1st Timer and looking for advise.

[Super Fridgie]

Hi all and greetings from Australia.

I am a 32 year Refrigeration Mechanic who has moved his way up from being on the tools to a Supervisor and now a Service Manager of a medium size HVAC-R national company. I absolutely love this trade, well who wouldn't when you are a 3rd generation Refrigeration Mechanic!

I have joined your site not only to meet fellow fridgie's and make some new friends hopefully but also to share in my experiences and possibly gain some sound advise.

I originally worked in the supermarket game, touched base with a small amount of domestic and marine applications and now I am heavily involved in HVAC industry. As mentioned I am currently a Service Manager which does not really cut the mustard for me as I am more technically inclined than managing P&L's, contracts and technicians.

Over the last 5 odd years I have wanted to further my education but unfortunately in Australia not much is on offer and I am not sure what to do. Is there anyone out there who may be able to give me some advise as to the next step, is it Mechanical Engineering I need do or an advanced Diploma in Refrigeration (looking at the modules it is all very standard)? I reside in Victoria which I find does not have allot on offer in this field.

What I would truly love to do is a Refrigeration Degree if possible but have not found one in this country. Myself my Wife and my 3 kids would love to move to the U.S (we have discussed this often) as there seems to be so much more on offer there but once again I don't know what is the right direction is that I should head towards. Are there degrees solely for this trade in the U.S or through ASHRAE or am limited to what is on offer in Australia?

If anyone can advise me as to where I should start it would be greatly appreciated as I am at a stale mate and wish to become a Refrigeration Engineer to better myself and give something back to this fantastic trade.

I thank anyone who has taken the time to read through this essay and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Kind regards,

Super Fridgie. (AKA - Ash)

[sedgy]

hi aka - ash, well you sound like you know the trade but the top money is usually with a part of a trade if you specialise, you pick it you do it all the very best

[Super Fridgie]

Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I sustained an ankle injury which confides me from being on the tools...Its not all about the money at this stage, just advancing myself to be the best I can be. (how corny is that!)

[mad fridgie]

I too, was once a "super fridgie" but after a while it turned me into a "mad fridgie"
To advance in this trade, I would suggest you take a MBA, and continue to move the path you are on. I wish I had!!!
If engineering is your pure goal then NZ has some of the best refigeration proffessors. The Cleland Family from Massey University Palmerston North. I would suggest you contact them on what degrees are available.

[Tesla]

Good advice mad fridgie
I attended a one week seminar on cost effective refrigeration at Massey with the Cleland brothers and Dr. White. Well worth while - at the time they would run it one year in NZ and one year in Ausie. These guys are very smart cookies they had finished initial research into trans critical co2 back in 1998. There may be some courses at Monash or MIT in Melbourne. Asides that you could specialise in controls (BMS) and/or energy management

[Super Fridgie]

Guys thanks heaps for the support, my main objective is engineer an design systems, green building are becoming a more common place and will only get bigger. I will look up the suggestion that you have mentioned but solely want a Refrigeration degree. Do any of you think the U.S / ASHRAE may point me in the right direction.
Have any of you gone down this path? If so I would love to hear how you went about it all.

"FRIDGE ON UP" maybe I should produce these bumper stickers!!lhaha!!!

Cheers guys.

[Super Fridgie]

Hi Guys, I dont think an MAB will suit as I do not wish to manage a company, I want to engineer and design systems, I am totally lost, what do I do, is there a thread about this. D I have to do Mech Engineering or is there just a straight out Refigeration degree somwhere in the world that is reconised throughout all countrys? do I contact ASHRAE. It seems to be very hard to advance with whats on offer and BMS is not for me I need todesighn, invent produce. Anymore suggestions or threads to follow? I emailed the The Cleland Family and am awaiting a reply.. Again thanks for your time and input...

[Tesla]

Hi Super Fridgie
You could look into an engineering degree in Mechatronics as I did and focus on refrigeration subjects. To be honest I think to be considered for a R+D role you will need a degree just to get in the door. By the sound of your tone you are an innovator and design would be a start. There are no degrees in pure refrigeration in NZ or Aus. You need to follow your heart in this endeavor, you don't need a degree to invent just motivation. Suck up all the latest technologies and improve on them, combine them, add your own ideas, then implement them into commercial viabilities - this is innovation which will pay you for more.
If you study the past (ancient technology), look at the present (new) technologies then you will know where to go for the future technologies. Your refrigeration spirit is on fire and needs quenching with more knowledge with results.
It's a hard road.

