Service Manuals, why the secrecy?

[AUcooler]

Its beyond me why many A/C distributers wont freely supply PDF service manuals these days. The company I work for services a regional area of NSW. 100km in either direction for a set of traffic lights, if you get my drift. My mobile phone is clogged with tech support numbers for the many brands of A/C and refrigeration we service. We are also service agents for many brands and still I often find it difficult to recieve worthwhile tech support at times. Usually the overworked tech support guy will supply an error code and read off a few words from a flow chart, then hang up. Some use message bank and may or may not ring you in a day or two time. Electronic control is a continous evolution that requires support from the distributers that supply the product.
These days I will often ask the tech support guy to email me the manual in PDF, some guys a great and help out this way, others though are about as useless as a spayed ballbag. I simply wont reccomend their product. I tell the client that its a nice A/C unit but its not supported in the bush, dont buy. A good percentage of the posts in these forums is just guys trying to service and promote a product. Why cant qualified trademen just quote their license number in a registration process online and access databases for the various brands?

Ok ive had my rant any comment

[El Padre]

If you are working a lot with the main split VRV/F manufacturers then service manuals are readily available over the internet, you can register with them and download as many manuals as you need.

With chillers its a bit different, companies like Johnson controls wont provide any information at all, and if you phone them up and disclose the serial numbers they will find out what site its on and contact the customer directly!

I can understand trying to keep a few trade secrets but the open policy of Daikin/Mitsubishi/Hitachi etc. does not seemed to have done them any harm.

It also highlights just how helpful this forum is, obviously thanks to the many members who share the knowledge and experience generously.

Happy Independance day for yesterday for any of our Greek members!

Cheers

[chemi-cool]

AUcooler is absolutely right!

Holding back info is a good reason for me not to buy curtain products.

Carrier have all the info you need on the inside of the electric compartment door.
York and Trane Will not give you any piece of paper.

Its stupid really cos it give them bad reputation.

I'm in charge of a new big AC project and the contractor has already signed that he will provide all the manuals to the customer.

It is essential tool for good and quick maintenance.

[paul_h]

Its beyond me why many A/C distributers wont freely supply PDF service manuals these days. The company I work for services a regional area of NSW. 100km in either direction for a set of traffic lights, if you get my drift. My mobile phone is clogged with tech support numbers for the many brands of A/C and refrigeration we service. We are also service agents for many brands and still I often find it difficult to recieve worthwhile tech support at times. Usually the overworked tech support guy will supply an error code and read off a few words from a flow chart, then hang up. Some use message bank and may or may not ring you in a day or two time. Electronic control is a continous evolution that requires support from the distributers that supply the product.
These days I will often ask the tech support guy to email me the manual in PDF, some guys a great and help out this way, others though are about as useless as a spayed ballbag. I simply wont reccomend their product. I tell the client that its a nice A/C unit but its not supported in the bush, dont buy. A good percentage of the posts in these forums is just guys trying to service and promote a product. Why cant qualified trademen just quote their license number in a registration process online and access databases for the various brands?

Ok ive had my rant any comment

Well in australia it's different. If you want to sign up as an agent, they'll give you everything.
So it makes me ask the question, are you a installer or repairer, and if a repairer, why not sign up as an agent? Greatest benefit which I'm sure you'll like, besides lower prices is reduced/free shipping.
Mind you another difference is some brands want to be a monopoly, and no chance of signing up with them anyway.
Others respect the guys who signed up as agents, the make their agents sometimes run around in circles, so if joe bloggs call them, they'd rather not give info away so their agent who has earned it can get a little of better paying out of warranty work.
Lastly, even people who are agents fr certain brands get ignored plenty by the manufacturers techies, so don't feel like its personal.

I've been there on both sides, some will talk which is great, some just want a monopoly, I as a agent have helped others, manufacturers have referred everyone to me to give me that choice (even though I do help out all the time, it's nice that some random isn't given the the same info freely from the manufacturer that I have to work hard for and do ****ty jobs I wouldn't do otherwise), and also I've been in the OPs position many times and I haven't been able to find **** about certain units at all.

[Lowrider]

All new equipment should be supplied with a manual, by law. If it's missing, i don't think you can hold it against a supplier that they won't supply you a new one, just like that.
Plus they have there own service techs too, who also have 2 eat!
A lot of the manuals they have in the offices contain more info than any, non brand allied service tech, should just have. it could, imho, do more damage than one should want, plus some info is just not available to the public.
Most of the manuals that come with, eg a chiller are available online, even @ Trane and York.

[El Padre]

Have to admit that Trane and Carrier do supply information on their websites, Trane also give out the Techview software for free! As for York, its not straight forward obtaining a parts list, at least here in the UK.

Having said this I dont what other industries are like.

Cheers