HVAC Careers | HVAC Technician Jobs | What is Air Conditioning Repair?
HVAC Technician Jobs - What is the Job of HVAC Contractors? What does a HVAC Installation Involve?
Heating and air conditioning technicians are responsible for regulating the temperature and humidity of the air in commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. These professionals may also be known as HVAC technicians, which comes from the acronym heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.
Heating and refrigeration systems contain many electrical components such as fans, ducks, motors, switches, and pumps, and HVAC technicians must be able to troubleshoot these systems. Most HVAC technician jobs will first start by trying to diagnose the refrigeration or heating problem using special testing equipment, and an HVAC tech will then perform repairs, replacing any damage fans, compressors, or other equipment.
HVAC jobs will also involve performing regular maintenance on a heating or cooling system, and HVAC repair workers will install new refrigeration or air conditioning systems for commercial or residential structures. Heating and air conditioning repair technicians may also the responsibility of hooking up electrical wiring for cooling and heating units and checking to make sure that they are operating properly.
Heat pumps are increasingly common in both residential and commercial locations, and these appliances are responsible for centrally heating and cooling a home. Since heat pumps will be used in residential homes in both the winter and the summer, they need frequent maintenance and must be replaced more commonly than traditional furnaces.
Refrigeration mechanics have the responsibility of installing commercial refrigeration systems, following blueprints and designs in order to install the motors, condensers, evaporators, and compressors, that a refrigeration system will require. A refrigeration technician will also install ductwork and the refrigeration power source and refrigeration lines.
Refrigeration technicians will also make sure to recycle any refrigerants that have been extracted from air conditioning systems, as these can cause ozone layer depletion.
Heating and air conditioning technicians will use a wide variety of tools which can include hammers, tin snips, pipe cutters, benders, electrical drills, and measuring devices in order to repair and install ducts and refrigeration lines.
There is some overlap in the work of an HVAC technician job which may be completed by electricians, sheet metal workers, or plumbers, pie players, and pipe fitters. These additional construction installers are usually needed during commercial and industrial projects, as HVAC technicians will commonly multitask during home appliance repairs or installation.
Working Conditions for HVAC Jobs - How is the Working Environment for a Heating and Air Conditioning Repair Worker?
The working environment for heating and cooling technician jobs usually involves working in homes, offices, factories, and hospitals, and the HVAC job itself can involve working outside in extremely hot or cold weather. Positioning for an HVAC technician can be awkward, including bending and kneeling, and workplace hazards can include burns, shocks, and muscle strains, in addition to the danger of inhaling refrigerants.
Most heating and cooling mechanics and HVAC contractors will work 40 hours weeks, although heating repair technicians may have to work overtime during busy seasons. Heating and cooling maintenance workers may be hired by companies such as hospitals to maintain a system all year round, being on call constantly.
Due to negotiating long-term contracts with clients, most heating and cooling manufactures and contractors are able to schedule work so that it is available year round, offering relatively stable HVAC employment.
HVAC Training - How to Become a HVAC Technician - How to Receive HVAC Training
HVAC careers will usually require formal training, which will last for two years at a vocational or community college. Heating and cooling system certification is available from the HVAC Excellence, the Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration, and the National Center for Construction Education and Research.
Most heating and refrigeration mechanic jobs are offered through apprenticeships which are run by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Classroom instruction for heating system repair jobs can include heating, ventilation, refrigeration systems, and other types of repair.
Most HVAC technicians will start their HVAC training on the job by carrying materials and insulating lines, and heating repair workers will eventually move on to more complicated tasks, such as cutting pipe and sheet metal.
Air Conditioning Repair Job Requirements - How to Obtain HVAC Certification
HVAC technicians and heating and air conditioning installers must be licensed in a number of states. State HVAC licensing usually requires an examination and a set period of training, including completion of an apprenticeship program.
Most HVAC workers will be trained in various areas of certification which include type one, which involves servicing small appliances, type two, which involves handling refrigerants, and type three, which involves handling low pressure refrigerants.
For those HVAC technicians with less than a year of on the job experience, there are exams which offer certification in basic competency and residential heating and cooling systems, in addition to commercial refrigeration repair. These entry level HVAC certification standards are usually offered at technical schools, and in order to become an HVAC technician, one must have two years of on the job experience performing repair and one year of performing HVAC installations.
Certification tests are offered by the HVAC Excellence, the North American Technician Excellence Incorporated, and the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society.
Some HVAC mechanics advance by becoming a supervisor or moving into sales and marketing. With enough experience and money, some HVAC technicians decide to open up their own heating and cooling contractor businesses.
HVAC Employment - What are the Future Employment Prospects for Heating Contractor Jobs?
Over the next decade, heating and refrigeration mechanics should expect employment growth by about 9%, keeping pace with the rate of population growth. Most HVAC systems need to be replaced every decade, and these upgrades or replacements should keep HVAC technicians very busy over the next ten years.
In addition, air conditioning and heating systems are becoming increasingly complex and computerized, which are creating additional opportunities for HVAC mechanic employment. Commercial businesses also upgrade their heating and cooling systems in order to save on energy costs, installing more energy efficient HVAC systems.
Job prospects for refrigeration mechanics and heating installers overall are excellent due to lack of those entering the field and even fewer becoming certified at an accredited college. Heating installation work can drop off during a construction bust, however, cooling unit repair work is always in demand.
HVAC Repair Salary Pay Scale - How Much Do HVAC Technician Jobs Earn?
In 2006, heating mechanics and air conditioning repair jobs had median earnings of $18.11, with those working for plumbing and hardware wholesalers earning the highest rate of pay at $20.53 an hour. Air conditioning mechanics working for electrical contractors had the lowest rate of pay at $16.74 an hour on median.
Most HVAC mechanics and HVAC installers receive generous pension plans and benefits, in addition to paid work training. About a sixth of all refrigeration mechanics and heating installers are members of the union, which include the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association.