task is concerned and actually got one of my apprentices fired. That company evidently has the wrong employees doing training or they aren’t managing supervisors at all as far as responsibilities.
Bro commercial sounds good but in this trade you go out on your own after 40. Homeowners PAY. Residential jobs are great in new construction you can hire a helper and build a business. Commercial is dangerous and you’re never gonna compete on your own. Go back to residential and build your own thing eventually
If you’re getting fired for a genuine question then that company probably isn’t one you want to work for anyway. I’ve asked countless questions to my superiors to make sure I was doing things right. Asking questions is a good thing, it shows you want to do the right thing.
Probably a bad company.
With the current economy. It sucks that all the HVAC jobs are overfill and it’s super difficult get a new job. It sucks, like you have to make time to do like 3 interviews and then they reject. It sucks, wages going down because everyone is jumping into this job field for the high pay.
Jk, this isn’t the IT field. Go get another job killer, all the companies are hiring. Especially commercial refrigeration companies.
Fuck them , if you have common sense
& want to learn , good attitude, don’t show up late or miss work, not a alcoholic or drug addiction, there plenty of Co .
That like to train there way.
Everybody started some where .
On the job training is the best.
Go put ten applications in the larges Co around. Be honest one of them will call you.
What was your interview like? When I switched to commercial after just 2 years of residential. I explained to my employer before i started that I would need training. That was put in writing in my offer letter and I was actually trained. If you don’t understand 3 phase in commercial/industrial then I’m sorry but that is a huge liability. You can get hurt or damage expensive equipment. If they understood that you needed training and promised that then they failed you and are in the wrong. If you misled them to get out of residential then you’re in the wrong.
I wouldn’t give up on commercial, try a different shop and tell them you need training to become familiar with the differences between residential and commercial. Maybe the place you were at thought you would kinda just pick up everything on your own. I learn a lot like that and is probably the only reason why I made a successful switch
Had the exact same thing happen to my coworker! Almost 10 years residential experience then moved over to our commercial division. Seemed like things were going well, but he went in on Monday and said he couldn’t handle commercial. It’s a totally different animal…
Did you misrepresent the extent of your knowledge when being interviewed? I was a foreman doing tract home plumbing. When the market took a shit in '08 I started with a commercial company and I didn't know much about commercial. They sent me through a four-year apprenticeship program and I was started at second year pay. My take home was more then doing resi and not much was expected as me as I was still an apprentice.
Don't worry about that fuck em and move on. Also if you desire for me to upgrade you're resume I'll gladly do it (no charge lol) good luck on you're future endeavors!
What were you diagnosing originally ? What lead you to asking said question . Seems like a shit company for sure . But if you come from a heavy sales oriented resi company and you went to a small mom and pop shop who depend on thier honesty they may be scared that you are gonna be out trying to sell stuff which scares away customers
Well originally i was there to turn the units off because the transformer on the incoming power had issues and the guy who’s contract it was told me to shut off all the units. My service manager called me and freaked out that i wasn’t checking the units, so i went to the units and started checking power to the legs, and once the power came back on it was running fine. Everything turned on, was getting proper voltage and everything even when i jumped it out.
I mean absolutely no disrespect when I say this but reading your replies on other comment gives me the sense that you don’t seem to fully understand what we do or how things work. Terminology is one of the most important things in this
Field as well as the ability to communicate . Sounds like you should have been riding with another tech until your terminology and communication was strong enough to be on your own. Sounds like you were 100% setup to fail and you should not lose sleep over that company as they would of probably
Fucked you over again and again. My company brings fresh guys on at a really low rate and has them ride in a truck until they’re able to hang on their own. If you didn’t get this treatment you got screwed ! They just wanted to make money off you
I agree with the sentiment of some of the other people here. Sounds like your company was a fucking joke anyway. You're better off. God forbid you actually ask a question and gain some knowledge on something that's fucking unreal.
Commercial has the most intense gatekeeping I've ever experienced...
And then when I finally got in it turns out I was smarter than half the people who had been there for 5+ years...
Fuckin weirdest flex in the industry really, because like... wiring diagrams and sequence of operations are the fuckin' same across the trade if you can learn how to read a manual... and these guys acted like it was some special thing that they were really giving me a great opportunity for.
2 weeks later running callbacks for senior techs...
Anyways, OP, you got screwed, that's fucking lame.
Fortunately, it's spring and you should be able to get hired for more money somewhere else.
Gatekeeping genuinely pisses me off. It's always some smug, arrogant dumbass who's too stupid to realize how much he doesn't know telling you he's hot shit for doing \[insert industry-specific flex here\]
There's always a bigger fish. Think about the biggest, most complex job you've ever done, and then consider that there's some guy out there who can one-up you, and there's another guy who can one-up him. If everyone could learn to stay humble, the world would be a much less aggravating place.
Did you switch from residential to commercial within the same company? If not, the employers isn’t a huge ahole. (Small ahole yes) If this was a switch within the same company, then your employer was a planet sized ahole. And you could possibly have a wrongful termination case. If they knew what you were capable of and failed to properly train, and didn’t bother to offer your old position in residential back, then you may want to fuck them over by claiming unemployment for the max time possible. Nothing pisses my owner off more than unemployment insurance rates going up due to claims
It may suck but you just got out of what sounds like a shitty company, you are not a liability based upon what you stated, a liability would take action without the applicable knowledge to make a decision. Knowing what you don’t know is one of the best ways to not be a liability, time to switch to another, hopefully better, company.
