If you’ve decided on a career in HVAC you’ll need to know the positives and negatives of this field as well as the air conditioning courses where you will gain your education. But be aware, the overall negatives of this line of work are for the most part mild, which is why you typically never meet a disgruntled HVAC repair person!
We’ll start with the “bummers” of the career and schools just to get them out of the way:
1. This is sometimes a physically demanding field – The typical job description of an HVAC tech requires abilities such as lifting greater than 50 lbs routinely, ladder climbing, stooping, crawling, and squatting, just to name a few. The repetitive squatting alone can take a toll on the knees after a few years. A silver lining to this is that there are excellent industrial knee pads to help cushion loads on the knees, and anyone with a little foresight can strengthen their knees to last longer.
2. Since you will be installing units, your work in controlled climates is limited. That is to say, if its hot on a given day then you will be hot and sweaty until you complete your job.
3. Training from an accredited program can take up to two years.
4. While there are good online courses available, they typically have a lower graduation rate – In other words, if you decided to take web based air conditioning courses then you will have to have a high level of self-discipline. If you have a family then this education will definitely take you away from them for a while.
Now to outline a few benefits:
1. Employment in this field is not scarce. In fact, HVAC techs enjoy probably one of the highest rates of employment right out of school that most other tech jobs.
2. Air Conditioning Courses will prepare you to quickly access the entire HVAC industry. This means that with your specialized knowledge you can open your own business, teach in HVAC programs, and write or publish material on the web or in print.
3. Most HVAC programs will allow you to study and complete the program at your own pace. This makes this a fantastic second or late career choice for most moms or dads.
4. There are many accredited programs throughout the country. One must look for accredidation from agencies such as PAHRA, HVAC Excellence, and NCCER to make sure they are not only receiving quality training, but also will leave them with the credentials to enter this lucrative market afer graduation.
5. Year round work is available in most states – HVAC techs enjoy high employment rates in the places they want to work. Work is year round because people have to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
6. The time frame for completing tech training is at most 2 years. This is half of what a bachelors degree takes although employability is very high after graduation.
Air conditioning courses and the HVAC field in general do have benefits as well as disadvantages, however the advantages far outweigh some minor annoyances associated with obtaining the education needed to succeed.