BACK

Hard Lessons w/ Roman, Tim D., Nathan O. and ELK

By Roman Baugh Eric Kaiser Tim De Stasio Nathan Orr

Join industry veterans Tim De Stasio, Roman Baugh, Eric Kaiser, and Nathan Orr as they share their most memorable HVAC lessons learned the HARD WAY. This unfiltered conversation from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium reveals the real stories behind costly errors, dangerous situations, and valuable HVAC training moments that shaped their careers.

What You’ll Learn:

Critical refrigerant handling mistakes and their consequences
Combustion safety lessons that could save lives
Chemical safety protocols every technician must know
Equipment installation errors and how to avoid them
Real-world troubleshooting failures and solutions

From seized compressors and ruptured refrigerant lines to dangerous gas leaks and combustion incidents, these HVAC professionals hold nothing back. Each story comes with crucial HVAC/R lessons that can help you avoid making the same mistakes.

Whether you’re a seasoned technician or just starting your HVAC career, these hard-earned insights will help you work safer, smarter, and more professionally.

Remember: The best lessons are often learned the HARD WAY by others. Learn from these experiences so you don’t have to repeat them!

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

Comments

Becoming a GRIT Host or Mentor w/ Leilani

Behind the Drywall – The Psychrometrics of a Hidden Moisture Failure – Short #298

Q&A What Uninsulated Refrigerant Lines Really Cost You – Short #297

Outdoor Air & Ventilation Strategies with John Semmelhack, Ty Branaman & Tim De Stasio

Selecting a Replacement Motor – Short #296

Nailing a Job Interview w/ Refrigeration Mentor

Digital Tools and AI – “So Happy Together” – Short #295

HVAC Summer Service Calls: Rushing, Mental Fog & How to Stay on Your Game

The House Always Wins! A Class On Building Science Basics – Short #294

Compressor Failures, What and Why w/ Ty

#combustion #hvac #installation #refrigerant #safety #troubleshooting

Author:

Roman Baugh

Company: Kalos Services

Position: Director of Commercial HVAC

Eric Kaiser

Company: EL Kaiser Company

Position: Principal

Tim De Stasio

Company: Comfort Science Solutions LLC

Position: Owner and President

Nathan Orr

Check out our most recent video

How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

Our latest Podcast

HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Leilani for an introduction to GRIT Camps — the hands-on program that brings skilled trades exposure to youth ages 12–17 through community events led by working tradespeople. Leilani explains that a GRIT Camp pairs recruited mentors with students for a day of modules covering safety, carpentry, electrical, brazing, and plumbing, including torch work, PVC and copper fitting, and disassembling HVAC components. Students also learn to read a jobsite-style blueprint and receive a six-in-one screwdriver to take apart and explore. Bryan and Leilani emphasize that while GRIT supplies the curriculum, guides, and structure, the host — typically a contracting business or trade organization — owns the event: recruiting students and mentors, securing a venue, and building real community connections around the day.

A large portion of the conversation walks through who does what. Hosts provide the facility, materials (plywood, 2x4s, copper, PVC, and more, all detailed in GRIT’s guide), and lunch for up to around 30 people, plus a local host facilitator to coordinate logistics and serve as GRIT’s point of contact. Mentors must be certified skilled tradespeople who complete GRIT’s required video course and pass a background check before working with students; volunteers who don’t interact directly with kids are not required to undergo a background check. GRIT, in turn, supplies the camp curriculum, host and mentor guides, registration and marketing materials, badges, student blueprints and PPE, background check coordination, and on-site program leadership from staff like Ty, GRIT’s head of training, who typically arrives the day before to walk the facility with the host.

Bryan and Leilani also dig into planning specifics: camps run from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., cap out at 16 students with a two-students-per-mentor ratio (so eight to nine mentors for a full camp), and generally need 10 to 12 weeks of lead time to hit deadlines for mentor certification, materials gathering, and student registration. They cover the realities of choosing a torch and joining system — MAPP gas and propane versus oxyacetylene for brazing, and why oxyacetylene can’t be used for the popular aluminum-repair activity — along with commonly overlooked items like correctly sized Forstner bits, spare drill batteries, extension cords, and pre-cut lumber. They close with guidance on budgeting (camps typically run $1,500 to $5,000), sourcing a sponsored lunch, handling allergies, inviting community press, and what makes a camp genuinely successful: preparedness paired with passion from both mentors and hosts.

Topics Covered

What a GRIT Camp is and which skilled trades are covered (safety, carpentry, electrical, brazing, plumbing)
Camp roles: host, host facilitator, mentor, students, and volunteers
What hosts are responsible for providing: facility, materials, and lunch
What GRIT provides: curriculum, guides, registration, marketing, background checks, and on-site leadership
Required mentor certification course and background checks
Ideal space setup, table stations, and indoor/outdoor considerations
Student and mentor ratios (16 students max, two students per mentor)
Planning timeline: 10–12 weeks of lead time and key deadlines
Confirming a camp date and the host interest assessment process
Recruiting students and mentors, including waitlists and communication
Choosing a torch and joining system: MAPP gas/propane vs. oxyacetylene brazing
Commonly overlooked or underestimated materials and tools
Safety planning, PPE, and emergency preparedness
Estimated costs and ways to offset them through sponsorships
Lunch planning and handling food allergies
Community and marketing value for hosts
Policies on parents and visitors attending
What makes a GRIT Camp successful