HVAC Training Comprehensive Resources

Don’t make a possible mistake in choosing an HVAC School in your career path. Get all the facts before getting an HVAC Certification. You will find more HVAC Schools in the south, but will aso find HVAC Colleges in the Atlantic States, as well as fine HVAC schools in the Midwest and elsewhere.

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The technology of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning HVAC, is an essential element of mechanical engineering for dwellings and industrial buildings. HVAC refers to the process of maintaining temperate indoor conditions. It also concerns the thermodynamic-and heat-transfer capabilities of structures such as large industrial offices.

HVAC Facts

 

Nature of the Work

According to CollegeGrad.com, all types of structures – including industrial, commercial, and residential – rely on heating and air-conditioning systems to control air quality, warmth, coolness, and humidity within the confines of a building. The nature of the work varies depending on region, building structure, climate, and many other factors. As such, technicians can work alongside or with a team of assemblers.

  • Gadsden State claims that there are excellent job prospects in the HVAC industry. This is especially true for technicians who have formal training at a specialty school or apprenticeship.
  • Technicians may work from blueprints, verbal orders, or both, as described in the Alberta Occupational Profiles.
  • CollegeGrad.com reports that HVAC technicians can be workers who service refrigerators and refrigeration systems as well as heating and ventilation systems.
  • South Plains College explains that there are many electronic, electrical, and mechanical factors in the HVAC industry that involve parts such as fans, ducts, pipes, compressors, and motors.
  • According to the Career Technology Center, HVAC techs may work alone or as part of a team. However, technicians working in the plumbing, pipe-fitting, and steam-fitting areas generally work alone and need good physical endurance for heavy lifting and potential inclement weather conditions when on the job.
  • Most HVAC techs work in institutions such as hospitals, homes, stores, and offices.

The following websites offer details about the nature of an HVAC technician’s work:

Top industries HVAC Professionals

 

Working Conditions

With the growing population and subsequent increase in building construction, more climate-control systems are required as a result. According to LaborMarket Info HVAC work is therefore a generally stable industry.

  • CollegeGrad.com explains that HVAC technicians perform service calls where they may be dispatched to many different locations within a workday. They may also stay on one assigned site throughout the workday.
  • According to MyPlan.com, HVAC technicians work in a variety of locations that require maintenance or work on climate-control systems. These include but not limited to hospitals, office buildings, factories, and family homes.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that it is not uncommon for HVAC workplaces to be either extremely hot or extremely cold, depending on whether the heating or cooling systems are in need of repair.
  • Exposure to hazardous equipment, working in cramped or enclosed spaces, and being required to wear protective safety gear can be common daily practices for HVAC technicians as reported by Iseek.org.
  • According to OCCinfo, working conditions for HVAC technicians can vary from site to site, ranging from being on rooftops that are exposed to the elements, working in cramped vents, dealing with gases under high pressure, or laboring in an indoor computer room. 

The following websites provide further details about the different working conditions of HVAC technicians:

 

Top paying metro

Employment

HVAC techs may see periods of unemployment during times when construction work is on the decline. On the other hand, maintenance jobs are fairly constant.

CollegeToolKit.com reported that HVAC technicians made for 308,200 jobs in 2008 in the U.S. and that 16% of these technicians and installers were self-employed.

  • OCCinfo.com reports that mechanics specializing in refrigeration and air conditioning are typically employed by AC-and-refrigeration installment companies.
  • Mechanics are capable of advancing in rank to supervisory and management roles, according to OCCinfo.com
  • Open Universities Australia has reported an employment growth for HVAC technicians over the last five years of 2,600 jobs for both males and females.
  • Opportunities for HVAC employment are made available through vacancies due to retirement and employment increases due to supply and demand from building increases according to Service Canada.
  • The Employment Development Department maintains that potential HVAC workers should apply directly to employers since this strategy continues  to  be one  of the most effective job-hunting techniques.
  • iSustainableEarth.com predicts that HVAC employment will increase 29% between 2010 and 2020. This will result in a higher demand for trained HVAC technicians and mechanics.

Here are some other useful links regarding HVAC employment:

Training, Certifications, and Qualifications

  • HVAC mechanics who have learned the trade through formal schooling or an apprenticeship are preferred by employers over those who have trained informally in the field according to CityTownInfo.com
  • Kaplan College reports that the main functions HVAC professionals perform include installation and maintenance, heating and air conditioning system repairs, and refrigeration repair and maintenance.
  • CareerOneStop.com states that a typical education for the HVAC technician involves achieving a postsecondary, non-degree schooling award.
  • According to MyFuture.com, some of the states in the country require HVAC technicians to be licensed, but requirements vary from state to state.

Here are some further resources on HVAC training, certifications, and qualifications at different universities and technical schools:

Resources on how to Find an HVAC Job

Top paying states

HVAC technicians have a variety of resources available to assist with job searching:

Earnings

Percentile Salary

OCCinfo.com reports the average hourly rate of an HVAC journeyperson as of 2009 as being between $23-$32 per hour, not including benefits. The mean dollar amount for Albertans in the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics occupational group was $36.46 per hour.

  • Labor Market Info stated that the salaries and wages of HVAC technicians in the state of California differ according to responsibilities, job duties, experience, location, and type of industry.

For more information on salary and wages for HVAC technicians, visit the following websites:

Related Occupations

OCCinfo.com names related occupations to include jobs such as gasfitter, plumber, appliance-service technician, sheet-metal worker, and transport refrigeration technician, among many others.

Moraine Valley Community College states that it is not uncommon for HVAC techs to share the same skills as boilermakers, pipe fitters, electricians, and pipe layers.

Other resources and the related occupations that they report:

  • CareerOneStop: locksmiths, safe repairers, motorcycle mechanics, power-tool and electric-motor repairers
  • O*NetOnline.org: elevator installers and repairers, control-and-valve installers, automotive master mechanics, motorboat mechanics, and service technicians

Relevant Laws and Legislations

Resources for laws and legislations surrounding HVAC employment positions and HVAC related fields:

Selected Other Educational Resources

Books and publications

Articles and Websites

  • California Department of Housing and Community Development
    www.hcd.ca.gov
  • Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute
    www.ari.org
  • United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices
    www.ua.org