Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians Train at Centennial College

Do you have an interest in working in heating, refrigeration and air conditioning areas such as: technical support, maintenance and installation, design, and sales and service? Have you completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older)? In addition, do you have credentials for compulsory English 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent; and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent? If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions, you may want to consider training to be a refrigeration and air conditioning technician at Centennial College's Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program.

Taking just two years to complete, the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning courses in this program teach students broad knowledge of the design, installation and service techniques of heating and air conditioning systems for commercial and residential settings. Some specific skills that students will master include: maintaining, sizing and selecting equipment for air conditioning and refrigeration application; the development of refrigerants; development of equipment to meet the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standards; efficiency standards for heating equipment; installation and service techniques; among others. This is achieved through a variety of heating, refrigeration and air conditioning courses such as Ethics in Technology and Environment; Acts, Regulations and Procedures; Electrical Fundamentals; Mechanical Cooling Cycle; Pipe Joining & Installation for Cooling; Systems Design and Installation; Air Conditioning and Distribution Systems and many mothers. To complement their training, students partake in a Capstone Project. This final project encompasses elements of everything the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning technician students have learned throughout their time in the program. A faculty member supervises this project.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Courses are facilitated from Progress Campus. Of Centennial College’s four locations, this one is the largest and most centrally located. It provides many places in which students can practice their craft such as a restaurant and conference centre.

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning technicians make, install, repair and service residential, commercial and industrial cooling and heating systems. While some of them work in building maintenance, others specialize in repairing small, portable refrigeration and freezing units. As part of their job, refrigeration and air conditioning technicians measure, cut and connect piping using welding and brazing equipment; recharge systems with refrigerant gases as required; connect rooftop units to gas, test and balance systems and connect electrical systems; adjust computerized controls; use computer software to calculate loads, and work on large machines.

It should be noted that when graduates first leave the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program, they may obtain employment as heating technicians or through affiliated trade apprenticeships in plumbing, pipefitting, electrical, sheet metal or refrigeration. Apprenticeship is required after graduation, for those who wish to become tradespersons.