HVAC Community Hub | HVAC Installation Best Practices | Activity

Caleb posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Quoted a job on Monday. Customer said they needed to […]

Wed, 27 May 2026 07:07:00 +1200

Quoted a job on Monday. Customer said they needed to think about it.
Just drove past their house and saw another company’s truck in the driveway.

Elijah posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: I've been in this industry for 11 years and I want to […]

Tue, 26 May 2026 01:42:00 +1200

I’ve been in this industry for 11 years and I want to ask something that nobody really talks about honestly.
Is HVAC still actually worth it as a business in 2025?
I’ve seen the industry explode in the last 10 years. Certain markets are completely oversaturated. Margins on installs are razor thin because every guy with a van and a 608 cert… Read more

Mike joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Mon, 25 May 2026 19:07:11 +1200

James posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Replaced a capacitor for a customer in February .Today […]

Mon, 25 May 2026 02:09:00 +1200

Replaced a capacitor for a customer in February .Today they called because the system isn’t cooling. Different problem completely. Compressor pulling high amps, probably on its way out.
They want it fixed for free because I just worked on it.
How do you explain to someone that the part I replaced is working fine and has nothing to do with the compressor?

Robert posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Honest question for the business owners in here. Do […]

Sat, 23 May 2026 08:14:00 +1200

Honest question for the business owners in here.
Do you actually take days off or do you just call them days off and then work anyway?
I told my wife I was taking Sunday off. Answered 4 customer calls, quoted a job by email, and ordered parts before noon. I don’t know if I have a business or a job that follows me everywhere.

Grayson posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Serious question because I'm at a crossroads. Been […]

Sat, 23 May 2026 05:00:00 +1200

Serious question because I’m at a crossroads.
Been doing residential for 4 years. Decent business, good reviews, mostly AC repairs and maintenance. Thinking about moving into light commercial.
People keep telling me commercial is where the real money is. But I also hear it’s slower to pay, more complex, more liability. Is the switch actually… Read more

Brandon posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Went out on a no cool call today. Homeowner said it […]

Fri, 22 May 2026 23:58:00 +1200

Went out on a no cool call today. Homeowner said it stopped working yesterday. I walk up to the unit and the disconnect box is wide open. I mean the cover is literally hanging off. I close it. System starts.
Stood there for a full 30 seconds trying to decide how to explain the invoice.
Charged the diagnostic fee. Customer was very… Read more

Chi joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Fri, 22 May 2026 17:36:17 +1200

Emiliano posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: I've had 3 calls this month from homeowners who […]

Wed, 20 May 2026 08:33:00 +1200

I’ve had 3 calls this month from homeowners who installed their own mini splits and now something isn’t right. Each call was at least 2 hours of sorting through their install mistakes. Part of me is annoyed. Part of me realizes these are now customers who will call me for everything going forward because they learned their lesson.
Is the DIY…

Cameron posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Question for the group, specifically for the people who […]

Wed, 20 May 2026 06:31:00 +1200

Question for the group, specifically for the people who have been running their own shop for 3+ years.
What actually moved the needle for you marketing wise when you were small? Not what you heard works. What actually worked for you specifically.
I’ve been doing Google Ads for 4 months, spending about 800/mo. Getting calls but the quality… Read more

AlexJ3 joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Wed, 20 May 2026 04:41:20 +1200

Hunter posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: I need to vent for a second placed an indeed ad for […]

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:19:00 +1200

I need to vent for a second
placed an indeed ad for an experienced tech. $28-35/hr depending on experience plus benefits. had 47 applications in a week. Phone screened 12 of them. Scheduled 6 interviews. 2 showed up. Hired one.
He worked 3 days and texted me on day 4 that he wasn’t coming back. no reason. just not coming back. What is happening… Read more

Davida posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Genuine question and I want honest answers not […]

Tue, 19 May 2026 06:49:00 +1200

Genuine question and I want honest answers not judgment
what are you guys actually charging for a diagnostic call right now. not the repair. just showing up, figuring out what’s wrong, telling them what it needs.
I’m at $89 and someone on here last week said they charge $189 for the same thing. both of us in the same state.
how is that… Read more

Connor posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Been looking at changing financing companies after one […]

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:49:00 +1200

Been looking at changing financing companies after one of our dealer fees jumped from 1.9% to almost 4%.
Not a huge deal on smaller tickets but it starts adding up fast on bigger installs.
Seems like a lot of financing companies tightened up on middle credit customers lately.

