Products
| The Right Stuff : The Tools a Military Contractor and His Team Take Into War Zones |
|
By Mike Moriarty, Marketing, Fieldpiece Instruments They’re an important part of the work you do. Often called “tools of the trade”, the instruments and tools you have in your bag are almost as important to you as your expertise. You can possess all the knowledge and experience in the world, but if one of your tools decides to go down in the middle of a service call, it can really ruin your day and affect business. In the case of Warren Brader and his crew, lives could literally hang in the balance. Brader is the global leader of a team of HVAC/R technicians for a major military contractor that maintains and repairs A/C systems and power generators for field communications trailers. He starts every interview with a prospective employee by asking a technician what tools he uses in the field. “First, I ask them if they use digital equipment,” he said. “You’d be surprised how many are afraid of digital technology and cling to their analog instruments. Then I have a series of questions on diagnostic techniques that are designed to reveal if they take shortcuts. But, even if they pass the interview, there’s still a good chance that they will lack the meticulous commitment to our procedures that this job demands. That’s where instrumentation comes in.” Brader and his team make sure they have the right tools when they go into the field.  The first thing Brader did when he arrived at his present job was to “get everybody on the same sheet of music.” He did that by making sure they all used the same instruments. When recalling the aversion to callbacks he developed as a result of many years of mechanical work on his mother’s restaurants and applied it to his current position, Brader had this to say, “When I came here, I made sure that everyone working under me used the same instrumentation. I was using a fieldpack, which consisted of a digital stick meter, a data logger, an electronic handle, and 11 modular test heads that fit all three and measure just about everything an HVAC tech needs to measure. They give me the accuracy I need and are extremely portable. I saw to it that everyone working under me had one. And that was good as far as it went. But it still didn’t give me control over the guys in the field. I still couldn’t guarantee that they were doing everything by the book.” In response to his continued aversion to callbacks, especially those half the world away, Brader was commissioned by the military to put the perfect standardized tool kit together for all the technicians. "When a chance to upgrade comes along, you don’t pass it up,” he said. “I would need a multimeter, a clamp meter, different ways of carbon monoxide testing, something to analyze superheat with, and different manifold sets. I thought ‘there’s got to be some new technology that will make my technicians’ jobs easier and make them more versatile while giving me more control’. I did extensive research on all the instrument makers and their latest offerings and when I was done, I was back at the same instrument company I started with, Fieldpiece. They had just introduced their new system analyzer and it looked great on paper. I ordered one online to evaluate it.” The new system analzer allows Warrenand his crew to share test results electronically around the globe.  "There HVAC Guide® System Analyzer is a hand-held instrument that basically takes the tech by the hand and leads him through step,” he said. “More important, it records test and its results so that we have a record of what was done. For instance, a technician needs to measure superheat. He enters the type of refrigerant into the analyzer. It instructs him to take wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures and suction line temperature and pressure. The technician uses the modular accessory test heads he already has in his fieldpack and attach them to the analyzer to enter results directly into the meter. When all measurements have been taken, the instrument gives the technician the target and the actual superheat. “When I speak to my technicians over the phone or via e-mail in the field, they can send me the test results directly to my computer and I can store the data on the share drive for every tech around the world to see what is being done to other units and use this data to track repeat problem areas and evaluate the quality of work. Then I can send that data upon request to customer to back up our work requests and show the quality of the job.” It gives Brader what he had been seeking -- meticulous control over the maintenance procedures and measurements in the field and reduced callbacks. “Let me give you an example,” Brader said. “We had to do a major change-out of some control valves and a compressor. After finishing the change-out we were faced with what used to be a lengthy process to adjust those valves so the superheat on the evaporator is just right. These things have to be spot-on or the system won’t work right. The superheat called for 10 degrees and, using the analyzer to make the adjustments, our test results were 10.5 degrees. We were only 0.5 degrees off -- essentially a gnat’s eyelash. In the past it would have taken us a lot longer to get anywhere near that accuracy.” But it’s not just AC systems that he is able to monitor, there’s heating systems as well. “Recently the manufacturer of the analyzer we use came out with the a firmware upgrade for the analyzer that includes the CheckMe!® program. We were given an advance copy and uploaded it to four of our analyzers. We can use it to certify both heating and AC systems to assure they’re up to ASHRAE specs. In heating, it works with both electric and gas units. It will tell you likely causes of problems. Tests results can be saved so you have records of everything. We check combustion analysis, CO, test the pilot, and air quality. With an AC unit we can enter different parameters. We put in all factory specs and the instrument will tell you if the system is operating optimally. We simply don’t have callbacks because we don’t miss parameters and we know when something is weak. “It used to be that I constantly worried that my technicians might have developed bad habits and be doing things the way they used to instead of how I wanted them to. I speak to a lot of technicians over the phone regularly to help talk them through things, and with the analyzer and other test instruments, I can easily talk them through it step by step using standardized equipment. The instruments make them build good habits and, when they stick to those habits, they’re 100 percent accurate and we’re all on the same sheet of music. Now the contractors that maintain the same type of equipment for other branches of the military around the globe are using us as a model and seeing the benefits of a standardized set of tools.”  Over his 25 plus year career, Brader has developed a list he calls “the right stuff” list for HVAC/R technicians, whether they’re doing heating, cooling, refrigeration or working on a generator trailer. A majority of what he specified will apply to most heating and cooling technicians in residential and commercial markets. The following is an excerpt from Brader’s standardized tool list for new technician shops around the world: Special care was given to the selection for quality as well as cost effective, efficient tools to be used in doing high quality repairs and modifications to equipment. When used properly in the Troubleshooting, Diagnostics, and Repair of equipment, these tools will allow the technician to be very accurate when Troubleshooting, Repairing, and performing Preventive Maintenance duties on assigned equipment. Digital testing and diagnostic tools are chosen whenever possible in order to allow the technician to store, and archive test results electronically, and speed up the down time on preventive maintenance and repairs. Test Instruments
Refrigerant Handling Tools
Hand Tools
Power Hand Tools
Common Supplies
Safety Supplies and Equipment
Welding, Soldering, Hot Work
Portable Lighting
Books
NOTE: All items with an "+" before the description can be eliminated from the order if the HS36K35 Fieldpack is ordered, as these items are included in the Fieldpack.  Brader is the first to admit he hasn’t seen everything, doesn’t know everything, and, that the list is very comprehensive. “It includes things you’re obviously not going to take into the field with you and one time purchases for a shop, but they sure come in handy when you need them.” He suspects most good techs have a majority of the tools he specifies in their service vehicle already. "For the guys just starting out, they'll find that over the years, you collect what works and get rid of what doesn't. After years of service you end up having a list like this because, when you get caught without the right part, meter or tool you need too many times, you learn your lesson." That being said, Brader does have years of experience handling a team of technicians spread across the globe, where callbacks can mean lost lives. He thinks all guys in the field are a lot better off with the tools on this list. You may have some to add or subtract from your own list. Mr. Brader revises his list as new technology comes along, all the while trying to stay on the cutting edge of HVAC/R diagnostics and tools. Making sure his team has “the right stuff”. To see Brader’s complete list including parts you would need to completely re-tool a diesel generator his guys use to power the mobile equipment, click here. Mike Moriarty handles Marketing for Fieldpiece Instruments and is a certified HVAC/R technician. Back |
