Tuesday, June 10, 2008

what it takes to be a handyman

To be a Handyman you must have some commonsense. Sound stupid? No it isn't because there are a lot of smart guys and gals out there that are smart and will try and replace a outlet receptacle accidentally touch the hot wire and shock the shit out of their self ! Or go to change a faucet out undo the hose line only to be given a quick shower ! (I know this because I have done this before, yes I am a dolt when I am hungover) Handyman tasks can cover a variety of things, especially around an apartment complex or a home. Different handyman light tasks can include replacing a faucet, replacing a sink, replacing a stop valve, hanging up a fluorescent light fixture, hanging a ceiling fan, changing a bad outlet, repairing counter top drawers, installing a range hood, even plunging a toilet. Some more advanced handyman tasks could include replacing a air conditioning condenser, replacing a air handler, replacing a water heater and many others. A handyman in a nut shell is a Jack of ALL trades. If anything is broke around or inside the house a Handyman should have a general idea of what needs to be done...besides pulling out the wallet and paying somebody else a shit load of money to do a job that would take a handyman 5 minutes. I myself work as a handyman for a apartment complex, we have 5oo units so that means 500 air conditioners and heaters. I get about 3-7 air conditioner calls a day. There is a huge list of things that could be wrong with air conditioner (which I will get into further detail later) and I as a handyman need to know how to troubleshoot all of the symptoms, know WHY the air conditioner coils and pipes are frozen and know what actions I have to perform to stop this from happening. A big part of becoming a handyman is knowing your basics about electrical work. How to use a meter and trouble shoot electrical issues back to the source of the problem and fixing it. And remembering to never try and repair an electrical issue unless the power is secured to it!! These are just a few of the things that I think it takes to be a handyman. I haven't even got into flushing a toilet and having it overflow with nasty crap all over the ground, and what you have to do to it when the trusty plunger or snake isn't unclogging it. So what things do you need to know to be considered a handyman?? Basically everything. Hail to the knowledgeable handyman.

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