This is one awesome training DVD/Video...

In "Electrical Fundamentals For HVAC/R Technicians, A Practical Approach To Electrical Troubleshooting & Servicing Comfort Cooling Systems" well-known HVAC industry trainer Jim Johnson takes the mystery out of electrical troubleshooting. In this two-hour video presentation, he takes the technician through the process of building a dual voltage schematic for a comfort cooling system, then shows just how simple it is to correctly troubleshoot a circuit and track down and isolate a problem.

Are there elements of theory included in the program?

"Absolutely," says Johnson.

"But it isn't done in the "traditional" academic manner. Electrical theory is presented as part of the program, but is woven in and around the practical aspects of HVAC training and using a meter to test and troubleshoot circuits and components. Technicians aren't bored with long theoretical explanations before they get to the stuff that really interests them, which is how to troubleshoot a system and get it fixed."

And, technicians don’t just zone out in front of a TV for two hours. They participate.

This HVAC training DVD/Video learning package consists of a digital-quality DVD and a separate Resource Material CD. To participate in this interactive learning experience, insert the CD into your desktop or laptop computer, open the file on the CD, and print your own copy of the Resource Guide. Then, use the printed hard copy of the Resource Guide to follow along as you play the DVD. Using the Resource Guide allows technicians to actually go through the step-by-step process of getting a schematic diagram down on paper along with Jim, then use the diagram to troubleshoot the four problems that are presented at the end of the program.

Jim recommends that service companies who want to use the video to train several technicians at once photocopy the resource guide and provide a copy for each technician watching the video.

And it’s reasonably priced too.

The complete video package sells for $79.95, which includes shipping and handling. This is less than the cost of a one-day workshop or semester long course for one technician. And once the DVD is part of a company’s library, it can be used whenever it’s convenient and it can be used over and over again.

"This stuff ain't rocket science," Johnson is fond of saying, "so it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours for a technician to grasp the very fundamental concepts of a schematic diagram and how to use it to troubleshoot a piece of equipment."

"I'm not saying we take anybody to journeyman status in a couple of short hops," says Johnson, "but once we lay the groundwork of fundamentals that a professional technician needs to understand, they can take off from there and invest time and effort into becoming a top-notch troubleshooter."

Johnson stresses that this program isn't intended to be the single training solution to the professional and technical development of either new or experienced technicians. He recommends that technicians take advantage of factory-sponsored workshops whenever they can, and that they look into community college and trade school programs that are available. It’s his opinion that the learning never stops for the HVAC/R technician.

"I've been doing refrigeration and electrical work since I was in high school," says Johnson, "and I still find myself learning something new on a regular basis. My stuff is only one approach that technicians can use to develop their skill, build confidence and do a better-than-average job. Look around. There’s a lot of good stuff out there and technicians can make good use of it by investing a couple of hours per week in their personal and professional development."

Johnson says the techniques used in the video program are the result of thousands of classroom hours and hundreds of seminars during which he’s taught and explained things to many thousands of students in the HVAC/R industry.

"The information is presented as it is because participants in our HVAC training programs have asked questions and had the courage to raise their hand and say they didn't understand something," says Johnson.

"One of the unique things the video does is answer questions before they’re even asked, " he says, "and for that, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who have asked questions in class, re-explained things in their own words during a workshop and provided their own special brand of feedback after a seminar."