HVAC CERTIFICATION Learn how to become HVAC certified

By: myHVACcertification.com

What Is HVAC?HVAC is an acronym that stands for:

● Heating● Ventilation● Air Conditioning

Why is HVAC Important?

Whether in a business, home or car, HVAC systems help individuals live a comfortable life regardless of outdoor conditions and temperatures.

HVAC systems make sure that the indoor air quality of any building, especially commercial buildings, are of high quality and safe to the general public.

What is a HVAC TechnicianTechnicians (or techs) are the hardworking, licensed specialists that design, install, maintain and repair HVAC systems in residential and commercial buildings.

Technicians are not required to complete formal education prior to receiving their HVAC certification, but it is recommended, as these training programs will help prepare a person interested in becoming a technician for the certification exam.

HVAC Salary StatisticsAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “the employment of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.”

The avg hourly wage for a technician is $20.98 and the avg yearly salary is $43,640.

Entry Level HVAC JobsAccording to over 20 HVAC professionals, the way that you will spend your first year as a HVAC technician will vary based on your education and size of company that you’ll be working for.

In regards to company size, larger companies will want you to work directly with an experienced HVAC tech for up to the first year to learn the ropes and gain experience through hands-on, supervised work. If working with a smaller company, bosses might want to throw you into the “deep end” much quicker than a large company because more work = more pay for the owner.

Entry Level HVAC Jobs

Although responsibilities will vary, the majority of the first years will

consist of tasks including:

● Washing coils

● Changing filters and belts

● Getting paperwork signed

● Fetching tools for the

experienced HVAC techs

Top HVAC CertificationsThere are many different trade schools and private companies that offer training programs focused on helping people prepare for, and pass, the exam. With so many options, it’s important to always seek out and do research on the different training programs with good reputations within the HVAC industry and with homeowners. Overall, there are two main organizations that stand out:

NATE CertificationNorth American Technical Excellence, or NATE for short, establishes high standard to ensure that techs are qualified and have a thorough understanding of commercial and/or residential HVAC systems.NATE is HQ’d in Arlington, Virginia and, according to their website, “is the nation’s largest non-profit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians. NATE is the only technician certification organization governed, owned, operated, developed and supported by the HVACR industry.”

NATE Certification Costs

● What’s Required: In order to become NATE certified, you will

need to pass the Core Exam & one specialized exam of your

choice (see above NATE section for more information)

● Cost: $250 per exam

● Note: If you have not received prior NATE certification, your

cost to become certified will be $500 total. If you wish to test

for an additional specialization, you must pay an extra

$250/exam

RSES CertificationRefrigeration Service Engineer Society, or RSES for short, was established in 1933 as a leader in training and education for HVAC technicians and contractors. Before RSES was created, there were not any formal training programs for HVAC professionals besides in-factory training, which typically lasted only 3-4 weeks.

As the industry grew with the demand for more HVAC systems, RSES was born to help serve as a way for professionals to collect, distribute and exchange ideas within the industry.

RSES Certification Costs

● What’s Required: To take the CM exam, candidates must be

an RSES member

● Membership Costs:● Student: $51.50/year – candidate must be enrolled in

accredited HVAC program● Individual: $128/year● Lifetime: $2,000 upfront

● Exam Cost: Active RSES members can take the exam for $25

Certification Benefit #1

● Technicians: receiving your certification will result in a

greater amount of trust between you and your client,

resulting in larger amount of sales and referrals. Whether

you’re working for a private company or own your own

business, your certification will help establish a longer-

lasting relationship between you and increase your

reputation in the community.

Certification Benefit #2

● Contractors: when looking to hire a HVAC technician

for a job, contracts prefer technicians that have received

their certification because it shows that they have

received the education and hands-on training to do the

job right the first time, thus cutting down on time, money

and other resources.

Certification Benefit #3

● Manufacturers & Distributors: companies prefer to

work with certified technicians because this knowledge

directly translates to proper installations and usage of

their products, thus decreasing the amount of returns and

increase in sales due to satisfied customers and

referrals.

Certification Benefit #4

● Homeowners: doing the job right the first time saves

homeowners time and money on their utilities bill, and

homeowners can rest assured that this will be the

case when they know that you’ve gone through the

most extensive training program.

EPA 608 Certification

The EPA Section 608 Certification can be received to prove that candidates understand and abide by several EPA requirements on service practices and refrigerant reclamation.

Any person who performs maintenance, service, repair or refrigerant disposal that could be expected to release refrigerants into the atmosphere needs to receive their EPA 608 Certification

EPA Certification Types

1. Core: The initial exam that must be passed in order to earn

any other EPA Section 608 certification

2. Type-I: For servicing small appliances

3. Type-II: For servicing or disposing of high-pressure

appliances, except small appliances and MVACs

4. Type-III: For servicing or disposing of low-pressure appliances

5. Universal: Received when a candidate successfully passes

all four sections of the examination.

Additional Information

Interested in learning more about the HVAC Certification process from start to finish? Visit:

www.MyHVACCertification.com