Air Conditioner Course Corinth ME

How to Select the Right Heating and Cooling College near Corinth Maine

air conditioner condensers in Corinth ME Now that you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning specialist, the next step is to look for an HVAC vocational school near Corinth ME. But with so many to choose from, how do you choose the ideal one to obtain the training that you require? Some prospective students will make their decision based entirely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Although these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Just some of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and additional criteria will be discussed in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC training program, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Contractor

Corinth ME HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, however each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Earning professional certification is not compulsory, but an optional way for Corinth ME HVAC technicians to establish that they are highly qualified and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are multiple respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Here are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a competency examination and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of field experience as well as passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you select an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the program you choose preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Training Programs

radiator heater in Corinth ME home There are a variety of options offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, typically completed in just six months, however some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a short description of each option offered near Corinth ME.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more exhaustive knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking 2 years to complete, some degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional four year program. In addition to mastering how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Picking the ideal credential program will be dependent on what your future career aspirations are, as well as the time and money that you have to invest. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Corinth ME, later going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

Corinth ME student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one possibility in getting your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to complete practical training. Many also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes can be attended via the internet, this option may be a more practical solution for many Corinth ME students that are short on time. And a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional choices. Even travelling expenses from Corinth and study materials may be lessened, helping to make schooling more affordable. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to fit school into your hectic schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Corinth ME HVAC training schools When you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you desire to attain, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous HVAC trade schools in the Corinth ME area and across the United States to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of important qualifiers when making school comparisons. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial two factors you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you need to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC vocational programs in the Corinth ME area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Corinth ME HVAC employers to assist grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with local Corinth ME HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Corinth ME HVAC contractor if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Corinth ME residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Corinth ME, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Corinth ME?

Perhaps you are considering enrolling in an HVAC training program in the Corinth Maine area. If so, you may find the following background information about the location of your new school campus both interesting and informative.

Corinth, Maine

Abner Sr Tibbetts was the founder of Corinth.[citation needed] In 1792 he built his home on Lot 10 First Range. Tibbetts enlisted as a private in Captain Reuben Dyers' company at the age of 17 on May 26, 1777, from Gouldsboro, Maine. Tibbetts' grave, with an official grave marker of a Revolutionary War soldier, is found in the East Exeter cemetery.

The town was settled in the late 1790s by the extended Daniel Skinner family and originally called "Ohio". There is still an "Ohio Street" in nearby Bangor, being a portion of the original road or trail connecting that town with what is now Corinth. When the town was incorporated in 1811, it changed its name to Corinth, a reference to the classical Greek city. A number of Penobscot County towns incorporated in the same period such as Etna, Carmel, and Levant (and Troy, in neighboring Waldo County) were given similarly exotic names, referencing the ancient Mediterranean world, probably in order to help attract settlers. Some of these names also have Biblical references.

By the mid-19th century the town had three villages: East Corinth, West Corinth, and South Corinth. East Corinth emerged as the largest, and had five shops making carriages and sleighs (a local specialty) by the 1850s.

Choosing the ideal HVAC training course is a critical beginning toward a fulfilling career in the heating and air conditioning field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioner Course. However, as we have addressed in this post, you need to pick an HVAC vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC trade. Other factors to look for are plenty of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling choices and whether evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the proper questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC technician in Corinth ME.