Air Conditioning and HVAC
Program Description
The Air Conditioning and HVAC program provides the student with the essential skills required to enter this fast-growing field which includes both heating and cooling. The student attains the technical knowledge associated with each type of refrigeration system, their uses, and their controlling devices. This program includes troubleshooting, maintenance, motors, as well as study of related electrical controlling devices and safety related to the use of refrigerants.
Graduates of the air conditioning and HVAC programs and certificates will gain knowledge of and experience in a wide range of electrical skills and gain industry-specific experience with:
- Refrigerants
- HVAC electrical controls
- The installation and servicing of air supply systems
- The operation of a natural gas furnace
- Heat pump system
- Estimating heating/cooling loads
- Light commercial refrigeration systems
- Electricity, control circuits, and programmable logic controllers (PLC) architecture and programming
- The selection, installation, operation, and maintenance of generators, including how to isolate and repair minor generator problems
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Career Outlook
Successful completion of this program can open doors to various employment opportunities, many of which require further higher education at the university level. Below are examples of related occupations and their annual mean wages in Arizona, based on career and wage data from Pipeline AZ, which utilizes government sources for its reports and forecasts.
Description
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Duties/Tasks
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- 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.
- 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.
- Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.
- Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.
- Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Install or repair self-contained ground source heat pumps or hybrid ground or air source heat pumps to minimize carbon-based energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
Salary Information (AZ)
$50,420
$29,670
$47,590
$77,110
$24.24
$14.26
$22.00
$37.07
Typical Education Level
Post Secondary Certificate
Classroom/Lab Tour
Contact Information
Department Contact(s)
Career and Technical Education
Hours of Operation
- Normal Hours
- Monday - Thursday: 7:00am-5:00pm
Faculty/Staff Contact(s)
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teresa Livingston | Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director & Dean CTE Programs | (928) 344-7752 | Teresa.Livingston@azwestern.edu |