Real Consulting // Learn By Doing at Wighton’s

Lenny and I in the Workshop

By Josh Erdman, Senior Consultant

This morning at Wighton’s Lenny took on the extra role of being my HVAC mentor. I previously arranged to come by and get a ‘dirty jobs’ equivalent training on ductwork and Lenny didn’t disappoint! He showed me how HVAC companies cut those perfectly shaped circular holes for air duct, build commercial ducting, also the use of this $4,000 spot welding tool to hold on insulation.

Then it was time to start work on the plenum that I removed from our house this weekend. Lenny handed me a pair of tin snips and put me to work adding new ducting holes for a heating upgrade I have been planning.

Lenny plays a pretty key role, building critical duct-work for the techs who go onsite, rushing to complete heating jobs before the cold sets in. Part of the morning he was called away to an important meeting and left me alone, in the shop, with all these tools. It didn’t take long to notice that Wighton’s strives to provide a quality service. Not only was I impressed with the craftsmanship, but there is an appealing teamwork attitude.

While Lenny was gone, I had a chance to look around. I found the training wall that shows the importance of investing in people over process and a picture archive of HVAC work done wrong. Just like in tech, some of the things Wighton’s techs have stumbled upon are outrageous or appalling, leaving the trash behind, or allowing flammable materials to rest upon the heater exhaust.

I also had time to go through their boneyard of old air-ducts that were ripped out to make room for new equipment or remodels. I could definitely see the difference in quality between what was being installed with what was being replaced. It reminded me of the boneyard we have at TekTegrity of old equipment that we accumulate until we send it off to eWaste. Too often we are installing high-end severs to replace sub-par equipment that were used to provide critical services for a business.

Now looking at my plenum with these new skills, I could see the poor quality and even holes that leak precious heat into my attic. Ric Schorer, owner of Wighton’s, came by to check in on me and taught me about proper sizing and how my heater is actually working harder to push the heat through my house because of how my plenum was built. Not only did we get my heater’s plenum built properly, but he provided me with the glue to seal up the holes.

I’m looking forward to installing my new plenum and found this visit to be enlightening and has left me looking forward to my next adventure in #RealConsulting.

// Josh has been in IT since 1997 and never leaves behind an opportunity to learn something new. He is a true ‘Jack of all trades’, a skill he taps into with his consulting, as he is always on the lookout for new ways to merge technology with business processes.  In his spare time, Josh jumps into any opportunity to present technology and science to kids and loves public speaking.  To relax, he works on his home farm, building barns and fences for his wife who fills each corral with goats, chickens, and coming soon – a pig! Oh – and you should taste his home brew!