Learn HVAC Edgewood MD

How to Enroll In the Right HVAC Certification Course near Edgewood Maryland

air conditioner condensers in Edgewood MD Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next action is to choose an HVAC technical school near Edgewood MD. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the best one to get the training that you require? Many potential students will make their selection based entirely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Even though these are necessary considerations, they are not the only ones to take into account. Some of the other factors that you need to research are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and other benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC training program, let’s look at what a heating and a/c professional does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Technician

Edgewood MD HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, although every state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Obtaining professional certification is not required, but an alternative way for Edgewood MD HVAC specialists to demonstrate that they are exceptionally skilled and experienced in their area of expertise. There are a number of recognized certifications within the trade that are available. Here are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC techs. The certification is achieved by passing a proficiency examination and can be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers 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 must have 3 years of experience as well as a passing score on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are offered in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be required in your location, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s important that you choose an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be working with refrigerants, make certain that the program you pick prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Schools

radiator heater in Edgewood MD home There are a number of alternatives offered for HVAC training in a trade or technical school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the lesser period of time, often completed in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each credential offered near Edgewood MD.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC specialists. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more comprehensive understanding of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring two years to complete, some degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more for a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs call for an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional four year program. In addition to learning how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the ideal credential program will be dependent on what your long term career goals are, together with the time and money that you have to invest. One approach is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the field in Edgewood MD, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Edgewood MD student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one possibility in attaining your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be participated in via the internet, this approach may be a more accessible solution for many Edgewood MD students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even travelling expenses from Edgewood and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more budget-friendly. And a large number of online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family responsibilities have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your active schedule.

Questions For HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Edgewood MD HVAC training schools Once you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you want to obtain, either on campus or online, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Edgewood MD area and all over the USA to choose from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first two variables you will consider. Following are several additional ones that you need to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC vocational programs in the Edgewood MD area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Verify that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may produce 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Edgewood MD HVAC employers to help graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with local Edgewood MD HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build 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 on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Edgewood MD HVAC contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Edgewood MD home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher 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 a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Edgewood MD, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, 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 Edgewood MD?

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

Edgewood, Maryland

Edgewood is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 25,562 at the 2010 census,[2] up from 23,378 at the 2000 census.

Edgewood is located in southwestern Harford County. It is bordered to the west by Baltimore County, Joppatowne, to the north by Bel Air South, to the east by the Bush River, an arm of Chesapeake Bay, to the south by the Edgewood Arsenal portion of Aberdeen Proving Ground, and to the southwest by the tidal Gunpowder River, another arm of the Chesapeake.

Interstate 95 forms the northern border of the Edgewood CDP and provides access from Exit 74 (Maryland Route 152) and Exit 77 (Maryland Route 24). I-95 leads southwest 25 miles (40 km) to Baltimore and northeast 50 miles (80 km) to Wilmington, Delaware. U.S. Route 40 (Pulaski Highway) runs through the northern part of Edgewood, parallel to I-95. US 40 leads southwest 9 miles (14 km) to White Marsh and the same distance northeast to Aberdeen. Maryland Route 24 begins at an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground in the southern part of the CDP and leads 10 miles (16 km) north to Bel Air, the Harford County seat.

Picking the ideal HVAC training program is an important first step toward a rewarding career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Learn HVAC. However, as we have addressed in this post, you need to pick an HVAC trade school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC community. Other factors to search for are sufficient hands-on training and modern facilities. You should visit each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling options and whether evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC specialist in Edgewood MD.