Matthew posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Homeowners are way more educated now but also way […]

Thu, 14 May 2026 06:35:00 +1200

Homeowners are way more educated now but also way more confident in completely wrong information 😅
Feels like every other call lately starts with I watched a video or Google said it’s probably the TXV.

Hunter posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Seeing more HVAC websites lately adding instant quote […]

Wed, 13 May 2026 09:12:00 +1200

Seeing more HVAC websites lately adding instant quote tools and online pricing.
I get why companies are doing it because customers wanna see numbers before scheduling somebody out but at the same time HVAC jobs can change completely once you actually see the house.

Alessandro posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Started looking into health insurance options for […]

Tue, 12 May 2026 05:41:00 +1200

Started looking into health insurance options for employees this week and honestly didn’t realize how all over the place pricing is.
Feels like every quote starts reasonable then turns into a whole different number once you dig into it.

Cameron posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Hey,

Mon, 11 May 2026 17:48:00 +1200

Hey,

Elsa joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:55:07 +1200

Dylan posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Realizing lately being good at HVAC and actually growing […]

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:01:00 +1200

Realizing lately being good at HVAC and actually growing a company are two completely different things 😅
Feels like everybody online’s selling some best way to grow but half of it sounds good until you start spending money on it.
What actually moved the needle for you guys? More customers, bigger jobs, commercial work, better systems, whatever.

Jacob posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Just getting into HVAC and already realizing I’ll probably […]

Sun, 03 May 2026 21:36:00 +1200

Just getting into HVAC and already realizing I’ll probably go through a few tool bags 😅

trying to figure out if it’s better to start cheap and upgrade later or just buy something solid from the beginning.

what ended up working for you guys?

Samuel posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Do you still charge a service fee if it turns out to […]

Fri, 01 May 2026 05:20:00 +1200

Do you still charge a service fee if it turns out to be something simple like a tripped breaker or switch off?

William posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: walked into a house today and thermostat was set to 60 […]

Fri, 01 May 2026 01:35:00 +1200

walked into a house today and thermostat was set to 60 place already freezing.
customer goes it’s not cooling right
stood there for a second trying to figure out what they meant 😅

Samuel posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Started thinking about this recently… I don’t really […]

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:31:00 +1200

Started thinking about this recently… I don’t really track where most of my calls come from. You guys keeping track of that or just letting it run?

Matthew posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: How are you guys getting most of your work right now […]

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:27:00 +1200

How are you guys getting most of your work right now still word of mouth or more online? Feels like it’s changing a bit lately where I’m at, not sure if it’s the same everywhere. Just trying to see what’s actually working for you guys right now.

Pietro posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Hey,

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:04:00 +1200

Hey,

Juan posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Anyone here using AI for day to day office work?

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:56:00 +1200

Anyone here using AI for day to day office work?

aathivithyah joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:43:17 +1200

ATHENA AI joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:08:29 +1200

Robert posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Swapped a contactor today that looked fine at a glance, […]

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:43:00 +1200

Swapped a contactor today that looked fine at a glance, but under load it was dropping voltage across the contacts. Getting about 240V in, but only around 205–210V out to the compressor. Compressor was running hot and pulling higher amps than expected. Easy to miss if you don’t check it under load.

Edward posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Suction 60 psi, superheat 20+, looked like low charge […]

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:27:00 +1200

Suction 60 psi, superheat 20+, looked like low charge turned out to be airflow. Static was through the roof. Fixed that and everything lined up.

nick joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:24:16 +1200

Hunter posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Trying to get in with a few builders right now and […]

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:57:00 +1200

Trying to get in with a few builders right now and still figuring out my pricing. Feels like I’m coming in too high because I’m not getting much response back after sending numbers. These are new construction installs, not service work. Just trying to understand where people are landing on builder pricing without racing to the bottom. Anyone… Read more

Samuel posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Callbacks are killing time over small misses lately. […]

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:27:00 +1200

Callbacks are killing time over small misses lately. Anyone else dealing with this?

