Month: March 2023

The advances made with wireless tools are some of the most exciting in our industry in a long time. Smart HVACR tools and applications like the Job Link® System App and family of tools are making work faster and smarter, while also allowing technicians to enjoy much greater precision while diagnosing and repairing a system.

Here are four ways smart tools change the game!

1. See the big picture

Since wireless tools offer seamless connections between digital manifolds, manometers, clamp meters and even scales, they allow technicians on a jobsite to see the big picture view of the system. Right from their mobile device, they see all the necessary data points to make a diagnosis—from superheat and subcooling to refrigerant pressure and more. This helps techs troubleshoot the system quickly and problem-solve with greater accuracy by bringing together disparate pieces of data to show how various adjustments impact performance.

2. There’s an app for that

The latest wireless HVACR tools, like those in the Job Link® System, work with apps on most iPhone and Android mobile devices. There’s no need for technicians to invest in a new piece of purpose-built technology to take advantage of this functionality. From the mobile device already in their pocket, techs are able to easily access information from across the jobsite while also enjoying quick reference to customer data stored in the cloud. This functionality offers greater accountability and transparency about the work being performed today and on previous service calls. Plus, Job Link is free to use! 

3. Put tools exactly where they’re needed

A wireless HVACR tool with a long range eliminates wasted time. Using traditional wired tools means a lot of hooking up and unhooking of a single probe or tool, making adjustments in one location and then walking back to check the reading, and so on. Also, some ideal locations for a probe could be far from an outlet or difficult to reach. Using a wireless manometer, temperature probe or pipe clamp, for example, allows the tech to choose the ideal location for a measurement. Once each tool is installed, they function independently while delivering data in real-time directly to the mobile device.

4. Lighter loads

Wireless tools not only remove the hassle of long extension cords and looking for outlets to plug them into, they also reduce the weight of the equipment that a tech needs to carry around a jobsite; not to mention, the number of trips up and down the ladder that they save.

Wireless tools help techs work smarter and faster. Pick up some of the latest innovations from Fieldpiece.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we want to recognize a few of the women in the HVACR space who are making an impact in the lives of future techs and helping to train and equip those around them.  This includes instructors and trainers in the field as well as some of our own employees who are making the tools and test equipment we all use and love! At Fieldpiece, we thank you for your impact, your commitment to the HVACR industry and to training the next generations of techs.

Michele Seaman, the HVAC/R Program Director Western Dakota Tech. Michele, we thank you for your dedication, passion and advocacy for your students.  The Western Dakota Tech program competes in SkillsUSA every year and she is so committed to helping them reach their potential.  Thanks for being a role model and for inspiring your students every day!

Crystal Naegle of the UA Local 525 in Las Vegas, NV, we see you! Crystal is an instructor and HVAC coordinator, has been toseveral trainings and conferences the past few months.  She’s been actively honing her skills and bringing them back to her home city where she has been developing an intensive HVAC training program for apprenticeship and journeymen.

We’d also like to give a shout out and recognize this year’s Lady of the Trade nominees at the recent @hvactactical awards in Atlanta, GA.  These fantastic women are sharing their daily HVACR field experiences on social media.  This gives visibility and encouragement to everyone about the variety of jobs and situations any HVACR tradesperson will see out there.  So here’s to Emily @hvac.chick an HVAC apprentice in San Diego, CA and Shawna Peddle @hvac.optimist a Level 3 commercial HVACR apprentice in Canada.  Congratulations, Brandi Ferenc @chlrchk, who was this year’s award winner and who serves as a Refrigeration Mechanic Gas Fitter 1 HVAC instructor and mentor in Ontario, Canada!

Manufacturers also have women in the trade, so we’d like to recognize one of our own.  Nicole Schneegas, is an Industrial Designer here at Fieldpiece.  She’s one of two industrial designers who help create all of our products and how they end up looking and feeling in your hands.  Not to mention ensuring all of the technical manuals, tool bags and the packaging also look great!  As one of the younger members of the Fieldpiece team, we look forward to her many future contributions too.

Mentorship and fellowship also deserves a mention here.  Thank you to organizations like Women in HVACR who are bringing the industry and techs together and creating opportunities for connection, insights and growth across all areas of the HVACR community.  It creates a great foundation for collaboration and mentorship for men and women who want to help prepare future generations and keep us all working towards a collective goal of keeping the trades inclusive.

There are so many deserving women who work tirelessly behind the scenes and many more that are in industry or the face that the customers see.  If you know of a woman in the HVACR trades that deserves a mention, please write it in the comments.  She may just be a feature in a future article!