THE BIG IDEA
Experience is valuable. Verification is better.
Pattern recognition is one of the biggest advantages an experienced technician has. It helps you diagnose faster, install more efficiently, and recognize problems before they become callbacks.
But the same familiarity can become a liability when it turns into assumption. The disconnect is probably off. The airflow feels fine. The line set should be long enough. The wiring has to be right. The error code usually means the board.
This month, the Talking Comfort LIVE team looked at the moments when experience should not be the end of the thought process - it should be the reason you know what to verify next.
FROM THE SHOW
When “I’ve Done This a Thousand Times” Becomes a Safety Risk
Craig Lynch shared a story from 2011 that still affects him today. He had estimated a job for two technicians, but a schedule change left him working alone on a large unit while standing on a tall ladder. He knew the situation felt unsafe. He even called his wife and told her he probably should not do the job.
He did it anyway.
While removing a large blower assembly, the ladder shifted. Craig fell, badly injured his leg, and was out of work for two years. Fifteen years later, he is still dealing with the injury.
“Your family loves you more than your job does.”
Craig Lynch
Why it matters: Experience can make a dangerous situation feel manageable because we have gotten away with it before. Sometimes the most experienced decision a technician can make is to stop, ask for help, and come back when the job can be done safely.
INSTALLATION
Don’t Assume the Installation Is Right. Verify It.
“I know it’s right” is a familiar sentence on tech-support calls. The problem is that the equipment does not care how confident we are.
The team walked through several places where assumptions commonly sneak into an installation or service call: multi-zone piping and wiring, airflow, minimum line-set requirements, manufacturer-specific installation details, and commissioning.
Multi-zone systemsVerify that piping and wiring actually match circuit-to-circuit. Do not stop at “I’m sure they do.”
Airflow“It feels good” is not a measurement. Use the tools, confirm fan setup, and verify actual system airflow.
Line setsMeasure them. Requirements can be manufacturer- and model-specific, and “about ten feet” is not ten feet.
CommissioningA system turning on does not prove it is operating correctly. Check the data and verify the mode you could not properly test when weather allows.
“Just because it’s running doesn’t mean it’s working properly.”
Greg Brunts
Why it matters: A new model, refrigerant, control strategy, piping requirement, or existing duct condition can invalidate what worked on the last job. Experience tells you where to look; verification tells you what is actually there.
TROUBLESHOOTING
An Error Code Is the Beginning of Troubleshooting, Not the End
Experienced technicians recognize patterns quickly. That is useful - until the familiar symptom becomes the diagnosis before the diagnostic process has actually happened.
The discussion moved from a joking “I know what’s wrong with it” into a practical warning about jumping from an error code or symptom directly to the last box on a troubleshooting flowchart.
Before replacing the board or the component that “usually causes this,” go back through the process: verify incoming voltage, confirm service valves, take the refrigerant readings, follow the sequence, and eliminate the basic possibilities.
“Hook your gauges up first. I don't care what the Blue guys say, hook your gauges up.”
Talking Comfort LIVE
Why it matters: The goal is not to ignore experience. It is to keep experience from turning into confirmation bias. The best shortcut is knowing which check to perform first - not skipping the checks entirely.
HVAC EXPERIENCE & VERIFICATION
Questions This Episode Answers
How can experience lead to HVAC troubleshooting mistakes?
Experience builds pattern recognition, but that can also create premature diagnosis. A familiar symptom or error code can cause a technician to jump to the component that usually fails instead of verifying voltage, refrigerant conditions, wiring, airflow, valve position, and the other steps in the diagnostic sequence.
Why should HVAC technicians measure airflow instead of relying on experience?
Airflow that feels acceptable may still be outside the system’s required operating range. Proper measurement can reveal incorrect fan settings, restrictive ductwork, damaged flex duct, or conditions that can contribute to poor performance and repeated system problems.
Why should a system be checked again in another season?
Extreme outdoor temperatures can make it difficult to meaningfully verify both heating and cooling during the initial startup. When that happens, the technician can commission the mode that can be tested properly and schedule a return visit to verify the opposite mode under appropriate conditions.
What should an HVAC technician do when a job feels unsafe?
Stop and reassess the situation. Make the unsafe condition known, ask for help, and postpone the work if necessary. Experience should not be used to justify working through conditions that cannot be controlled safely.