Surya Hvac joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:51:42 +1200

Jack posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Been reviewing our business insurance lately and realizing […]

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:30:00 +1200

Been reviewing our business insurance lately and realizing I probably don’t understand half of what we’re actually covered for. Feels like every policy looks the same until you actually need it. Curious if anyone here has a setup they feel confident about or something they learned the hard way.

Robert posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Bought one of those cheaper tools thinking it would get […]

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:29:00 +1200

Bought one of those cheaper tools thinking it would get me through a few jobs, and now I’m replacing it way sooner than expected. Starting to feel like I end up paying twice when I don’t just buy the better one upfront. Curious how you guys decide what’s worth spending on vs what you’re okay going cheap on.

mareks joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:23:58 +1200

William posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Every time I try to lighten my tool bag, the very next […]

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:49:00 +1200

Every time I try to lighten my tool bag, the very next job needs the one thing I took out… so now I’m basically just carrying everything like a mobile warehouse. At this point I’m not sure if I’m overprepared or just traumatized from past service calls.

Andrea posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Been looking into software for material takeoffs […]

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:25:00 +1200

Been looking into software for material takeoffs on commercial jobs and honestly getting overwhelmed with options. Trying to find something accurate but not a pain to use day-to-day. Anyone here using something they actually like?

Stacey joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:39:11 +1200

Ethelyn joined the group HVAC Installation Best Practices

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:01:27 +1300

Jameson posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Do you pull to 300 microns or 500 microns on a […]

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:50:38 +1300

Do you pull to 300 microns or 500 microns on a residential install and has it ever actually made a difference in the real world?

Henry posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Callback for low cooling. Pressures look like a […]

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:54:11 +1300

Callback for low cooling. Pressures look like a restriction. Traced it back to the lineset inside the wall kinked at the corner where it turned. Hard kink. Suction line nearly pinched shut.Wall is already drywalled and painted.Nobody caught it during the install because nobody checked it before closing the wall up.

Miles posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Spring startup call this week. Customer mentioned the […]

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:50:06 +1300

Spring startup call this week. Customer mentioned the system had been running a lot lately but didn’t think much of it.
Opened the panel and found this. 😐
Contactor contacts completely welded shut. Compressor had been running nonstop through cool nights, through cold mornings, didn’t matter. Thermostat satisfied, system kept running. Customer… Read more

Owen posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Worst misdiagnosis you've made that turned out to […]

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:50:52 +1300

Worst misdiagnosis you’ve made that turned out to be something embarrassingly simple.
We’ve all been there. Spent an hour or two chasing something, convinced it was a board or a TXV or a compressor and it turned out to be a tripped breaker. A loose wire. A dead battery in the thermostat.
What was yours. And be honest did you charge the… Read more

Grayson posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: March startups never disappoint. 🙃

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:58:32 +1300

March startups never disappoint. 🙃

Elijah posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Three hours. Checked the board, checked the […]

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:53:16 +1300

Three hours. Checked the board, checked the contactor, checked the capacitor, checked every connection in the system twice.
Everything tested fine. Every single time.
Turned out to be a nick in the thermostat wire inside the wall. Only shorts when the front door slams hard enough to flex the drywall.
I found it because the customer’s kid ran… Read more

Andrea posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: System is low on charge. No obvious leak. No oil […]

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:51:41 +1300

System is low on charge. No obvious leak. No oil staining anywhere on the lineset, no traces at the fittings, coil looks clean. Customer hasn’t had it serviced in two years and just wants cold air today.
Do you top it off get them running and tell them to call if it happens again? Or do you refuse to charge it until you’ve found and fixed… Read more

Caleb posted an update in the group HVAC Installation Best Practices: Sub passed inspection on paper, got paid, […]

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:54:12 +1300

Sub passed inspection on paper, got paid, and disappeared.
Now the GC is calling me every morning and the rework is coming out of my pocket.
Work was done under my license so it’s my problem.

For the guys running crews or subs how do you protect yourself from this before it happens?