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HVAC Education. What NOT to Do w/ Jim F., Roman B. and Craig M.

By Craig Migliaccio Jim Fultz Roman Baugh

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Join Roman Baugh, Craig Migliaccio (AC Service Tech), and Jim Fultz for an unfiltered conversation about training mistakes, teaching pitfalls, and educational failures in the HVAC industry.

Recorded live at the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, this candid discussion reveals what experienced educators wish they knew when they started. Learn from their mistakes so you don’t have to make the same ones!

Topics Covered:

The biggest mistake: talking instead of hands-on learning
Why attention spans matter (hint: it’s not 50 minutes!)
How to read your audience and adapt your teaching style
The power of letting students struggle and problem-solve
Avoiding “death by PowerPoint” in HVAC training
Making education engaging for the TikTok generation
Why sequence of operation matters more than troubleshooting
The importance of mentorship and accepting feedback

The HVAC/R Training Symposium session is perfect for:

HVAC instructors looking to improve their teaching methods
Trade school educators seeking better student engagement
Technicians who train apprentices
Anyone interested in effective HVAC education strategies

What NOT To Do in HVAC Training:

Don’t lecture for hours without breaks
Don’t focus only on PowerPoint presentations
Don’t ignore different learning styles
Don’t forget hands-on, kinesthetic learning
Don’t try to cover everything in one session
Don’t be afraid to admit mistakes and learn from feedback

Check out Craig’s books and training at https://www.acservicetech.com/. Connect with Jim on LinkedIn.

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 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://www.hvacrschool.com/symposium.

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#education #hvac #HVAC education #hvac training #sequence of operations #training

Author:

Craig Migliaccio

Company: AC Service Tech LLC

Position: Founder and Owner

Jim Fultz

Company: Copeland / White-Rodgers

Position: Technical Training Specialist

Roman Baugh

Company: Kalos Services

Position: Director of Commercial HVAC

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

Heat pumps may be everywhere, but according to David Richardson, the industry is in danger of aiming at the wrong target. In this 2026 HVACR Training Symposium session, the Kentucky contractor’s son, who has never lived in a home without a heat pump, opens with the story of Olympic rifle shooter Matthew Emmons. Emmons hit the bullseye with perfect precision in 2004, only to discover he had fired at the wrong lane’s target. Richardson argues that contractors risk the same mistake when they treat the heat pump itself as the goal and market it with the same “magic” promises used in the 1970s, a pattern that led to poor installations and a reputation problem that has lasted 50 years.

The real target, Richardson says, is the customer, and the heat pump is only one ring on that target alongside ductwork, the building envelope, equipment sizing, noise, and expectations. He distinguishes between HVAC equipment, which anyone can sell, and the HVAC system, which is where a contractor’s skill and craftsmanship show up. Average installations, he notes, deliver roughly 57% of rated performance, while a high-performance retrofit aims for 88% or better. With “free heat pump” offers likely coming next, he urges contractors to differentiate through engagement, education, clear expectations, and measured results, ending with what he calls a “craftsmanship receipt.”

The heart of the talk is five practical tips. First, learn what the customer is really after and set expectations early, including what a defrost cycle looks like. Second, don’t inherit a bad duct system, and use pressure, airflow, and temperature measurements to find problems before they become yours. Third, don’t inherit a bad building, since the structure works like a duct system and can undermine a perfect install. Fourth, bring the customer along by putting simple tools in their hands, such as a thermal camera or flow hood, and translating data into plain language. Fifth, follow a repeatable process that defines where testing begins and where additional paid services start.

Richardson closes with a call to document lessons learned, including mistakes, and to build these practices into company culture. His message is that heat pumps aren’t magic, but they can perform as if they were when installed well and priced to reflect the work. The session wraps with audience questions.

Topics Covered

The Olympic shooter analogy: precision aimed at the wrong target
History of heat pumps, the 1970s energy crisis, and early marketing hype
Why heat pumps shouldn’t be treated as a silver bullet, and the “silver buckshot” approach
HVAC equipment versus the HVAC system
Installation performance benchmarks: roughly 57% for average work, about 6% more for code-approved work, and a goal of 88% or better
The three E’s: engagement, education, and expectations, plus measured results
The craftsmanship receipt and verification: “if you don’t test, you’re just guessing”
Setting customer expectations, including cold-climate performance and defrost
Right-sizing and the pitfalls of oversized equipment, even with inverter technology
Testing for pressure, airflow, and temperature (PAT) and not inheriting bad ductwork
Building science basics: leakage, room pressures, blower doors, and thermal imaging
Using Socratic questions and plain language to involve the customer
Avoiding data overload and using tools like Measure Quick and the TrueFlow Grid
Following a process and getting paid for diagnostics, basic versus advanced retrofits
Learning from mistakes and changing company culture

This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, and Filtrete.

Resources

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

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