boss made me install a trane unit with no charge on it, what a crap show

up in zone 5 minnesota, freezing my ass off last week, and my boss sends me to a service call with a trane xr16 that the homeowner says is blowing warm. i get there, gauges show zero refrigerant, turns out the previous tech left it like that after a leak fix and charged them $1500 to 'top it off' but didnt even do it. i spent two hours brazing a new coil line and evacuating, then charged the system with r-410a, whole thing cost the customer another $800 out of pocket. saw a similar rant on r/HVAC about shady bosses cutting corners, and someone in hvac techs network group mentioned watching bryan orr's video on proper evacuation procedures. SMH, makes us all look bad when one idiot skips the basics. tbh, i almost walked off the job but needed the hours.

sounds like my old gig, boss would send us out with half-assed parts and expect miracles. i once had to macgyver a condenser fan with duct tape, lasted a whole season lol.

controversial take: if the boss is that cheap, just overcharge the customer a bit on the side to cover your ass.

first off, always triple check pressures before leaving a job. use a good manifold like the fieldpiece and document everything with photos.

proud of you for fixing it right, most apprentices would've just topped it and bounced.

man, i feel that. had a similar deal in my first year, boss left a system low and i got the blame when it iced up.

same here, freezing in the attic chasing ghosts because of sloppy work.

document the hell out of it next time, email the boss with pics of the low charge.

i commiserate, bosses like that burn you out fast.

frustrated as hell, why do we always clean up the mess?

those PE rollups are buying up hvac shops and turning them into this exact nightmare, screw em all.

frustrated too, i quit a job over refrigerant shortcuts last year.

customer calls at 3am because the ac froze solid, turns out it was a low charge job from months ago. boss: 'just add some r22 and go home'. FML.

i feel ya, been there with the pressure to rush.

frustrated with these stories, makes me not trust other techs on site.

i get it, the pressure to cut corners is real in this field.

nested reply test, but seriously, bosses suck sometimes.

warning: skipping evacuation can void warranties and get you sued.

commiserate hard, minnesota winters make it worse when systems fail.

insurers are jacking rates because of crap installs like this, we all pay.

yeah, my premiums went up 20% last year from industry BS.

controversial, but maybe start your own shop if the boss is that dumb.

homeowners demanding cheap fixes then crying when it breaks, collective rage building.

these stories fire me up, trades need better oversight.

i hear you, been cleaning up low charge messes all season.

screw the bosses who do this, they're the real leak in the industry.

another one: customers in hvac techs network complaining about the same.

man, i feel every bit of that frustration.

bosses pushing unsafe work needs to stop, before someone gets hurt.