Okay so i'm 15 years old right now, for the past three years I have been wanting to become a plumber/HVAC tech. I've been laughed at scolded at and have been taking some crap from my fellow classmates for this but I cant help it, you know.
So i'm wondering if any of you have advice/anything that I can start using/doing, I think my state also has a youth apprenticeship program which may help when I turn 16.
Thank you for reading. David

 

my advice would be if your state has the youth apprentice program, apply for it and see if you like it.
there is no sense going into a profession if you do not like what you are doing.
when i was your age i wanted to do HVAC also. but after three weeks in hte apprentice program i realized that was not my calling.
so instead i tried the electronics course, and liked it. i graduated with an associates degree in electrical engineering and design.
i worked in the electronics field for 6 months and realized it was not what i wanted, and joined the police force. i would still be on the force if i was not in a very bad accident which ended my police and fire dept Carrier.
i then realized the one thing i really enjoyed doing was driving.
and have been a truck driver for the past 40 years.

 

Funny you should ask.....

My family has a long history in construction businesses. My grandfather opened a plumbing shop in 1918 that has produced at least 4 generations of plumbers and still bears the family name. My dad opened his own business and we worked under HVAC, sheet metal, plumbing, and roofing licenses.

Something to keep in mind is that with nearly all subcontracting work, new construction and existing facilities are different jobs. New construction is typically a clean environment where you have some freedom with where you'll run lines, ducts, power, etc. Work on existing facilities is maintenance and you're constrained by everything around you. New work is typically clean and often comfortable surroundings. Work on existing facilities is dirty, hot, cold, and in many ways miserable.

As a plumber your callouts for repair are on the sewer side more often than on the supply side. It's dirty work that you have to have a tolerance for. As an HVAC tech, your repair work could be in a 130 degree attic. You'll have to be able to tolerate that for stretches so take that into account if you have any health issues. The harsh winters in your area mean that plumbing lines may be frozen up. They're usually buried deep enough that it's a rare occurrence, but in severe winters the ground freezes deep enough that plumbing lines do freeze. A repair is more excavation than it is plumbing.

Both businesses have a tolerance for slow economic times. Even when construction halts, people need toilets unstopped, leaks stopped, HVACs repaired, etc. As a master tech in either field there is good money to be made. A master tech with his own license/business can live quite comfortably.

Do you know anyone in either business? If so, ask them about getting into the business. Is there a trade school nearby? They should be able to provide solid advise and help.

Good luck with all of this. It's great seeing somebody your age that has some idea about what he wants to be/do.

~Bass

 

I work in biotech. One thing I can tell you is that this industry wants/needs HVAC techs, especially on the refrigeration side. More than that, if you become proficient with refrigeration as in freezers, refrigerators, the sky is the limit. With the exception of air handler and exhaust fan motor replacement, the work is very clean. If you pad on electronic expertise, this will make you more valuable. Pay and benefits are great! Good luck with your career choice.

 

I don't know a single plumber or HVAC tech (commercial or residential) that's NOT busy pretty much all the time. If a steady income is your goal either of those trades would be great. Within those trades your job security is pretty much completely in your own hands---as long as you strive for good quality work along with maximum reliability your prices won't be a huge concern. Typically when someone needs a tradesman they're in dire need and aren't really price shopping. That's not saying you should gouge people but since I'm self-employed I've NEVER tried to be the lowest price guy in my trade---the general public keys in on that fact and tend to believe you're desperate for work and/or money and will try to exploit that "thought". Its exceptionally rare I lose a job based on my costs alone, when I've shown what I can do I'm the go-to guy for the next job. (BTW I install windshields in big trucks; no personal cars or such unless its for an already established customer or a referral. Apart from business cards I do no advertising, don't have to make sales calls either.

That's a great suggestion about joining an apprentice program---perfect introduction into a trade without much of a downside.

 

JWA, great post. As a side note, I have met a lot of people with unique skill sets. When I ask them to do a job for me, I let them name their price and DON'T go down on their price. It is their expertise that I am after AND it is the way they make a living.

 

I am an electrician, HVAC Tech, and a mechanic. I work a full time job as an electrician and I do side jobs only for people I know. I stay busy all of the time, I sometimes make $1000 a week or more just doing side jobs, all cash money.

 

Thanks everyone for replying, our town predominately does furnaces, but during tourist season there is plenty of HVAC work so knowing this, would it be possible to do both plumbing and HVAC work together? Have got about 7 months until i'm 16 so do you know anything that I should educate myself on, other than trying to fix my ford. My dad has got some contacts that he can talk to but he told me to wait a bit longer before he asks them anything. Last thing here, how long did it take you to get fully licensed and start running your own business.