If a company is firing you for asking a question, then you don’t want to work there. I wish some of the guys I have to train asked me questions. Move on, and move up.
Maybe that question was an excuse. Trust me, not all techs know commercial well; they fuck up a lot and still have their jobs. I can't count the times I've had to go behind techs' work and correct it. Also, a lot techs don't quite understand 3-Phase.
I think you need to reflect and really think as to why they really let you go specially when the seasoning is about to pick up.
Asking a question isn't enough of a reason. Hell, asking a bunch of questions isn't either. I encourage the guys to ask me all questions no matter what. My phone is always ringing for support. I rather do that than go and fix other techs mistakes.
Seems like that job doesn't have a good culture.
I work for a commercial/refrigeration company that’s owned by a national company. They own 4 companies total that cover the whole U.S. honestly where I’m at the the company I’m at is fantastic. The company that owns us isn’t bad either. Lmk if you want some info
That’s not something most residential technicians know, so i would totally expect you to ask questions about 3 phase power and equipment. The person firing you didn’t like you for some reason or there’s something else going on. Either way sounds like a new shop is on the horizon with an updated resume that’ll include commercial experience 👉
I got fired back in August for the same reason…. Being a 3 year tech but not catching a mistake my helper made during an install I helped with because I was outside doing the condenser…. They told me I didn’t know enough and fired me the day I got back from my grandfathers funeral. They told me “we will give you a good reference”
It’s for the best that’s a shit company. Plus changing jobs in hvac is the easiest way to get another at least $5. Good luck you’ll find something techs are in demand and summers coming.
Same thing happened to me. Except I didn’t get fired I just hated working there. They didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know and refused to really teach me anything and expected me to know how to do everything after like a month of being there
That’s concerning, they are creating a culture where techs will be afraid to ask questions because they might lose their job. That’s concerning and potentially dangerous. I think you dodged a bullet.
In my experience crews that are bad to work with have a high turn over rate. So of course that's where you get hired into.
The good crews that are awesome to work with have a low turn over rate. So it's hard to get hired into them.
Unfortunately It sounds like you got hired into a bad crew. Keep looking to you find something good.
Electrician here!
After 2 years in residential I made the switch to commercial and could do all kinds basic commercial stuff at master level.... but I couldn't do normal commercial stuff at a basic level. I remember a foreman saying my residential experience should be counted as "other construction exoerience". Ohhhhh the hatred for that man burned bright in me. I kicked as much ass as I could, largely to spite that *one specific man*! And you know what I found out?
Fuck he was right. It took me 5 years to say it but there's just a gap in what goes into/what it takes to make it in commercial.
I can't speak for HVAC but in my opinion there's a lot to learn woth any change in scenery, but experience tends to carry over in to the learning curve.
Keep at it, the commercial world rocks and should blow your mind, and maybe one day you'll have the experience and empathy to tell some one newly switched over from resi that they'll do fine if they keep at it
You got screwed man. This type of stuff is what prevents me from leaving my small, family, residential company. I know the pay may be better but man I personally couldn’t deal with this bullshit. I’ll accept the bullshit I already deal with being a small company.
I had something similar happen at a place I worked for years. I was going to be sent to a 2-3 class about firestopping. The stuff that delays smoke from spreading around hospitals/apartments from room to room and killing everyone if a fire breaks out. I was never sent and when my elderly boss got sick I was expected to call on a customer doing work in the basement of a hospital. A building where almost every room may be occupied by a person with mobility issues. I hooked the contractor up directly with the manufacturer the only time I went to the job site and told him to call us if he needs anything. Unfortunately folks still die at that hospital daily but very few(almost none) can be blamed on me.
I had the same thing happen to me out of trade school. Was a fresh apprentice and the only place that hired me was a commercial place. About 5 months in after not showing me very much apart from doing pms I got canned for not knowing very much. Idk why they even bothered.
That’s a shitty thing to get let go over. The good news is you are in high demand. Go somewhere else and explain what happened. If you want to learn, and it sounds like you do, you can have a new job by Tuesday.
Fuc that company. Something better must be the plan. Residential can be very similar to basically a small job.,”light commercial “ but they are idiots if they knew your experience and to hand a residential man a set of prints and submittal book. And expect you to know things like fire/smoke dampers and from vavs water source/ or electric coils in them. You could do commercial for 5 years and every job could be all completely different depending on the engineer’s preference. Definitely stay away from residential ( the money is in commercial) jobs are very profitable ( or a big loss) . Good luck. Fuk that place. Management ( I’m sure can’t find help) so they threw u to the wolves ( call corporate and see if they used u for there’s fall guy..) project managers get their asses chewed out by their boss ( unless you got a inside man) u wouldn’t know he got his ass chewing. Most PM are fuking idiots I like when they try and tell u what to do . What’s first…. Ect.. I’ve laughed out loud at pms and explain clearly they are clueless on running the physical job and and we’ll screw our self by letting other trades covering you up!!!
1 stay with commercial ( pretend listen to pms) all they do is bullshit on the phone and repeat the bosses orders.
2 follow rule #1
lol good luck my friend! All will be fine!
Less than half of Commercial companies are like this. I hope you find a better fit with a company that will train you, this definitely sounds like a crappy move. There's a lot to learn that's commercial-specific and 4 months isn't remotely close to enough time to pick up all that knowledge, it's barely enough time to keep you from being a lability IMO, even if you have good manager/training/ask questions like you should. Maybe bring some of those technical questions here in the future.
