HVAC Technician Training - What to Expect

If you are considering a career change or just starting out, you may be thinking about becoming an HVAC technician. Learning more about the educational requirements and career path are the first steps toward mastering your new skill and gaining employment in this technical field. Many men and women across the country and around the world are happy in their positions as caretakers of home and business heating and ventilation systems. Perhaps this line of work is right for you.

There are a number of institutions that offer HVAC training. Whether online or in a classroom, appropriate training should include a wide variety of topics. Air conditioning technology and refrigeration as well as evacuation of systems, types of refrigerants and charging of systems is often included as introductory courses. You will also learn about controls that are automatic, electronic and those that can be programmed. Some schools will also extend their training to encompass commercial refrigeration as well as heating systems. Becoming certified in this field takes a combination of skills in order to meet the requirements for the job and the employment opportunity. 

As online education becomes more popular and convenient for many people, institutions and schools will offer many of their courses online. A sample outline for HVAC training will include a certain set of instruction modules that walk you through the course either at your own speed or within a required time frame. A lot of schools offer the training at the pace of the individual so that you can work as fast or as slowly as you feel comfortable and this often enables some individuals to work at other jobs while completing their online training. Many course outlines will include things like an introduction to climate control, mathematics needed for the trade, basics of electricity, HVAC technology basics, overviews of tools and equipment, and fundamentals of troubleshooting. From there, the course will become more specialized and detailed. 

For those individuals interested in the career opportunities for HVAC technicians, it is important to keep in mind that almost the entire country and most of the developed world relies on heating and cooling systems to keep the interior temperature of buildings and homes comfortable. These systems need regular maintenance and, in the event regular maintenance fails or is neglected, will often need repair. As such, a technician with the skills to repair or maintain these types of systems will always be in demand. Many individuals feel this is an exciting career path because they can train for it at home in their spare time and gain experience in the workforce. Once you have experience, technicians are able to find salaried and good paying positions across the country with relative ease. Whether you want to work for a contractor with an established business and regular clientele or work from the ground up and be your own boss, this type of job is flexible and pays well.