HVAC Classes

There are varied educational paths to becoming a certified HVAC technician. Some choose to garner experience on the job through apprenticeships, and others enroll in accredited HVAC classes or programs. In a survey of HVAC technicians, O*NET (2017) reported that that 55 percent of the respondents in this field held postsecondary certificates, and 16 percent had earned associate’s degrees. As regulations on the HVAC industry and contractors continue to evolve, there has been a trend toward more formal education, although there are still ample opportunities for those interested in apprenticeships.

Here is one possible path to becoming an HVAC technician:

1. Graduate from high school. Candidates in this profession typically have strong skills in the physical sciences (e.g., chemistry, physics) and at this stage, may even seek out opportunities to assist working HVAC professionals, paid or on a volunteer basis.

2. Complete an accredited HVAC program (6 months to 2 years). Community colleges, technical schools, and other institutions provide training programs at all levels (e.g., certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s) featuring coursework in HVAC system design; energy management; ductwork & piping systems; and load calculations. As part of these programs, prospective HVAC professionals not only receive didactic instruction to learn the theory of HVAC components and procedures, but also may work under the supervision of more experienced technicians to get hands-on training. There are various institutions that provide accreditation for HVAC classes—including HVAC Excellence and Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA). The accreditation process establishes educational standards and recognizes programs which meet or exceed the criteria. To learn more about accredited programs, visit the HVAC schools page.

3. (Optional) Complete an apprenticeship (3 to 5 years). In lieu of a formal training program, some HVAC technicians choose to learn through an apprenticeship where they receive 2,000 hours annually of hands-on training in the field. Some of the organizations that provide HVAC apprenticeships include the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, Inc. and the US Department of Labor’s ApprenticeshipUSA program.

4. Garner experience in the field (1 to 2 years). Depending on the type of certification an individual seeks, it may be advisable to get some empirical experience prior to applying for certification. Please note that there are some “job-ready” HVAC programs which may allow graduates to bypass this step.

5. Achieve professional certification (timeline varies). Requirements to work as an HVAC specialist vary by state, but there are some popular certifications in this industry such as those offered by the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and HVAC Excellence.

To learn about state licensure requirements in HVAC and to discover more about about the steps to becoming a certified HVAC professional, check the how to become an HVAC technician and HVAC certification pages.

Aspiring HVAC professionals are strongly encouraged to verify the accreditation status of their program prior to enrollment. The process of accreditation sets up industry-validated standards for training in HVAC to ensure that a school is meeting or exceeding the skill set necessary to uphold government regulations surrounding climate control and provide quality service to customers. Criteria for accrediting organizations may include specific curricular requirements; school finance assessments; and an examination student outcomes & support services.

As stated above, the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) is the main national accreditation body for HVAC programs. PAHRA developed its program standards in conjunction with all segments of the industry including workers, HVAC educators, administrators, and state supervisors in technical education. PAHRA-accredited programs must use the industry competency exams (ICE) for graduating students, which test knowledge in three areas: residential AC and heating, light commercial AC & heating; and commercial refrigeration. These exams are administered by North American Technician Excellence (NATE).

Additionally, HVAC Excellence has accredited HVAC programs since 1999. A two-person team (an HVAC instructor and an administrator) performs on-site evaluations and weighs criteria such as the mission of the program; school finances; the availability of student services; the quality of student facilities; and instructor credentials.

Finally, there are various organizations that provide accreditation to schools as a whole including the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) for online programs, as well as six regional bodies which have been recognized by the US Department of Education:

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

• Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

As the 2019 AHR Expo in Atlanta approaches—where thousands of HVAC professionals will gather to discover new industry technologies, products, and best practices—there are six trends in the field which have caught the experts’ attention:

Smart Systems: One of the major trends in the industry is toward “smart controls” in both residential and commercial HVAC systems. The US Energy Information Administration (2017) reported that although they can improve on energy efficiency, just 3 percent of respondents to their annual survey were using a smart thermostat — but that number is expected to increase. These intelligent controls also allow people to track energy-use patterns, detect problems with components, and send diagnostics via mobile technologies to the appropriate service agency to ensure timely maintenance and repairs. The burgeoning internet of things (IoT) has been a major driver in the automation and increased distance-based control of HVAC systems.

Increased Integration and Automation: Aided in part by the increased use of “smart” HVAC technologies, the ability to control several systems seamlessly in concert is a major goal in the industry. It is no surprise that homeowners, property managers, and business operators can benefit from having one easy-to-operate interface for temperature controls. In fact, HVAC businesses are striving to improve the mobility, user-friendliness, and comprehensiveness of software that can link multiple systems together.

HVAC Goes Green: Green technology systems that pay thought to energy conservation and efficiency are on the rise. Enervise (2015) stated that the federal government’s property-assessed clean energy financing (PACE) program has contributed to the awareness of efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the greening of HVAC by empowering local governments to fund much-needed energy improvements to residential and commercial properties. Governments pay up-front for the upgrades and property owners pay these back over time. Furthermore, buildings are striving to be net zero energy use facilities (i.e., producing as much or more energy than they consume) through the use of renewables (e.g., wind, solar, geothermal, and hydraulic) and energy recovery ventilators.

Evolving Regulations: Federal and local governments are continually changing the standards of energy use, product labeling, building codes, and tax credits, in effect rewarding the use of more efficient HVAC technologies. The US government’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) strives to develop innovative technologies to promote energy efficiency in manufacturing plants, HVAC products, new homes, and buildings. Legislation such as the Energy Policy Act (2005), as well as changes to the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) standards and seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) are applied differentially across states, affecting building codes and the type of HVAC equipment available.

Proprietary Controls: Although there’s a general move toward increased integration of HVAC systems, in order to preserve market dominance, some companies continue to create proprietary components which do not integrate seamlessly with other company’s products. HPAC Engineering (2015)—using figures from an IHS, Inc. (2014) study—reported that 14.2 of worldwide controllers used proprietary controls.