The saying, even doctors need doctors, became true when I started my first job.
I remember that day like it was yesterday. It started as a sunny, laid-back day. There were not a lot of calls coming in or any previously scheduled jobs. Being a fairly recruit, I was going through the manual for the various processes such as duct cleaning. Being a local business, we had well-functioning heat and AC products because we took the regular maintenance of the systems. We boasted of the high indoor air quality that we enjoyed each time we came to the office. Around midday, we heard a loud rumbling noise then after a few minutes, the heat pump restarted on its own. We noticed that the quality of the air had deteriorated within an hour. The head of the apprentice program at the company saw a good learning opportunity for the trainees including me. She took us to the basement where the air purification system is located and supervised each step we took to repair the air purifier. A few of us were assigned the process of inspecting the interior of the system. I was responsible for duct sealing the ductwork. After sealing the air ducts, we removed the washable filters then reinstalled them. She would ask us to explain each step to see our level of understanding about air quality systems. Cleaning the air filters was key to maintaining indoor comfort. Lastly, we noticed that the thermostat was not working, but it only needed new batteries. It was such an insightful experience that assured me of my mastery of this equipment. To our surprise, our supervisor rated our input on the issue and the scores would influence the overall scores for the apprentice program.