[Super Fridgie]

Telsa my man you are one wise Fridgie, yes the fire burning, well its actually out of control. I think I will start looking in the U.S and speaking to ASHRAE then work back from there, I do have some fantastic ideas for the marine side of refrigeration, just need funding to build a prototype which i may look into as well.

Thanks guys for all your input and with a little motivation anyone can succeed!!

[Magoo]

You have the passion to learn, which from my point is only 20% of the factor. Nuts and bolts experience is the critical thing. Get out there and do the hard yards, the midnight call outs etc., etc. Get the support of service people, they are the ones that loose family time.
Then you have the mental to be accepted. Then you can command the big dollars salary.
Check out all the local companies, are they managed by flashy suited trend setters, I doubt it. It will be by some old fart, ex tech with no hair, that is is passionate and driven by clients and will die for his service people.
magoo.

[mad fridgie]

Refrigeration is a massive field, most in the trade 99.99% are not RD, but are really application engineers. In succsessful business only 2-5% is related to "idea", I do know this from experience. (and has cost me millions to learn this)
If you do want to go down the academic track, then you need to focus on specifics of refrigeration
Chemical engineering (refrigerants, oil additives)
Mechanical engineering (compression developement, heat transfer)
Electronic engineering (control)
Physics (refrigeration types, magnetic, sound, thermoelectric, light or something not yet developed)
Biology (effects of refrigeration on organic materials)
But if I am reading between the lines correctly, you are still looking at indepth application engineering, of which commercial skill is the important factor, you can always hire expertise if it is above you level knowledge.
Please do not think I am trying to but you down, but i would hate to see one of the bright sparks within the industry, fall over due to the lack of commercialism. "I wish somebody had given me this advice"

[Tesla]

Hi Super Fridgie
Sorry I forgot to mention to definitely check out AIRAH. Also check out the story behind the Turbo Cor compressor. For your prototype could you start small and simple to prove the idea first. There have been a few new innovations mentioned on this forum. And of course the Technical book shop in Melbourne is my favorite place to buy technical refrigeration books.

[Super Fridgie]

Hey Tesla, already done, they are saying I need a bachelors degree which I don't agree with, think mi spoke with the wrong person, will try again... Thanks again for all you help, will keep you posted and let you know where I end up.. The U.S is at the top of the list right now but we will see....Cheers,
The Super Fridgie!!

[Tesla]

Super Fridgie yes please try again. I joined AIRAH in 2004 as a member and joined IRACE (NZ equivalent) in 1998 as a member. This year I did the introductory course for NABERs towards becoming an accredited assessor. I only needed a Trade Cert but have Advanced plus a few uni courses. I think AIRAH has joined with other industry organizations in the past few years. They have regular meetings and courses at the higher end of new technologies and policies. You can also join ASHRAE but I think it is very expensive. My path is similar to yours - I had an injury in 1999 my surgeon told me to change trades if I wanted to see old age. So I focused on controls and now slowly getting more into energy management and I love it.

[Super Fridgie]

Tesla, sorry to hear that you have had to go down the same road due to an injury, it really buggers up your life and direction, Ive lost everything thing, house, finances you name it, income protection does just not provide enough cash to cover a 2 year (so far) injury with 3 kids under 5 so we are re building. Member of AIRAH? Do you know Laurie Reeves? I want to be involved in designing new product or get fully into green building design, a little torn a the moment.

[Super Fridgie]

Magoo, Ive done the hard yards at groung level, low temp supermarket fridgie, I have a young family and never saw or spent time with them, the reason I want to advamnce is I love the trade have had an i injury so its either leave industry or contribute to it. I earnt bigger dollars doing the hard yards than the path i want to go down. I will never forget where I came from as that is who I am today.

[Tesla]

Super Fridgie if you are interested in green building design I suggest you first do the NABERs (check out their website) introductory course and join AIRAH. Steve Hennesy from CIBSE (hope i spelt them right) is very involved in this area. I don't know Laura Reeves, you need to renew membership each year and I haven't for a while. I haven't really worked for over a year due to redundancy. I guess I'm just waiting for the right job to come up not a steeping stone. Another option is to research the best companies who design like Danfos or medium HVACR and approach them directly. There are very few companies who actively carry out research.
Just follow you heart. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.