From the time I was young, my father had me working with him on different HVAC jobs.
My dad owned the local HVAC machine corporation, and he had no issue in the least taking me with him when he went on some of his calls.
Initially, I was nothing more than his gopher, as he would have me run for all the tools he needed or whatever parts he needed out of the service van. By the time I was 13, I was practically 6 foot tall and weighed close to 200 pounds. I actually had no fat on my body, but I was mighty strong. All the work that my father had given me to do over those years, had me able to handle more than most young men who were twice my age. At that point, my father was teaching me precisely how to install furnaces and air conditioning machines. I already was aware of how to service both A/C and furnaces, and I was able to service most of the HVAC machines that were out there. When I turned 18, I was looking to work as an HVAC expert. I couldn’t easily believe how hard it was to get a work position just because I didn’t have the standard training. My dad told me that if I truly desired to work as an apprentice for a year, he would send me to HVAC machine school while doing the apprenticeship and then I could get my certification. So, I was getting prepared to go to school to learn all the things that I already knew. It didn’t seem especially fair to me, but at least I was going to be able to do the work of an official HVAC professional.