 

Welcome to the forum. I don't have any experience working in the trades but what I do know is there is a huge shortage of people for jobs in the trades like plumbing, welding, electricians, etc. That's a fact. Another thing to look into are the new Certification programs that they have at community colleges. This is what the local community college offers in my area:

Certificate Programs

• • Accounting Technician, Certificate
• • Baking and Pastry Arts, Certificate
• • Biotechnological Science, Certificate
• • Brewing Science and Service, Certificate
• • Building Trades/Residential Light Commercial, Certificate
• • Casino Gaming Machine Repair Technician, Certificate
• • Catering and Event Planning, Certificate
• • CNC Precision Machining, Certificate
• • Community Public Health Worker, Certificate
• • Corrections Officer, Certificate
• • Crime Scene Technology, Certificate
• • Dental Assisting, Certificate
• • Early Childhood Studies, Certificate
• • Emergency Medical Services Provider, Certificate
• • Emergency Medical Technology - Paramedic, Certificate
• • Entrepreneurship, Certificate
• • Food Preparation and Safety, Certificate
• • Green Building Technology, Certificate
• • Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Certificate
• • Homeland Security, Certificate
• • Human Services, Certificate
• • Mechatronics, Certificate
• • Medical Office Practice, Certificate
• • Network Support Technology, Certificate
• • Police Basic Training, Certificate
• • Teaching Assistant, Certificate
• • Web Page Design, Certificate

Just want to give you another option. That's pretty awesome you want to go into the Trades. Once you have a set of skills, you can get a job anywhere. And you can do work on the side for cash money. Good luck.

 

Does your HS have access to vocational / technical schools? These facilities are a great way to get started and to help you make a choice before you're too deep into it.

One area of work that's severely falling behind in the country are skilled tradesman. Pick a trade, any trade, master it and you'll be doing yourself and your future generations a great service.

 

Good advice Tim...local Tech School requires all incoming students to spend 2 weeks exploring each path they offer. They are also picky about who they choose to be enrolled...which results in a more motivated student body.

As for skilled tradesman...one local company is advertising for skilled machinists to work a Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun night shift...12 hours per day...$50-$60 per hour.

 

Something else that you might consider is welding. I haven't welded in a long time, but am considering going back to the local trade school to get current (and some practice) on modern techniques.

Specifically, I'm considering getting into prop rebuilding as a retirement business. I've known several guys that spent most of their working years doing that, including one that was the prop builder for several race teams. Like so many other trades it's not rocket science, but there is a requirement to be meticulous. The rebuilt, renovated, or restored prop must look like a new one (no visible weld lines) and any welds must be as strong as the original material.

There are several upsides to this kind of work. A) It's shop work. You're not restricted by the weather so you can be productive even when you can't walk out the door. 2) It pays quite well. The materials to rebuild a prop are under $20 and it takes about an hour per prop. In this area the price for rebuilding a prop starts at about $125. The gross profit of about $100/hour for working in your own shop is hard to beat. D) The cost of getting into this business is a lot less than other trades. A full set of dies (templates) was about $16,000 the last time I checked and can be bundled with the right trade school. Welder, shop supplies, etc. and you're in business for under $20K. That's less that the price of a pickup truck to haul plumbing supplies.

I don't know if that would interest you, but it's worth looking into if you're open to that kind of work.

~Bass

 

Another option that doesn't seem to be real popular on here is a four year hitch in the military. Choose a craft, earn your Webb GI bill funds while on active duty and then get any state level college or trade school paid for in full with a monthly stipend for food and housing.

It's a longer way tot he goal but being a military veteran also opens up doors that most can't access with follow on training benefits, VA home loan assistance, medical, etc.

It's not for everyone nor should it be, just a thought.

 

That was my intended path when I was 16. My career was set. After graduating from high school I'd enlist in the Air Force and fly jets. After retiring from the Air Force I'd fly commercially for the rest of my career.

Then a funny thing happened. At 16 I was 5'9" and it looked like I'd be a perfect fit for an F-15 cockpit. At 17 I was 6'4" and wore glasses. They wouldn't let me have that front seat, so my career went in an entirely different direction.

 

Got some news, my brother talked to his job lady and sometime next summer will contact a guy who does work like this, that otta give me a chance to see if I hate it. Thank you all