|
A professional in the HVAC industry deals with the installation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. The people who work in this field are referred to as HVAC technicians. Their job is to ensure that all temperature, humidity, and air quality systems within a building are properly functioning in order to meet all safety standards. Aspiring technicians often pursue further training after school to develop more expertise, and they may also pursue certification (which is voluntary, but recommended) to demonstrate their expertise in the competitive job market. A typical HVAC technician works in homes, offices, hospitals, factories, commercial centers, retail establishments, and any other places that need temperature control systems installed. Duties on the job are generally broad when starting out, but many technicians eventually move on to more specialized areas of expertise. The most common duties involve the installation, operation, and maintenance of all aspects of temperature control systems. A specialist tends to focus on one or two areas such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation, energy efficiency, refrigeration, or solar power. Depending on the HVAC system being worked on and the time of year, the responsibilities of a technician may vary. For example, more work on air conditioning units is done during the summer, while heating work starts to pick up during the fall. Other systems are either handled on a year-round basis, or there is a specific schedule involved that is tied to the construction of a building. Tasks that are always abundant throughout the year are chemical byproduct disposal, replacing filters, replacing ducts, and replacing other components that collect dust or other waste during their use. Because of the hands-on nature of work in the field, technicians find themselves utilizing many different tools and other pieces of equipment to perform their tasks. A good technician's kit includes hammers, wrenches, electric drills, pipe cutters, metal cutters, benders, thermometers, pressure gauges, manometers, acetylene torches, and voltmeters. The usage of these tools and devices is generally practiced during the initial stages of the technician training process. Job opportunities for technicians who specialize in system maintenance will remain steady, while opportunities for technicians who specialize in system installation will find that they are at the mercy of the number of construction projects in their area. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for a technician in this field is around $46,000 a year, but that number can easily fluctuate based on the complexity of the work that is done. The number of jobs in the HVAC industry is projected to increase greatly over the next decade due to recent growth in residential and commercial construction projects, as well as the gradually growing complexity of temperature control systems. Another factor involved in the positive projection is the increasing public emphasis on air quality, energy management, and construction changes that are environmentally friendly. The future development of more eco-friendly systems will only result in yet another evolution of the job description, as well as the entire industry! When in need of help with HVAC, Grand Rapids, MI, residents rely on Schaafsma Heating and Cooling. Learn more at http://www.schaafsma.com.
Related Articles -
hvac, grand, rapids, mi,
|