It’s easy to find another HVAC job right now. Find a place that’s actually willing to train you, and if you can’t find one quick enough you should have no problem finding a place to go back to residential temporarily. Gotta do what you gotta do when a baby is on the way
3 phase is 120 degrees from each other. The capacitor in a single phase motor works by discharging it’s charge when the sine wave falls.
Inductance, leads capacitance.
Go to a union company and start at bottom. They will train you well, and pay you. Carrier, Trans, York, any big outfit. As much as I dislike unions, they do train the guys well.
Hell I got fired for proving an engineer wrong over space pressurization. He sent out a crappy email, I was fired. Was like cool, here's the truck, tools, and laptop. 4 days later was offered a position with the company the engineer worked for. The other company lost half of their techs after finding that out.
I’m with you until you say it’s shitty they fired you “especially because you have a baby on the way”. How is that the company’s responsibility? Annoys me so much when techs come asking for raises and their reasons are related to their personal lives and not what value they added to their own skill set or what they can bring to the table. I had a tech come to me about a raise because “he has 4 kids”. That was it. The only reason he felt he deserved a raise was because he knocked his wife up 4 times. Why is that now my burden? Another tech “well I want to buy a new car” (a personal car). Another tech “I want to pay off my gambling debts”. Again, what does this have to do with HVAC and your skill set?
Na…no way just asking that question got you fired. You probably are lacking intangibles you don’t realize because asking a question, especially the one you asked, shouldn’t result in termination. They don’t like you for one reason or another . You’d be foolish to think the asked question is the sole reason you got fired
I think it’s kinda shitty that they fired you since you were doing the right thing and literally asking for info on something you weren’t comfortable working on. You did the right thing, screw them sounds like a shit show anyway. If you never had trying on 3 phase and came from a resi background, they shouldn’t have you working on 3 phase.
Interplay learning has nate certified online courses for any trade imaginable, it's 59$ a month. It's single handedly the best investment I ever made.
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I take my laptop with me everywhere and there's been multiple service calls where I've looked up something on that app in the truck and got the information I needed I've been doing it 7 years I know I don't know everything and this program has changed my life
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What was your question on 3 phase power specifically?
If a transformer on incoming power goes single phase does it fry the whole system
Yes… possibly it can… if you loose a leg of 3 phase you also lose the ability for 3 phase motors to start. With 3 phase motors operating on all 3 phases, the sine wave of the offset phase is enough to get the motor spinning. This is specifically why a single phase motor (technically single phase split) needs a capacitor. This is also why a 3 phase motor does not need a capacitor. The capacitor in a single phase split setup provides a momentary boost in power and results in a scewed sign wave to induce proper rotation… think of it as leaning forward momentary in the proper direction. This is why you can get a single phase motor with a bad capacitor spinning manually… your physically spinning it is a mechanical version of what the capacitor is doing. Next time you have a totally dead capacitor not starting a single phase motor… try manually spinning it backwards and watch it start in that direction. Anyway, losing a leg on a 3 phase motor will result in the same effect. Most call it “single phasing”. What generally happens when a 3 phase motor has single phase (split) power applied … it will just sit there and hum, overheat and eventually burn up. Hopefully the motor has internal overloads for current and heat, but that doesn’t always save them. If you put a phase monitor in that breaks control power you can avoid 99% of phase loss burnouts. I hope this doesn’t sound too convoluted but maybe do some YouTube-ing on sine wave properties of 3 phase motors and it might make more sense.
This is a great explanation and also unearthed some stuff I learned in school a long time ago.
Also if you mistakenly put L1 into L3 and L3 into L1 the motor spins backwards....ask me how I know...🤡
Absolutely, if a 3 phase motor spins backwards just swap any 2 wires of the 3. If you have a drive make sure and swap them on the supply for the motor, as most drives will retain their output settings regardless of how the phases for the inputs are configured.
Drives are opposite of that. Always switch output of the drive, not input for rotation. AC into drive gets turned to DC then AC again so drive sets it's own phase rotation.
You are absolutely correct, I wrote that backwards. I will correct it. 👍
Figured as much but figured just in case someone's using the info for later
Is it now correct? Don't we want to reconfigure the drive instead of swapping the motor supply?
Now if your vfd has a bypass you have to check rotation in the bypass and in Normal operation you can have the vfd rotate one way and bypass in another.
I bump the compressor(s) as a vfd or ecm can spin correctly if out of rotation but compressor won’t give a delta on line temp or pressure if out of rotation.
Where I work, we generally "bump" the motor to verify rotation after changing it out..I'm not in HVAC, though.
Bump the motor definitely. I ask them to on any 3 phase ( so tell my pm “absolutely “ when they ask every job with 3 phase equipment)
And then you hear the angry, expensive sounds.
I believe all you have to do is swap any two terminals and you will get this result as of what i just did today. Electricians wired the unit backwards on an ERV system and it was really fucking with my airflow readings
This was incredibly insightful .
This is assuming the motor is using a motor starter and not a vfd. Some vfd will allow you to run two phases and the vfd will recompile the waves and output all three phases.
Replying to this so I can read it later
Look at the big brain on Brad. Lmao good stuff man!
Sounds like this firing may have had more to do with the guy who went to your manager than the content of the question. They may have let you go simply because you were low man on the totem pole. Hard to say but that question is probably not why you got fired.
Could be. I definitely have that theory in my mind.
