Growing Up in the Trade
For Asher Adelstein, HVAC wasn’t something he stumbled into. It was something he grew up around.
Based in Palm Beach County, Florida, Asher is a second-generation HVAC technician who has been around the trade for as long as he can remember. His father has owned an HVAC company in South Florida for more than 30 years, and some of Asher’s earliest memories include climbing a two-story ladder with his dad at seven years old and learning his way around a torch by the time he was nine.
“I tell people I was born into it and I love it,” Asher says. “I was not forced into it.”
After high school, there was no question about what came next. While teachers encouraged him to go to college, Asher already knew the path he wanted to take.
“I’ve seen what my dad’s done with his life,” he says. “I’m doing HVAC.”
After taking about a month off after graduation, he went straight into the field and has been working in HVAC full-time for the past nine years.
Learning From His Dad
Asher didn’t go to trade school. Instead, his education came hands-on, working alongside his father and learning from someone with more than 40 years of experience in the industry.
For him, that relationship has been one of the best parts of the trade.
“He’s got a lot of good old-school tips and tricks,” Asher says. “And with my generation, we’ve got a lot of new-school tips and tricks I’ve been able to share with him as well.”
That mix of experience and fresh perspective has helped shape Asher into a well-rounded technician.
Residential HVAC in South Florida
Today, Asher has branched out, running his own company, Irie Air. With his main focus being in residential HVAC.
“I’m kind of an all-in-one tech,” he says. “I’m doing the maintenances, the services, the installs, the sales, estimates, just basically everything.”
A typical day might start at the supply house, picking up materials for an upcoming job, followed by service calls, diagnostics, repairs, or estimates. In South Florida, some problems are common: bad capacitors, clogged drain lines, and refrigerant leaks are regular parts of the job.
“You never know what to expect, you never know who you’re going to meet or what the condition of the house is.”
The Service Calls That Make You Think
When asked what part of HVAC he enjoys most, Asher has a hard time choosing between service and installs. On the service side, he enjoys the challenge of diagnostics, especially when the answer isn’t immediately obvious.
“I love the service side, especially when you get a tricky diagnosis and you have to use your brain more,” he says.
On the install side, he takes pride in setting systems up properly and making them serviceable for the future.
“I really do enjoy installs, being able to make installs serviceable for the future and just have pride in your work to make it look as nice as you can,” he says.
That balance between troubleshooting and craftsmanship is part of what keeps him passionate about the trade.
Always Learning
Even after growing up in HVAC and working in the field full-time, Asher doesn’t claim to have mastered it all.
In fact, that mindset is one of the things that stands out about him.
“You don’t really master everything,” he says. “You’re always constantly learning. If you think you know it all in HVAC, you definitely don’t.”
Listening to the System
For Asher, diagnostics don’t always start with tools. Sometimes they start with simply listening.
“A lot of times, nine out of ten times, you can diagnose a call just from the indoor unit,” he says.
The sound of the system can tell him a lot before he even starts digging deeper.
The Viper Products in His Truck
Asher has been on Viper’s radar for a while, regularly tagging the brand in his field content.
His first Viper product was Nylog Blue, followed by Big Blu, WetRag Putty, and Viper Wipes. These days, Viper Wipes are a daily-use item.
“They actually stay in my passenger seat,” he says. “I use them every single day.”
And when Big Blu comes out, Asher and his friends already have a saying for it, “when the Big Blu comes out, so does the big money with it.”
Finding Community Online
While Asher learned the foundation of the trade from his father, he also credits the HVAC community on Instagram with helping him grow.
He has connected with technicians across the country, many of whom he has never met in person but still considers part of his support system.
“So many people I’ve met on Instagram that I haven’t necessarily met in person yet, I could call them and they will drop what they’re doing and walk me through an issue if I’m having it,” he says.
For Asher, that support is one of the best parts of the online HVAC community. It’s not about competition. It’s about helping each other get better.
“They’re so willing to help you out,” he says. “I’ve met so many incredible people through Instagram and then met them in person.”
The Community Connection
When asked what being part of the HVAC community means to him, Asher doesn’t hesitate to point back to the support he has received.
He remembers being stuck on a job and calling someone in the community for help. That person stayed on the phone with him for two hours in the middle of the day to help him diagnose the unit.
To Asher, that says everything. “It’s more than just an online friendship,” he says. “They almost become like family, even though you’re not seeing them every day.”
That kind of support is one of the things that makes this industry special.
HVAC is Motivation
Even after spending the majority of his life in HVAC, Asher still looks forward to the work. “I’m just so passionate about HVAC,” he says. “I literally look forward to Mondays.”
For him, the motivation comes from meeting new customers, solving problems, and doing work he genuinely enjoys.
“I would not want to be doing anything else with my life except for what I’m doing now,” he says.
Outside of HVAC, Asher enjoys being outside, gardening, growing tropical fruit trees in South Florida, and working on his classic truck. But the trade is clearly a major part of who he is.
Advice for the Next Generation
For younger technicians coming into the trade, Asher’s advice is simple: never stop learning.
“There’s so much to learn in this industry,” he says.
He also encourages newer techs to become well-rounded. Instead of only focusing on installs or only focusing on service, he recommends getting comfortable with both sides of the trade.
“Dabble around with service and install so that way you’re comfortable on both ends and familiar on both ends,” he says.
For Asher, HVAC is more than a job. It’s family, community, problem-solving, and a career he has loved from the beginning. From learning beside his dad in South Florida to building his own company and connecting with techs across the country, Asher represents the kind of technician this industry needs: passionate, humble, skilled, and always looking for the next thing to learn.
Be sure to follow Asher on Instagram @asheradelstein