Are there any AC techs out there who struggled with wiring but eventually feel they have mastered it who can share some insight on what helped them grasp it ?

Andy

The more wiring you do the better you get at it. For low voltage color code language is easily remembered and for line voltages the National Electric Code or the manufactures install instructions will usually get you by on a install. Other than that read my signature note.

I was very very nervous around electrical wiring when I first started HVAC/R school and knew nothing about it. I had an instructor that was very strict about electrical theory. I started to get it... sorta. Another guy was struggling so I would explain it to him. In a way I was teaching him what was just taught to me. This helped me grasp it faster. Now I can say that electrical systems are my strongest area.

I was very very nervous around electrical wiring when I first started HVAC/R school and knew nothing about it. I had an instructor that was very strict about electrical theory. I started to get it....sorta. Another guy was struggling so I would explain it to him. In a way I was teaching him what was just taught to me. This helped me grasp it faster. Now I can say that electrical systems are my strongest area.

I've done a fair amount of training in my career and finally took a course called "Train the Trainer". I learned the most effective way to learn is to teach others.

This will seem totally off the wall, but it would not hurt to try. I am a mechanic, and have struggled with electrical as well.

Until I thought to think of electricity in terms of fluid. I know that sounds odd, but for me it works.

For example:

Current is like water flowing through a garden hose, and your trying to fill a swimming pool. If there are no restrictions, it flows freely. Say you have a giant hole in the hose, and all the water is escaping, none is making it to the pool. This is like an electrical short... the current is going somewhere, just not where you need it to. Current is the water flow, voltage is like the force or pressure that it has, etc.

andycap:

Can you give an example of difficulty?

What I see is the inability for the manufacturer to provide enough information to understand something. It's not limited to HVAC. It's almost as though they don't want you to know how it works so you have to throw it away and get another one.

Are there any AC techs out there who struggled with wiring but eventually feel they have mastered it who can share some insight on what helped them grasp it ?

Andy
We all have to learn somewhere. If you don't have a Guru to help you learn, find a good book, like this one:

Amazon.com: Wiring a House (For Pros by Pros): Rex Cauldwell: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Wiring-House-Pros-Rex-Cauldwell/dp/1561585270)

For me, I tend to think of electrical wiring as a road map. The wires being the roads and relays, switches etc are the intersections and stop lights.