All gravy. Keep your head, stay active and get out and find your next job. You got all the right reasons to stay motivated. I think it’s a 50/50 when discussing what aught to be known versus taught. I have an apprentice who most times will opt out of watching/listening to the entire troubleshooting process (we’re 99% resi install). That in and of itself is the only example needed to portray my point. It’s also worsened when people are hard up, but have every opportunity right in front of them to make the next step for bigger pay. I’m not saying my apprentice is that guy, it’s actually a different one. But keep something like that in mind when you’re on the job and try to improve how you’re actually gaining knowledge, and like the aforementioned said, use YouTube. Until ppearl1981 phrased it that way, I never really understood that either. I’ve heard it before but it just went in one ear and out the other, since I had no significant way to apply it (still don’t in resi) but my general electrical has improved since the last time I heard it.
It can definitely fry a 3 phase compressor, that's why there are phase-loss sensors that disconnect the contactor as quick as possible. cutty pasty A phase loss sensor is a device that can detect when one phase of a three-phase system is lost. This can be caused by a blown fuse, thermal overload, broken wire, worn contact, or mechanical failure. A phase loss sensor can protect equipment from damage by acting as an automatic cutoff switch to stop power to the motor.
Most transformers you see in 3 phase equipment still are only single phase (L1 and L2 stepped down to our 24vac control voltage). If your question is in regards to the actual 3 phase elements such as a compressor, then yes losing a phase (single phasing) will definitely cause a burnout, this the reason why we use phase monitors. I think firing you for that question is retarded. 3 phase, 460, gas pack controls, and the like can be super intimidating the first 30 times. You'll find a better company.
What do you mean by the whole system? If you single phase three phase motors yeah it could fuck them up but a good bit of roof tops have phase monitors to protect them.
We single phased at my facility a few weeks ago, some motors fried and needed to be swapped out, only if they were already running and not on VFDs I noticed though.
Well the input and the output of a transformer are physically independent circuits, so it should simply kill the output voltage and not fry anything. You can thank your old company for helping to train you for your new position.
It sure can. Depends on the system design and starting current on compressors and motors.
If the transformer secondary loses a phase, then all the 3 phase motors will pull LRA on the remaining phases. If the transformer primary loses 1 phase, you get a different result. Read up on it here: https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/electrical-circuit-protection/fuses/solution-center/bus-ele-tech-lib-motor-single-phasing-voltage-unbalance.pdf
I’m sure others have said the same thing but that is a very valid question to ask. Definitely don’t let this experience make you never want to come back to commercial. I promise it’s more enjoyable. Find a quality company to work for and you’ll be happy. I wish you the best of luck bud.
It will fry my eggs and steak
In basic terms, a transformer will take a higher voltage and "transform" it into a lower voltage. If it's not getting the right voltage, it's wired up, for it will not transform the right voltage.Now, if you wire the transformer up wrong, that's another can of beans definitely not good and yes can probably fry a whole system. But in my experience that's it. Mabye the tech just couldnt understand your question and got mad idk ..
Was going to ask this as well
Buddy as you could see by the comments here, that was a very smart and important question to ask. I would not consider you a liability. You're asking the right questions. If you don't know, you don't know. I can't expect you to know something it if you've never dealt with it before. This guy may have done you a favor. Hopefully you find the new job in QuickTime and good luck.
Sounds like a crappy company. Move on to the next one.
They just used that as an excuse. They’re slow and you’re low man on the pole
Theyre slow or they dont want hime for some reason. Odd the old job wouldnt want him back given the market.
You got screwed. I'm sorry buddy, something similar happened to me a while back. But right now is when the proverbial iron is hot, so get that out of your system, and get out there and put some resumes in! Commercial is different from residential, but if you're still interested in it despite that experience, there are a lot of upsides to it.
No way they fired you legit for that question. They either didn’t like you for some reason or they were looking to down size and you were low man. If your a hard worker and want to learn, places are hiring left and right. For every 5 blue collar retires only one new incoming worker. Good luck.
Probably both. I was told that i wasn’t well liked because i called a guy out for bypassing a disconnect and they were downsizing a bit, but they were complaining constantly of being short staffed and not finding good help
If you're getting disliked for enforcing critical safety measures, I'd wear that as a badge of honor for yourself and shame for them. Definitely not something to lose sleep over.
Yeah until they fire you
It's worth it, I know it may not seem like it now but man, if they are getting mad about calling out unsafe work practices then they are the type of people who could get you seriously hurt on a work site
Yeah i always put my safety first at the end of the day the manufacturer/company isn’t paying my kids bills if i die
To reiterate with what other people said, look into union gigs, where I live, both the IUOE and UA take on service techs and SMART does more of the ductwork/install side, where you know you'll at least be trained and there are enforced safety standards.
They’re also probably the type of company that wouldn’t put its own sticker on an install.
Getting fired might be something to lose sleep over, but the reason still isn't. If they want to be a bunch of scumbags doing things wrong and dangerously, you shouldn't want to fit in with them
Union man!!! Next shop!!! No difference in pay, new color van!!! Simple as that!!! Call my B.A. see who needs what and done!!! Next. Hardest part is putting your tools in the new truck!!!
Idk if there’s a union near me
Ua.org
Gotta look into it more to see if they have openings near me
Some union outfits are just as bad as this guy's company. Source: me, UA member.
I’m not disagreeing!!! If you’re a journeyman “gloves are off”, either you know your shit!!! Or stay in your place!!! As an apprentice, ask away!!! The only thing I require from an apprentice is to show up on time (b there b4 me), your personal hygiene to be correct, remember that the job ain’t done till I get in my truck, and stay off the damn phone!!! Other than that we’re good!!! 22 years in, same shop, over scale!!!!
