When businesses or homeowners need their heating system, cooling system or refrigerator fixed, they turn to an HVACR technician. HVACR technicians need to be prepared to tackle many different problems and must also work with a variety of different people on a daily basis. As central heating and cooling systems become more popular, the demand for HVACR technicians continues to rise. So, what are some questions that must be answered and skills that someone must possess before becoming an HVACR technician?
- What Does HVACR Stand For?
- What Does an HVACR Technician Do?
- Where Does an HVACR Technician Work?
- What Skills are Needed to Become a Successful HVACR Technician?
What Does HVACR Stand For?
HVACR stands for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. It is a term encompassing not only the actual equipment in a home or business that generates cooling and heating, but also the piping that carries the warm or cool air. It also encompasses the refrigeration system of both residence and commercial clients.
When a new building is being constructed, the HVACR system is one of the central focuses of the design process. A building without proper heating and cooling mechanisms will not attract buyers. So, despite an HVACR system being relatively hidden once the building construction is complete, it is easily one of the building’s most important aspects.
What Does an HVACR Technician Do?
There are two main roles of an HVACR technician. The first is to perform regular maintenance on the HVACR system. Regular tune ups and frequent air filter changes are imperative to keep the system running smoothly with no major issues. This is by far the easiest part of the job because the work is relatively uniform from system to system. The second major role is more difficult. Responding to calls about broken HVACR systems encompasses a good amount of the time of a typical technician. It is their responsibility to identify, troubleshoot and develop a plan to remedy an issue in a timely manner. Because every system is somewhat unique and every problem is slightly different, this can become challenging.
Where Does an HVACR Technician Work?
One of the great things about being an HVACR technician is the ability to find work in any concentrated population where HVACR systems are present. Any place where an HVACR system is located, an HVACR technician will be needed to complete both system maintenance and repair. Typically, newer homes are more likely to have an integrated HVACR system than older homes, so newer construction areas are more likely to require the services of a qualified HVACR technician.
What Skills are Needed to Become a Successful HVAC Technician?
There are a few important skills for an HVAC technician to become successful. They include attention to detail, good problem solving and communication skills, as well as the ability to provide excellent customer service.
Attention to Detail
One of the most important aspects of being an HVAC technician is attention to detail. Some HVAC systems in large facilities can be quite complex and have a vast network of piping travelling throughout the building. This requires an HVAC technician to keep an organized and detailed strict schedule of maintenance in order to avoid larger issues from developing over time due to neglect.
Problem Solving Skills
An HVAC system can fail to operate properly because of a variety of issues. To properly address these issues, HVAC technicians must be expert problem solvers. Typically, an expert technician will have knowledge of common issues that they can meticulously work through and check off a list to ensure they are working properly. Then, if the common issues don\’t seem to be the culprit, the technician can dive into the more finite inner workings of the HVAC system. The best HVAC technicians are those who can identify and fix a problem that they have never before encountered.
Communication Skills
Although being a service technician of any kind is often viewed as a hands-on job, good communication skills can be just as important. Not only will an HVAC technician need to communicate the issue to the owner of the HVAC system, but they will also need to communicate the root cause of a problem to a supervisor that may need to order replacement parts.
Excellent Customer Service
A large portion of being a successful HVAC technician is having excellent customer service skills. Understandably so, most home or business owners will be quite upset when their HVAC system is no longer working, especially during extreme weather conditions. So, one of the first things an HVACR technician must do is to quickly put the customer at ease by assuring them that the system will be back up and running as quickly as possible. Additionally, the HVAC technician must be able to respond to customer requests in a timely manner to show that they are urgently working toward a resolution.
Becoming an HVAC technician is an increasingly popular career choice for those seeking to enter the job market. By having the proper questions answered and identifying the necessary skills to becoming a successful HVAC technician, potential students can make a more informed decision about starting to train for this lucrative career option.
Do you want to develop the skills to become a successful HVACR Technician? Does a career as a HVACR Technician interest you? The HVACR Technician Program at MIAT is 9 months in length for full-time students, assuming no interruption in training, and is offered at both the Michigan and Texas campuses. The training allows students to focus on their chosen field, graduating faster than it takes to earn a traditional 2 or 4-year college degree or complete a 3 to 5-year apprenticeship. To learn more about HVACR Technician career training and to explore if MIAT is right for you, fill out the form on this page.
Contact us if you are interested in becoming an HVACR technician today!
MIAT College of Technology is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).
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