Every HVAC Technician should have a complete HVAC Tool list and load-out before venturing out into the field. This list of resources will be broken up into three sections based on required proficiency. Newcomer or Aide This technician can get by with a basic set of HVAC tools. A junior technician will often work with a more experienced technician who has all the necessary equipment.
Level-Mid HVAC Technician The list should be sufficient for anybody making house visits or repairing light business or residential equipment of a modest size. Often, equipment is substantially bigger, heavier, and costlier. HVAC Journeymen in the commercial/industrial sector of the industry often find themselves in need of highly specialized and unique HVAC equipment. Often, maintenance and replacement of these devices’ parts are required. instead of returning owing to the difficulty and expense of transporting such a large quantity of equipment.
Essential Equipment for a New HVAC Technician
A newbie in the field needs just a few fundamental tools, some personal protective equipment, and a tool bag. Every HVAC technician needs a tool bag to carry their various hand and power equipment around in. Here, I list numerous choices that have served me well. Veto packets are the best, hands down. You’ve probably heard the adage, “purchase once, weep once.”
If you’re just starting, it’s smart to start with a smaller bag that still has enough for the essentials. Lightweight portability is essential. If you acquire a big bag, you’ll probably wind up carrying about a bunch of stuff you don’t need since you overstuffed it with tools you seldom use. See my video tutorial on setting up a diagnostic pouch for HVAC service.
It’s customary to buy extra storage containers as your skill level rises and the number of tools you need grows. When I need to make adjustments or repairs, I often use a second, bigger bag. The Veto Pro MC is my go-to, although other technicians like the backpack type more since it allows them to use both hands when climbing ladders. With this setup, I can easily bring my lightweight service bag with me on maintenance and service calls without risking injury to my back.
Big Box retailer
I wouldn’t recommend buying a bag from a big-box retailer. Neither the quality nor the style of these totes is comparable. Apart from the essential storage of screwdrivers, the pockets never appear to be large enough or arranged out in a very useful manner. A few of them have already been ripped to pieces by me. When first getting started with cost-cutting measures, CLC may seem like the ideal option, but it won’t save you a ton of money and won’t last very long. Life is too short to manually unscrew every screw or bolt.
The impact or drill has to be picked up. While reinserting the screws, be careful to engage the clutch. Screw holes being stripped out is a major pain. I like Milwaukee best; not that the competition isn’t good, but Milwaukee is one of the leading power tool manufacturers today. There is a wide variety of useful tools at their disposal. I would suggest the Milwaukee Ecosystem to anybody who is starting from scratch and is not already highly involved in another business.
Multimeter
Even if you haven’t had any training on how to use a multimeter, I still believe every technician out in the field should have one. The most crucial HVAC Item you should have in your toolkit is a high-quality multimeter. You still need to know how to tell whether a circuit is active before working on it, even if you’re not servicing anything. Concern for public safety necessitates this action. If you’re doing service, you’ll be utilizing a meter all the time. In all my years of service, I can’t recall ever going without using my meter.
If you need a meter, look for one with a good safety rating and not a low price. Don’t stray from well-known brands like Fluke, Amprobe, and Fieldpiece. To find out which multimeter brand technicians favored, I surveyed one hundred of them and the results astonished me. While numerous non-Fluke meters have proven useful to HVAC technicians, I will only use Fluke.
Check out the Milwaukee 18v shop vacuum if you’ve decided to join the Milwaukee ecosystem. Whether you’re at an office where you’re dropping ceiling tile dust or at a guest’s home, always clean up after yourself with a little portable vacuum. For heavy-duty cleanings, such as emptying cooling tower sumps, I would choose a 110v shop vac, however, this one is an excellent portable alternative for lighter jobs because of its compact size and long battery life.
Task Lighting
A work light is an absolute must. A Milwaukee m12 stick light is the best one I’ve used. You’ll find that this little stick light is one of your most-used items. Light may be magnetically attached to any ferrous surface, and the battery lasts for a long time.
I suggest getting a few extra batteries and a car charger. My life changed when a car charger that works with both 18- and 12-volt systems became available last year. I will never again make the rookie mistake of bringing the charger to the roof, just to promptly forget about it there. Changes the game completely; I can no longer charge all my batteries in the truck at once and switch them out as needed.
Coil-cleaning pump sprayer
An effective pump-style manual sprayer will do the trick. If you want something fancier, you may get a battery-powered backpack sprayer, like the Milwaukee, which has several useful features.
I prefer to bring THESE (Amazon affiliate link) garden hoses since they have all-metal connections, are very long-lasting, and fold up into a compact 5 gallons. In addition to being compact, this facilitates simple transportation. We recommend a magnetic long-shaft hollow nut driver set. A 5/16″ and 1/4″ will get you by for now, but a complete set will last you a lifetime. Please Use Gauges as a Reference. Getting a couple of yellow jackets or JB hoses and a normal charging manifold. Invest in a three-port manifold system and save costs. It is unnecessary to purchase a manifold with a vacuum port since you should not be using it to do evacuations.
Pick up a set of charging hoses if the manifold you buy doesn’t come with them. Low-loss end fittings are something you should invest in with your conventional hoses. Low-loss fixtures often deteriorate after some time in use. Seal rights are one company that offers rebuild kits, but at about the same price as a whole new fitting. A spare set of fittings is something I like to carry on the truck and swap out when it begins acting up.