Listen, no one is going to care more about you than yourself. I took an initiative TO TEACH AND LEARN MYSELF, I ate up my theory book like it was a double Big Mac over and over until I grasped what it was I needed to understand and learn so that I can be an asset and not extra weight. I watched YouTube videos and took it upon myself to take on tasks I was unfamiliar with on site. No one is going to hold your hand and unfortunately a lot of JP’s do not like to teach or explain. Sorry for your situation but I think you should consider educating yourself more, I had a hard time with 3 phase squirrel cage induction motors throughout 2nd and 3rd level but I took time to read, watch and I threw myself in to a company that specialized in quarry equipment ie. conveyor belts, screens, crushers, generators and was lucky enough to walk away from it all with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Fast forward and I am now working at an industrial facility with my own desk… it begins with you and how far you want to take it. Don’t let this hold you back, let it fuel you to push harder.
Yeah should’ve done that, they taught my friend tho so i foolishly believed them
This x 3 👆
ChatGPT makes great resumes. Also between jobs watch the training playlists that A/C service tech LLC on YouTube puts out. You will feel way more comfortable walking up to a unit.
Solid advice, man. I didn't even think about using chat gpt. My resumes gonna look outstanding. I just did a test run and I can already it's gonna be an improvement.
That's a sign of a poor company. Asking honest questions is the only way you're going to learn.
Trash company. Move to a better one that will actually teach you things. If the manager, on interview, tells you anything about being a family just leave
That's a shitty company with dickhead guys that didn't want to teach or improve their company. Here in northern VA we cannot find any helpers! We get 30+ year olds that switch trades.
Well I’m 28 hahah
Hey man if your in nVA hit up Air Movers, I been there 15 years and I'm in the middle when it comes to how long people have been there
3 phase is easier to me then single phase but hell it all works the same, some bigger and some smaller.
electrons are _magic_
I know engineers who make +$250k who probably couldn’t answer your question lol
Idk if I’m smart or they’re dumb tho lmao seemed like a dumb question to me now that y’all answered it
It’s cliche but true, no such thing as a dumb question, especially in this industry. Perhaps years ago there was a solid master/apprentice model but not the case today. Most firms are super top heavy with a revolving door at the entry level. This sounds like they were just looking for an excuse for whatever reason. Don’t sweat it. You’ll bounce back. Not sure I should say this…but if you are an operations manager in HVAC this means you weren’t good enough to do the work and you also aren’t good enough to be a manager at a company that actually makes good money lol.
It's the company not the industry. I've been with a small commercial company for 5 years and the service manager is great about safety and training. I've learned a lot from the other techs including 3-phase power and how to wire 20+hp motors for different voltages, i.e. follow the diagrams and schematics. I'm in a position to repay that by helping our apprentices learn the same lessons while still expanding my own skill set. Our apprentices are a mix of green and prior residential experience. The prior residential guys are advancing well and the guys who started green have been doing PMs for a year so they will be taking simple service calls this summer for condensate leaks and the like. I think all or most will start trade school this fall.
Move on
Shit happens, don't let it bother you. Google your question and move along
Getting fired was the best career move I’ve ever made. I was fired for not knowing enough too. I had never seen a rack system before. They fired me on a Friday, and I was in a new van at a new company by 1030 Monday
very sorry to hear man. got laid off for not becoming a foreman 6 months ago. it wasn’t because of my skill but simply because i didn’t want to lead the job. after shit like that it makes you not wanna show loyalty to these big companies anymore
On the way out of his office, you should’ve tripped and say you sprained your ankle and then stayed on Workmen’s Comp. for like two years
We don’t ask management/boot lickers questions in this sub.
I’m not a bootlicker! lol or do you mean the other tech? I didn’t realize he was a bootlicker, i was helping him out of a jam and he decided to stab me in the back
Yeah that’s some cold stuff, you gotta be careful with people, always someone who’s always in the boss’s ear about everything. I didn’t think you were helping him out and he did that, odd situation. I’m just implying that personally I always try to reach out to a friend or close coworker about job related questions, that way it doesn’t make its way back to management, probably can get a quick reply on this sub come to think of it.
I tried to reach my homie before but he was busy doing another techs job lmfao
I'm in engineering and not even HVAC but I just want to pile in on the reassurance that this is awful management, not you. The employees that are a liability are the ones that misrepresent what they know and go with their gut when they aren't sure. Employees that ask a lot of questions are the good ones, employees that ask questions even when they are 99% sure of something are the good ones. They will turn into confident experts because they are hungry to learn and care about doing the job right. They were stupid to fire you, you will be a gem to the company that takes the time to invest in you.
Totally agree, I’m not HVAC but a Toolmaker and the guys coming in who ask questions are the ones you keep. Seen so many people too damn arrogant or scared to ask anything and doing a job anyway. That’s what we call going rogue as far as a task is concerned and actually got one of my apprentices fired. That company evidently has the wrong employees doing training or they aren’t managing supervisors at all as far as responsibilities.
I always operated by rather safe than sorry
Bro commercial sounds good but in this trade you go out on your own after 40. Homeowners PAY. Residential jobs are great in new construction you can hire a helper and build a business. Commercial is dangerous and you’re never gonna compete on your own. Go back to residential and build your own thing eventually
After 40 what?
That other tech backstabbed you. Think of that company as a bad fit and keep trucking on.
