Heating and Air Training Cheltenham PA

How to Pick the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Training near Cheltenham Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Cheltenham PA Now that you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next action is to choose an HVAC trade school near Cheltenham PA. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the ideal one to obtain the training that you require? A number of future students will make their choice based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Even though these are important factors to consider, they are not the only ones to take into account. 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 criteria will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Specialist

Cheltenham PA HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own criteria. Attaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary means for Cheltenham PA HVAC specialists to prove that they are highly proficient and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the field that are available. Here 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 exam 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 field experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam 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 examination. Similar to NATE, certifications are offered in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for specialists that work with refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be mandated in your area, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC trade school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make certain that the school you pick prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Courses

radiator heater in Cheltenham PA home There are several options offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, usually achieved in just six months, however some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will deliver more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short explanation of each credential offered near Cheltenham PA.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They provide a strong foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive background of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Generally requiring two years to complete, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more for a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs call for an Associate Degree, while others are a standard 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 appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your future career goals are, together with the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One option is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Cheltenham PA, subsequently returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Cheltenham PA student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC program online is one possibility to obtaining your education and earning a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete practical training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be attended on the web, this option may be a more convenient solution for many Cheltenham PA students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are more economical than other traditional options. Even travelling expenses from Cheltenham and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family commitments have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to fit school into your hectic schedule.

Questions For HVAC Schools

Questions to ask Cheltenham PA HVAC training schools After you have decided on the type of degree or certificate that you want to earn, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your selection of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Cheltenham PA area and throughout the United States to pick from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of key qualifications when making school assessments. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first two factors you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you need to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC technical schools in the Cheltenham PA area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example HVAC technology. Make certain that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available 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 Heating and Cooling schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Cheltenham PA HVAC employers to assist graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with local Cheltenham PA HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Cheltenham PA HVAC contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Cheltenham PA home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Cheltenham PA, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Cheltenham PA?

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

Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Cheltenham Township is a home rule township bordering North Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cheltenham's population density ranges from over 10,000 per square mile in rowhouses and high-rise apartments along Cheltenham Avenue to historic neighborhoods in Wyncote and Elkins Park. It is the most densely populated township in Montgomery County.[3] The population was 36,793 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the third most populous township in Montgomery County and the 27th most populous municipality in Pennsylvania. It was originally part of Philadelphia County, and it became part of Montgomery County upon that county's creation in 1784.

Cheltenham is located 5 miles from Center City Philadelphia and surrounded by the North and Northeast sections of Philadelphia, Abington, Jenkintown, and Springfield. The SEPTA Main Line passes through Cheltenham via 5 regional rail stations, some of which are the busiest in the SEPTA system. Cheltenham is served by the SEPTA City Division and is adjacent to Fern Rock Transportation Center and the Broad Street Line subway which terminates at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and also the Frankford Transportation Center and the El, which terminates at 69th Street in Upper Darby Township. The northern terminus of Broad Street is in Cheltenham, at its intersection with Cheltenham Avenue (PA 309).

Cheltenham was established in 1682 as part of Philadelphia County by 15 Quakers from Cheltenham, including Richard Wall and Tobias Leech, who purchased 4,070 acres (16.5 km2) of land from William Penn.[4][5] Upon creation of Montgomery County in 1784, Cheltenham became the smallest township in the new county.

Enrolling in the ideal HVAC training program is an important first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Heating and Air Training. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to select an Heating and Cooling school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC field. Other features to search for are sufficient hands-on training and modern facilities. You should go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. In addition, ask about scheduling options and whether night or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Cheltenham PA.