Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Sample of reported job titles:

HVAC Installer (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Installer),

HVAC Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Mechanic),

Refrigeration Technician (Refrigeration Tech),

Service Technician (Service Tech)

Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.

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Architecture & Construction

Career Cluster

What Do They Typically Do?

  • Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
  • Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
  • Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
  • Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
  • Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.
  • Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
  • Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
  • Install auxiliary components to heating or cooling equipment, such as expansion or discharge valves, air ducts, pipes, blowers, dampers, flues, or stokers.
  • Braze or solder parts to repair defective joints and leaks.
  • Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.

Work Styles

These personality traits, and how they result in your working style, may have an impact on job satisfaction or job performance in this career.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Analytical Thinking

Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Independence

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

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Realistic

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Conventional

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Investigative

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Top Skills
Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Equipment Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Top Values
Support

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Relationships

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Top Cognitive Abilities
Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Learn more about this career

Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing

2. Prepare for training

Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career

3. Talk to a mentor for more information
  • Visit your school counselor
  • Talk to a career planner, advisor, or school admissions staff