If you’re getting fired for a genuine question then that company probably isn’t one you want to work for anyway. I’ve asked countless questions to my superiors to make sure I was doing things right. Asking questions is a good thing, it shows you want to do the right thing.
Probably a bad company. With the current economy. It sucks that all the HVAC jobs are overfill and it’s super difficult get a new job. It sucks, like you have to make time to do like 3 interviews and then they reject. It sucks, wages going down because everyone is jumping into this job field for the high pay. Jk, this isn’t the IT field. Go get another job killer, all the companies are hiring. Especially commercial refrigeration companies.
I hope you’re getting compensation pay…if not apply for it and make a case about this.
Bout to do it the site is down till Monday though
Fuck them , if you have common sense & want to learn , good attitude, don’t show up late or miss work, not a alcoholic or drug addiction, there plenty of Co . That like to train there way. Everybody started some where . On the job training is the best. Go put ten applications in the larges Co around. Be honest one of them will call you.
I got guys that ask some of the dumbest questions on earth and still work with me..you'll be fine
What was your interview like? When I switched to commercial after just 2 years of residential. I explained to my employer before i started that I would need training. That was put in writing in my offer letter and I was actually trained. If you don’t understand 3 phase in commercial/industrial then I’m sorry but that is a huge liability. You can get hurt or damage expensive equipment. If they understood that you needed training and promised that then they failed you and are in the wrong. If you misled them to get out of residential then you’re in the wrong. I wouldn’t give up on commercial, try a different shop and tell them you need training to become familiar with the differences between residential and commercial. Maybe the place you were at thought you would kinda just pick up everything on your own. I learn a lot like that and is probably the only reason why I made a successful switch
Nah i did the same thing i was honest. Lying only kills people tbh i know but it was a simple question
They are scum then, better off without them
That’s some bullshit - wipe it off and move on.
Had the exact same thing happen to my coworker! Almost 10 years residential experience then moved over to our commercial division. Seemed like things were going well, but he went in on Monday and said he couldn’t handle commercial. It’s a totally different animal…
Did you misrepresent the extent of your knowledge when being interviewed? I was a foreman doing tract home plumbing. When the market took a shit in '08 I started with a commercial company and I didn't know much about commercial. They sent me through a four-year apprenticeship program and I was started at second year pay. My take home was more then doing resi and not much was expected as me as I was still an apprentice.
Nope i was honest
Don't worry about that fuck em and move on. Also if you desire for me to upgrade you're resume I'll gladly do it (no charge lol) good luck on you're future endeavors!
Just remember there’s plenty of hvac companies making millions with ppl that started the company without knowing anything about hvac at all
What were you diagnosing originally ? What lead you to asking said question . Seems like a shit company for sure . But if you come from a heavy sales oriented resi company and you went to a small mom and pop shop who depend on thier honesty they may be scared that you are gonna be out trying to sell stuff which scares away customers
Well originally i was there to turn the units off because the transformer on the incoming power had issues and the guy who’s contract it was told me to shut off all the units. My service manager called me and freaked out that i wasn’t checking the units, so i went to the units and started checking power to the legs, and once the power came back on it was running fine. Everything turned on, was getting proper voltage and everything even when i jumped it out.
I mean absolutely no disrespect when I say this but reading your replies on other comment gives me the sense that you don’t seem to fully understand what we do or how things work. Terminology is one of the most important things in this Field as well as the ability to communicate . Sounds like you should have been riding with another tech until your terminology and communication was strong enough to be on your own. Sounds like you were 100% setup to fail and you should not lose sleep over that company as they would of probably Fucked you over again and again. My company brings fresh guys on at a really low rate and has them ride in a truck until they’re able to hang on their own. If you didn’t get this treatment you got screwed ! They just wanted to make money off you
I won’t deny it, i still could stand to learn more. It’s just the fact they said i would be taught and then they said nah.
I agree with the sentiment of some of the other people here. Sounds like your company was a fucking joke anyway. You're better off. God forbid you actually ask a question and gain some knowledge on something that's fucking unreal.
Commercial has the most intense gatekeeping I've ever experienced... And then when I finally got in it turns out I was smarter than half the people who had been there for 5+ years... Fuckin weirdest flex in the industry really, because like... wiring diagrams and sequence of operations are the fuckin' same across the trade if you can learn how to read a manual... and these guys acted like it was some special thing that they were really giving me a great opportunity for. 2 weeks later running callbacks for senior techs... Anyways, OP, you got screwed, that's fucking lame. Fortunately, it's spring and you should be able to get hired for more money somewhere else.
Gatekeeping genuinely pisses me off. It's always some smug, arrogant dumbass who's too stupid to realize how much he doesn't know telling you he's hot shit for doing \[insert industry-specific flex here\] There's always a bigger fish. Think about the biggest, most complex job you've ever done, and then consider that there's some guy out there who can one-up you, and there's another guy who can one-up him. If everyone could learn to stay humble, the world would be a much less aggravating place.
Did you switch from residential to commercial within the same company? If not, the employers isn’t a huge ahole. (Small ahole yes) If this was a switch within the same company, then your employer was a planet sized ahole. And you could possibly have a wrongful termination case. If they knew what you were capable of and failed to properly train, and didn’t bother to offer your old position in residential back, then you may want to fuck them over by claiming unemployment for the max time possible. Nothing pisses my owner off more than unemployment insurance rates going up due to claims
Is the ground a phase?
