Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ever show up to fix one unit and walk away without noticing the bigger problem staring you in the face? That's exactly what happened on a recent service call — and it's a lesson every tech needs to hear.
In this video, Larry breaks down a real-world situation where a walk-in freezer was struggling to maintain temperature, not just because of the unit the team was called for, but because a second unit in the same cooler had eight inches of ice built up on it. The result? The company had to pull all their ice cream, pizza, and frozen products off the shelves — something that could have been avoided.
The takeaway is simple but powerful: The Wide/Narrow/Wide Approach. When a call comes in, yes — narrow your focus and own that issue. But before you ever walk through the door, take the big picture approach. Survey the whole location. Talk to the manager. Run your hand over every condenser. Check that heat rejection. Make sure everything is draining.
Then, before you leave, zoom back out. Ask yourself: is every piece of equipment at this location in acceptable shape? That's the mindset shift from "I fix units" to "I own this location."
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes, and find our handy calculators at hvacrschool.com or the HVAC School Mobile App on the Google Play Store (hvacrschool.com/play-store) or App Store (hvacrschool.com/app-store).
Ever show up to fix one unit and walk away without noticing the bigger problem staring you in the face? That's exactly what happened on a recent service call — and it's a lesson every tech needs to hear.
In this video, Larry breaks down a real-world situation where a walk-in freezer was struggling to maintain temperature, not just because of the unit the team was called for, but because a second unit in the same cooler had eight inches of ice built up on it. The result? The company had to pull all their ice cream, pizza, and frozen products off the shelves — something that could have been avoided.
The takeaway is simple but powerful: The Wide/Narrow/Wide Approach. When a call comes in, yes — narrow your focus and own that issue. But before you ever walk through the door, take the big picture approach. Survey the whole location. Talk to the manager. Run your hand over every condenser. Check that heat rejection. Make sure everything is draining.
Then, before you leave, zoom back out. Ask yourself: is every piece of equipment at this location in acceptable shape? That's the mindset shift from "I fix units" to "I own this location."
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes, and find our handy calculators at hvacrschool.com or the HVAC School Mobile App on the Google Play Store (hvacrschool.com/play-store) or App Store (hvacrschool.com/app-store).
