You’ve been an HVAC technician for over a decade now. What do you think makes a good service technician? 

“I think it helps to have experience with different things since it leads you to think outside the box a little bit. And that’s what’s needed here, because we’re fine-tuning things.

There are standards that the industry goes by and sticking to those standards is a good way to build a good foundation as a good technician. There are a lot of guys out there that like to cut corners. And that’s where you find yourself in bad situations.

Just building a good foundation on the proper fundamentals is really important.

I’m a troubleshooter. I’ve always been in service and troubleshooting, so I like to find those problems and it just it feels good to be able to solve problems.”

How do you ensure the safety of yourself and those around you while working with cooling systems?

“Not rushing into things and trying to visualize what you’re doing before you do it is essential. And just being aware of what’s going on around you. Not becoming complacent with ‘Oh, I got a hard hat on, so I’m fine. I’ve got gloves on, so I’m fine,’ but that stuff only works so long.”

How does preventative maintenance play a role in system reliability?

“Preventative maintenance extends the life of the equipment. No doubt. A strict maintenance schedule goes a long way.

Keeping it clean and always checking on things. You need to do that. You want to do a hardcore cleaning once a year – at least. But you’ll want to do checks and look at things at least quarterly. I like to look at filters. There’s an outdoor coil that circulates the outdoor air, and the coils get dirty, so those are the things you need to be cleaning once a year at least, checking them quarterly. These units [DX-Ps] are separated pretty well between the indoor and outdoor sections.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can listen to a unit, and it will give me clues on if it needs a little attention here or there.”

Where did you grow up, and where are you now?

“Western Washington, south of Seattle, in the surrounding area of Tacoma. I spent 42 years there, and three here, in Phoenix… I have a box full of cold weather clothes. It’s just sitting there. Every time I’m going back there, I look at the box and think, ‘Should I open it?’

Before I was in HVAC, I was doing maintenance and framing and siding. Framing up new houses and siding outside in the winter [in Washington] was just brutal. Summers are fantastic up there but it’s a trade-off. Winters are great down here: mid-to-upper 30s at the coldest point, usually in the morning before the sun is up.”

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

“Probably Italy. I felt comfortable there, and the food was great.

As I was going through all the video training we take on Japanese culture… I was thinking the whole time, ‘Wow, that looks fun… That looks fun too… That doesn’t look so bad…’ Japan would be fun.”

What was the last concert you went to?

“Sturgill Simpson. He was playing up in eastern Washington near one of the sites we were starting up there. He was playing on the weekend, so I stayed through the weekend and was able to go to his concert at a huge outdoor venue. He played for like three and a half hours, and it was a great show.

I’ve been to Tool a lot. Tool puts on a good show. I’ve seen them four or five times.”

YAY 👍 or NAY 👎 + WHY

What is something you are passionate about outside of work?

“I haven’t been fishing in a while because there’s hardly any place to fish down here. But yeah, I used to really enjoy going fishing up there. A lot of good lakes to go fishing in and yeah, it was just nice to spend time on the water up there.

Down here it’s all about the side-by-sides, the Razors and stuff. So, I’ve got one of those and spend a good amount of time out on the weekends up in the mountains surrounding the valley.”

What is the best advice you have received, personally or professionally?

“I’ve always liked the idea of keeping it simple. Just keep everything simple. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m a big fan of the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ thing. That’s where I always go to. I’m just trying to stay positive really. It’s helped me out with a lot of things in my life, so I think that could work for a lot of people.”