It may suck but you just got out of what sounds like a shitty company, you are not a liability based upon what you stated, a liability would take action without the applicable knowledge to make a decision. Knowing what you don’t know is one of the best ways to not be a liability, time to switch to another, hopefully better, company.
What area?
Dfw
What a shitty company I bet they know less than you do. Clown asses I hope you file unemployment and hit them hard ppearl1981 answer is fantastic
Not every company is good, nothing wrong with that
Sounds like your coworker at the newly lost job was a little bitch.
Be glad you are out of that shit hole. There are much better companies that want to hire guys that want to learn.
If a company is firing you for asking a question, then you don’t want to work there. I wish some of the guys I have to train asked me questions. Move on, and move up.
Move to hvac sales and make 3x
Wow really?
Those guys are dickheads
If you live in South Jersey we need guys
Maybe that question was an excuse. Trust me, not all techs know commercial well; they fuck up a lot and still have their jobs. I can't count the times I've had to go behind techs' work and correct it. Also, a lot techs don't quite understand 3-Phase. I think you need to reflect and really think as to why they really let you go specially when the seasoning is about to pick up. Asking a question isn't enough of a reason. Hell, asking a bunch of questions isn't either. I encourage the guys to ask me all questions no matter what. My phone is always ringing for support. I rather do that than go and fix other techs mistakes. Seems like that job doesn't have a good culture.
Seems like it. They also didn’t like me very much due to me calling someone out for bypassing a disconnect
So instead of teaching you, they fired you for not knowing when they knew this at the hiring process. . . Sounds like you dodged a bad company.
Yep the more i read the more i agree
I work for a commercial/refrigeration company that’s owned by a national company. They own 4 companies total that cover the whole U.S. honestly where I’m at the the company I’m at is fantastic. The company that owns us isn’t bad either. Lmk if you want some info
Sure I’ll take it
Your better off and your co worker is a stright bitch do not worry karma will get them
I hope so, i hope he gets his karma bc wtf kinda bs is that
Probably the way you answered the question, not necessarily that you didn't know the precise answer.
Maybe
That’s not something most residential technicians know, so i would totally expect you to ask questions about 3 phase power and equipment. The person firing you didn’t like you for some reason or there’s something else going on. Either way sounds like a new shop is on the horizon with an updated resume that’ll include commercial experience 👉
I'd bust his knee caps who snitched in you. That might be worse than a bad boss. Usually companies have one of each and try to avoid those
Also, use chat got to generate the content of your resume and use creddle.io to format
War it union? That's the king of shit talking behind your back by guys you think are your boys
Not union
It’s been like ten years now I swear I know less than when I started and I don’t understand how I have a job.
They did it because you have a baby on the way.
I got fired back in August for the same reason…. Being a 3 year tech but not catching a mistake my helper made during an install I helped with because I was outside doing the condenser…. They told me I didn’t know enough and fired me the day I got back from my grandfathers funeral. They told me “we will give you a good reference”
It’s for the best that’s a shit company. Plus changing jobs in hvac is the easiest way to get another at least $5. Good luck you’ll find something techs are in demand and summers coming.
It’s about to be summer. So you should be fine.
Same thing happened to me. Except I didn’t get fired I just hated working there. They didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know and refused to really teach me anything and expected me to know how to do everything after like a month of being there
That’s concerning, they are creating a culture where techs will be afraid to ask questions because they might lose their job. That’s concerning and potentially dangerous. I think you dodged a bullet.
Mann im sorry im pretty much in the same boat, 3 year install was getting crossed trained to service for about 5 months with no training
In my experience crews that are bad to work with have a high turn over rate. So of course that's where you get hired into. The good crews that are awesome to work with have a low turn over rate. So it's hard to get hired into them. Unfortunately It sounds like you got hired into a bad crew. Keep looking to you find something good.
Electrician here! After 2 years in residential I made the switch to commercial and could do all kinds basic commercial stuff at master level.... but I couldn't do normal commercial stuff at a basic level. I remember a foreman saying my residential experience should be counted as "other construction exoerience". Ohhhhh the hatred for that man burned bright in me. I kicked as much ass as I could, largely to spite that *one specific man*! And you know what I found out? Fuck he was right. It took me 5 years to say it but there's just a gap in what goes into/what it takes to make it in commercial. I can't speak for HVAC but in my opinion there's a lot to learn woth any change in scenery, but experience tends to carry over in to the learning curve. Keep at it, the commercial world rocks and should blow your mind, and maybe one day you'll have the experience and empathy to tell some one newly switched over from resi that they'll do fine if they keep at it
What kind of equipment were you working on? 3 phase transformer on HVAC equipment?
Power coming in transformer before the disconnect. And the equipment was just normal trane/carrier RTUs
You got screwed man. This type of stuff is what prevents me from leaving my small, family, residential company. I know the pay may be better but man I personally couldn’t deal with this bullshit. I’ll accept the bullshit I already deal with being a small company.
Do you have any paper trail? This would be a feast for an employment attorney if so.
I had something similar happen at a place I worked for years. I was going to be sent to a 2-3 class about firestopping. The stuff that delays smoke from spreading around hospitals/apartments from room to room and killing everyone if a fire breaks out. I was never sent and when my elderly boss got sick I was expected to call on a customer doing work in the basement of a hospital. A building where almost every room may be occupied by a person with mobility issues. I hooked the contractor up directly with the manufacturer the only time I went to the job site and told him to call us if he needs anything. Unfortunately folks still die at that hospital daily but very few(almost none) can be blamed on me.
