Before video games, kids learned how to entertain themselves; especially if they lived on a farm. Our entire farm was my entertainment center. Every day was full of new challenges as the screen door slammed and my favorite dog was at my heels. Kind of like Calvin and Hobbes.
Some of my “experiments” were on the edge. For instance, a favorite chore was burning our trash in a well-contained barrel. I often used gasoline to light things on fire for a little extra excitement. It’s amazing how plastic can melt and stick to the skin!
Another fun adventure was riding my go-cart. Soon it needed to go faster, and I learned how to bypass the governor on the motor. Anything for speed!
Before long, it was time to build a dune buggy out of a ’53 Dodge with a flathead V-8. At age 15 I put a ’30 Chevy pickup body on this dune buggy frame. It was probably a little too fast. One of my favorite shows was Dukes of Hazard. Yes, there is a thrill when the wheels come off the ground!
Looking back, my parents had their hands full, but they seldom held me back. They seemed to enjoy watching me live on the edge. Dad laughed when I told him about the charged capacitor on the unplugged TV melted the end of my screwdriver. I survived my youth without any broken bones if we don’t count crushed big toes.
Childhood experiences like mine are often the foundation to build real-life careers. Those that have similar stories tend to develop interesting life skills. They have a wide range of past interests or hobbies, so they naturally like working with their hands-on plumbing, heating, and cooling systems. They often have some of the skills we look for when we hire at John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical because they have the potential to become great at their trades.
Granted, not everyone has the luxury of living on a farm or doing the things I did, which may be good in some ways. Regardless, during the interview process, we look for some spark in the applicant’s communication skills and interests or a strong desire to be dedicated to their trade. Many went to a trade college.
Applicants’ interests become obvious during our finely tuned interview process. We survey seven of their personality traits. We never just settle for a warm body. We hire for attitude and train for skill. If hired, they either fit in and develop great careers or move on.
The plumbing, heating, and cooling industries have similarities to the automotive industry. Gear head types get excited when they achieve maximum horsepower from minimum fuels. Career-bound heating and cooling techs have a similar feeling of accomplishment.
For instance, heat pumps today can get 350% efficiency! Air filtration can remove up to 99.98% of the impurities to protect the lungs. Temperature set points can typically be maintained to plus or minus one degree to provide maximum comfort. Humidity control can also be controlled to near perfect humidifies that protect the largest organ of the body. That of course is the skin. This is all exciting!
Techs that love their trades like to perform for their customers. They understand the heating and cooling industry has few limits as to how much comfort it can provide. They are excited to ensure everything is working great and providing maximum efficiencies. They understand a heating or cooling system that is not maintained is just like a car that is running poorly.
These techs have a natural hunger for troubleshooting. At John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical, apprentice techs tear down all old, and replaced heating and cooling equipment. These “autopsies” indicate most of the failed equipment had plugged evaporator or condenser coils. A side note is all scrap proceeds go into a 401K fund for our employees.
Techs know how to eliminate the reasons coils plug. They know evaporator coils typically plug because of poor air filtration, NO air filter, gaps around air filters, inexpensive fiberglass air filters let approximately 60% of the debris go through them, and the list goes on. They also know that plugged outdoor condenser coils are a major reason that compressors fail during the cooling season.
Dedicated techs can fix many things like that as they naturally become the superheroes that enjoy going that extra mile to help customers get maximum comfort and energy savings. Hopefully, this helps explain where the best techs come from.
The cooling season will be in full swing soon. Will you be ready?
