BRADENTON – On Friday, February 17, Sixteen students enrolled in the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program at Manatee Technical College visited Air & Energy, a local company owned by the Moon family that provides air conditioning, plumbing, electrical service, and generators to residents in Manatee County. Stewart Moon organized the 4-hour experience so that students had the opportunity to hear from A/C installers, service technicians, salesmen, Trane representatives, and even MTC alumni that Air & Energy has hired, like Sergio Valdez who has been with the company for eight years.
Students met industry professionals with decades of experience in HVAC to learn more about the field of work and watch demonstrations with real air conditioning equipment at the Air & Energy warehouse. Trane representatives were on site to speak in detail about how to work on the manufacturer’s equipment properly, how Trane units can differ from other brands, and the future trajectory of HVAC technology.
The group of sixteen students were broken into two groups of eight and rotated between different stations to learn more about air conditioning installation, maintenance and service, and Trane units. Doug Long, the A/C installation manager at Air & Energy, gave a presentation on how to work with duct board, different types of tape, flexible ductwork, and mastic. Long showed the MTC students how to achieve clean lines with mastic, and even noted that he tries to make sure the words on the tape are all flowing in the same direction because the quality of workmanship shows in the details.
Some of the advice Air & Energy’s A/C service technicians had for the students included the importance of listening to homeowners about what problems they’re experiencing before getting into diagnostics on equipment. Blaine Sanders, an air conditioning technician with decades of experience, emphasized the importance of starting with the most simple solutions before jumping to conclusions. For instance, Sanders suggested even starting with checking that the thermostat is turned on before moving down the list of possibilities. Eddi Pena, who very recently was in the HVAC/R class at MTC himself, had some advice for his former classmates. Pena told the students, “Don’t be afraid to call your office if you get stuck. They are there to help you.”
The company regularly hires MTC alumni and is dedicated to helping future generations of air conditioning professionals gain hands-on experience under the mentorship of seasoned A/C technicians and installers.
If you would like more information about Air & Energy, please call (941) 778 – 0773 or visit www.airandenergy.biz
About Air & Energy
Air & Energy, owned and operated by the Moon Family, is your local air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, and generator company offering award-winning service. www.airandenergy.biz