As temperatures rise, the phones of HVACR businesses start ringing with customers scheduling their annual AC tune-ups. That seasonal surge is exactly when inconsistency shows up — and costs you. A well-built AC maintenance checklist keeps every visit thorough, documented, and consistent, regardless of which technician is on the job. 

Do you remember when people used to say, “We don’t get weather like we used to?” Living in the Mid-Atlantic gateway to the Northeast, specifically New Jersey, I can relate. It had been quite some time since we experienced a “real winter.” That changed this year when temperatures dropped below design conditions for an extended period of time and 18 to 24 inches of snow fell within a few days. It was a powerful reminder that weather is not consistent; it operates on cycles and long-term averages.

One of the biggest barriers to early career awareness isn’t interest—it’s language. Terms like HVACR, plumbing, or the mechanical trades don’t naturally live in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. But air and water do. Children feel them, see them, and rely on them every day. That insight is foundational to the Next Up Trades to the HVACR and Plumbing Discovery Kits and lesson plans. Rather than introducing technical job titles too early, the curriculum intentionally starts with air and water as classroom language.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has named Ryan Kiscaden the 2025 Spirit of Independence Award winner for his extraordinary efforts to educate and inspire the next generation of HVACR professionals—beginning in the pages of a children’s book.