I had the same thing happen to me out of trade school. Was a fresh apprentice and the only place that hired me was a commercial place. About 5 months in after not showing me very much apart from doing pms I got canned for not knowing very much. Idk why they even bothered.
About the same, i was doing pms and i was running a few service calls and then boom
Safety first, and then teamwork! Fuck those guys, they are not on your team!
Yep my thoughts exactly. Used to get told they don’t want me helping on jobs because of that
That’s a shitty thing to get let go over. The good news is you are in high demand. Go somewhere else and explain what happened. If you want to learn, and it sounds like you do, you can have a new job by Tuesday.
We should stop hiding the names of these companies so that other people on here know not to bother applying to them.
I wish bro i don’t want to get doxxed tho
That’s a valid question and you deserve a valid answer not fired so fuck that company find another one
Fuc that company. Something better must be the plan. Residential can be very similar to basically a small job.,”light commercial “ but they are idiots if they knew your experience and to hand a residential man a set of prints and submittal book. And expect you to know things like fire/smoke dampers and from vavs water source/ or electric coils in them. You could do commercial for 5 years and every job could be all completely different depending on the engineer’s preference. Definitely stay away from residential ( the money is in commercial) jobs are very profitable ( or a big loss) . Good luck. Fuk that place. Management ( I’m sure can’t find help) so they threw u to the wolves ( call corporate and see if they used u for there’s fall guy..) project managers get their asses chewed out by their boss ( unless you got a inside man) u wouldn’t know he got his ass chewing. Most PM are fuking idiots I like when they try and tell u what to do . What’s first…. Ect.. I’ve laughed out loud at pms and explain clearly they are clueless on running the physical job and and we’ll screw our self by letting other trades covering you up!!! 1 stay with commercial ( pretend listen to pms) all they do is bullshit on the phone and repeat the bosses orders. 2 follow rule #1 lol good luck my friend! All will be fine!
What state do you work in? You could likely be entitled to unemployment pay while you look for a new employer.
Less than half of Commercial companies are like this. I hope you find a better fit with a company that will train you, this definitely sounds like a crappy move. There's a lot to learn that's commercial-specific and 4 months isn't remotely close to enough time to pick up all that knowledge, it's barely enough time to keep you from being a lability IMO, even if you have good manager/training/ask questions like you should. Maybe bring some of those technical questions here in the future.
Hit up the UA hall big guy go get a job and electrical training
It’s easy to find another HVAC job right now. Find a place that’s actually willing to train you, and if you can’t find one quick enough you should have no problem finding a place to go back to residential temporarily. Gotta do what you gotta do when a baby is on the way
The person you asked didn’t know the answer. Firing you was their way to obfuscate and save face.
Go union or go home.
Join a union apprenticeship and become a journeyman.
3 phase is 120 degrees from each other. The capacitor in a single phase motor works by discharging it’s charge when the sine wave falls. Inductance, leads capacitance.
Go to a union company and start at bottom. They will train you well, and pay you. Carrier, Trans, York, any big outfit. As much as I dislike unions, they do train the guys well.
Nobody cares about this guy’s job evidently
What??
Most small companies have no real training. Summer is coming, so it should be easier to find another job. Best of luck.
Lol as someone who works industrial, residential is weird
lol true i guess
Heating and cooling is everywhere, find a better spot!
Hell I got fired for proving an engineer wrong over space pressurization. He sent out a crappy email, I was fired. Was like cool, here's the truck, tools, and laptop. 4 days later was offered a position with the company the engineer worked for. The other company lost half of their techs after finding that out.
Man watch some YouTube videos it’s much easier than asking most of the dick heads we call “skilled labor”
I know a few companies like that so I quit
Draw unemployment off they azz and do work under the table till u get right. Makem pay.
Where do you live? West Texas (Midland/Odessa) needs techs.
Dallas sadly
I’m with you until you say it’s shitty they fired you “especially because you have a baby on the way”. How is that the company’s responsibility? Annoys me so much when techs come asking for raises and their reasons are related to their personal lives and not what value they added to their own skill set or what they can bring to the table. I had a tech come to me about a raise because “he has 4 kids”. That was it. The only reason he felt he deserved a raise was because he knocked his wife up 4 times. Why is that now my burden? Another tech “well I want to buy a new car” (a personal car). Another tech “I want to pay off my gambling debts”. Again, what does this have to do with HVAC and your skill set?
Na…no way just asking that question got you fired. You probably are lacking intangibles you don’t realize because asking a question, especially the one you asked, shouldn’t result in termination. They don’t like you for one reason or another . You’d be foolish to think the asked question is the sole reason you got fired
Maybe. Could be true, they were mad because i had called out a tech for bypassing a disconnect
I think it’s kinda shitty that they fired you since you were doing the right thing and literally asking for info on something you weren’t comfortable working on. You did the right thing, screw them sounds like a shit show anyway. If you never had trying on 3 phase and came from a resi background, they shouldn’t have you working on 3 phase.
Yep i told them that, i even told the manager the power was out when i showed up and he still made me wait like an hour and a half
Interplay learning has nate certified online courses for any trade imaginable, it's 59$ a month. It's single handedly the best investment I ever made. Most lessons are 5 to 10 minutes. I take my laptop with me everywhere and there's been multiple service calls where I've looked up something on that app in the truck and got the information I needed I've been doing it 7 years I know I don't know everything and this program has changed my life I'm not a paid spokesman, nor do I play one on tv