Look for a Tech With These HVAC Certifications

Choosing an experienced and skilled HVAC contractor to repair, install, and service the HVAC equipment in your home ensures your family's comfort and safety. A reliable contractor not only stays up-to-date on industry standards themselves, they also make sure that every technician they employ has current certifications that demonstrate their knowledge, training and experience. Here are some key HVAC certifications to look for in an technician so you can have peace of mind that your costly and critically important comfort equipment is in good hands.

State Licensing

In Oklahoma, HVAC technicians must be licensed through the Construction Industries Board (CIB). Applicants must pass an in-depth exam and meet the board's strict educational and work experience requirements. The HVAC company they work for should also be licensed and have the state-required surety bond and liability insurance coverage in place. You can verify an HVAC contractor or technician's license right on the CIB's website.

NATE Certification

Reputable HVAC companies insist that their technicians are certified through the industry-leading North American Technician Excellence (NATE). To gain certification through this nonprofit testing organization, technicians have to pass a stringent core exam on their general industry knowledge, along with a specialty exam in their choice of either service or installation.

HVAC Excellence Certification

Another prominent independent testing organization, HVAC Excellence offers certification for technicians at either the professional or master specialist level. Technicians who obtain a professional-level certification have two years of relevant industry experience and have passed a rigorous exam. To achieve master specialist certification, technicians must have three years of practical experience in addition to passing the exam.

EPA 608 Certification

In order to install, repair or service air conditioners or heat pumps that contain refrigerants like R-22 or R-410A, HVAC technicians need to be certified through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the certification requirements in Section 608 of the EPA's Clean Air Act, technicians must pass core and specialty testing to assess their knowledge on industry best practices for service and refrigerant reclamation.

To learn more about the importance of HVAC certifications, contact the Broken Arrow comfort pros at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC certifications and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “ArtsyBee/pixabay”

Make Sure Your Technician's NATE Certified -- Because You Want The Job Done Right

Successful and safe installation of HVAC equipment requires a technician with a high level of professional experience and practical knowledge. A reliable indicator of HVAC technician competence and adherence to high standards is certification and recognition by professional industry organizations. If your technician's NATE certified, you know you're dealing with the best.In the HVAC industry, NATE (North American Technician Excellence) is a leading education, testing and certification source for technicians who install, repair and service air conditioners, furnaces and other forms of HVAC equipment. If you make sure your technician's NATE certified, you can be assured of excellent service from a knowledgeable technical professional who will do the job right the first time.Founded in 1997, NATE is a well-known nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the standards of HVAC technician performance through rigorous testing and certification. NATE is recognized by trade unions and industry organizations, including some of the more prominent such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).NATE has certified more than 26,000 technicians in diverse areas of the HVAC industry. To earn certification, individuals must prove a high level of general knowledge about HVAC equipment and focused technical knowledge in a specialty. Technicians must pass a test covering general HVAC information and at least one area-specific exam in either installation or service. NATE-certified technicians commonly hold certifications in areas such as:

• Air conditioning

• Gas or oil heating

• Air distribution and ventilation

• Commercial refrigeration

• Air-source heat pumps

• Ground-source heat pumps

• HVAC system efficiency

NATE statistics show if your technician's NATE certified, the rate of callbacks to revise or rework projects is nearly 13 percent lower than for non-NATE technicians. Nearly 70 percent of customers surveyed said they were extremely satisfied with the performance of their NATE-certified technician. Almost a third of survey respondents indicated high satisfaction with systems installed by NATE-credentialed professionals.At Air Assurance, all of our HVAC technicians are NATE certified, so you can count on us for professional, reliable HVAC sales, installation and service in your Tulsa-area home. Contact us today for more information on NATE certification or to schedule maintenance or new installation from one of our dedicated NATE-qualified professionals.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock