Tag Archives: Accredited Local HVAC Trade Schools near Hailey ID 83333

Air Conditioning Training School Hailey ID

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling School near Hailey Idaho

air conditioner condensers in Hailey IDOnce you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next step is to find an HVAC technical school near Hailey ID. But with so many to select from, how do you pick the right one to get the training that you require? Some future students will make their choice based solely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Although these are significant concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other things 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. Those and additional criteria will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to select an HVAC trade school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Tech

Hailey ID HVAC Tech installing water heaterHVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although each state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Obtaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary means for Hailey ID HVAC technicians to prove that they are exceptionally proficient and experienced in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the trade that are available. Below are a few of the important ones.

  • North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination and can be acquired in one or more specialties.
  • HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of field experience as well as passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience as well as a passing result on the professional level examination. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in multiple specialties.
  • EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are three forms of certification available, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing might be mandated in your location, and you may also intend to earn certification, it’s imperative that you choose an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be handling refrigerants, make certain that the school you select prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Classes

radiator heater in Hailey ID homeThere are several options available for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, often accomplished in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will furnish more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each credential offered near Hailey ID.

  • Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
  • Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to complete, a number of degrees include an internship or work-study program.
  • Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a standard four year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your future career objectives are, together with the time and money that you have to commit. One option is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Hailey ID, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, be sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Training Online

Hailey ID student attending HVAC school onlineEnrolling in an HVAC school online is one possibility in obtaining your training and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in practical training. Some also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be participated in on the web, this alternative may be a more practical solution for many Hailey ID students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Hailey and study supplies may be lessened, helping to make schooling more affordable. And many online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family commitments have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it easier to accommodate school into your busy schedule.

Questions For HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Hailey ID HVAC training schoolsWhen you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you desire to obtain, either online or on campus, you can start to narrow down your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Hailey ID area and all over the Country to select from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of important qualifications when making school comparisons. As previously mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will probably be the initial 2 factors you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you should research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation.  A large number of HVAC vocational programs in the Hailey ID area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example HVAC technology. Make certain that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates.  Ask the HVAC schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Hailey ID HVAC employers to help grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of HVAC vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with local Hailey ID HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Hailey ID HVAC company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Hailey ID residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added 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 training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Hailey ID, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Hailey ID?

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

Hailey, Idaho

Hailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County,[3] in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 7,960 at the 2010 census, up from 6,200 in 2000.[4] Hailey is the site of Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN), the airport for the resort area of Sun Valley/Ketchum, 12 miles (19 km) north. The town of Bellevue is a few miles south. From 1882 to 1895, Hailey was the county seat of now-defunct Alturas County.

Hailey has a continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen Dsb). Winters are cold and snowy: there are an average of forty-four days each year which fail to top 32 °F or 0 °C, whilst 199 nights fall below freezing and nineteen nights between November and March will fall to or below 0 °F or −17.8 °C. Spring warms up slowly, with snow falling as late as May. Summer is hot during the day, but cools off into the 40s or 50s at night. Highs reach 90 °F or 32.2 °C on only 15 days per year, and only July has made it to 100 °F or 37.8 °C. Freezing nights can happen any time of the year, even in July and August. There is little rain, coming only as isolated showers or storms a few times per month. Most days are sunny and this is the driest part of the year. Fall starts warm in September and then quickly cools off. Snow has fallen in September, but usually holds off until October. Early fall is dry and sunny like summer. Days in the 70s can happen well into October, but −20 °F or −28.9 °C has been recorded in November. The lowest temperature recorded was −28 °F (−33.3 °C) on January 12, 1963 and the record high is 100 °F (37.8 °C) on July 19, 1953. Precipitation falls primarily as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in late spring. The rest of the year is mostly dry.

As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 7,960 people, 3,065 households, and 2,053 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,180.8 inhabitants per square mile (842.0/km2). There were 3,527 housing units at an average density of 966.3 per square mile (373.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.2% White, 0.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.2% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.1% of the population.

Air Conditioning Training School Hailey ID

Finding the right HVAC training course is an important first step toward a rewarding career in the heating and cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioning Training School. However, as we have discussed in this post, you need to choose an HVAC training program and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC trade. Other features to search for are lots of hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to check out each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling options and if night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the proper questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Hailey ID.

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    Business Results 1 - 10 of 4

    Jon's Heating
    1 Reviews
    Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC
    Phone:
    500 Bell Dr, Unit 12, Ketchum, ID 83333

    Mountain West Plumbing
    4 Reviews
    Plumbing
    Phone:
    720 N Main St, Ste E, Bellevue, ID 83313

    Plew's Heating and Air Conditioning
    3 Reviews
    Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC
    Phone:
    235 5th Ave W, Twin Falls, ID 83301

    Terry's Heating & Air Conditioning
    5 Reviews
    Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC
    Phone:
    1535 Kimberly Rd, Twin Falls, ID 83301