HVAC Night School Salford PA

How to Choose the Right HVAC Certification Class near Salford Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Salford PA Now that you have made a decision on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next action is to choose an HVAC vocational school near Salford PA. But with so many to select from, how do you choose the best one to get the training that you require? Some future students will make their selection based solely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. While these are significant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other factors that you need to look into are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and other benchmarks will be addressed in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Technician

Salford PA HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, though every state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Earning professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Salford PA HVAC technicians to prove that they are highly qualified and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. There are many acknowledged certifications within the field that are available. Following are some of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a proficiency examination and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience together with passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing result on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are made available in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing might be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s essential that you enroll in an HVAC trade school that will train you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make sure that the program you select readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree Training Programs

radiator heater in Salford PA home There are a number of choices available for HVAC training 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 least amount of time, usually accomplished in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs might provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will furnish more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief explanation of each option offered near Salford PA.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level residential or commercial HVAC specialists. They provide a strong foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more detailed background of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking 2 years to finish, some degrees feature an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more for a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional four year program. In addition to learning how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career aspirations are, together with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One option is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Salford PA, subsequently going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

Salford PA student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one option to obtaining your training and earning a certificate or degree. Most schools will call for some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. A number also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be participated in via the internet, this alternative may be a more practical solution for many Salford PA students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are more economical than other traditional choices. Even travelling expenses from Salford and study materials can be minimized, helping to make schooling more economical. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family responsibilities have left you with little time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to fit school into your busy schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Salford PA HVAC training schools Once you have decided on the type of certificate or degree that you desire to acquire, either on campus or online, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Salford PA area and across the Country to select from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of important qualifiers when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the first two variables you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you should explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC trade schools in the Salford PA 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 organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Salford PA HVAC employers to assist grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with local Salford PA HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Salford PA HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Salford PA residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Salford PA, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Salford PA?

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

Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Lower Salford is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania located one mile west of the Lansdale exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (exit 31). It is centered on the intersection of Route 63 (Main St), and Route 113 (Harleysville Pike).

The township has a total area of 14.5 square miles (37.5 km2), of which, 14.4 square miles (37.3 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2) of it (0.41%) is water. The East Branch Perkiomen Creek and Skippack Creek are tributaries of the Perkiomen Creek draining the township.

Lower Salford was originally part of the larger Salford Township, until, in March 1741 Jacob Reiff petitioned the Court of Quarter Sessions of Philadelphia County to split the Township into what are now called Lower Salford, Upper Salford, Marlborough, and Franconia Townships. Lower Salford contains the villages of Harleysville, Lederach, Mainland, and Vernfield.

Finding the ideal HVAC training program is an important first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Night School. However, as we have discussed in this post, you should select an HVAC trade school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other things to search for are lots of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to explore the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling options and whether or not night or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC specialist in Salford PA.