Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician Training Offers Hands-on Practice

Like many other Centennial College programs, the Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician training prides itself on offering students a combination of theoretical lectures and hands-on practice to ensure that they are ready to enter the industry upon graduation. And students must be prepared to be in demand in a high-tech industry as today’s residential central air conditioning systems are up to 35 per cent more energy-efficient than those that were typically installed in the 1990s — making them more complicated.

To prepare students for such a demanding job the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program offers two years to intensive training. Applicants to the undertaking must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or have mature student status (19 years or older). In addition, they must have completed English 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent; and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent.

Once they are accepted, students of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses study from Centennial College’s largest location, Progress Campus. This provides ample opportunity to network and allows students access to computer labs and other facilities that may assist them in their learning. Among the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses that students attend are: System Design & Installation, Psychrometrics – Control, Electrical & Control Systems, Pipe Joining & Installation for Cooling, Heating Fundamentals, Electrical Fundamentals and more.

To apply what they have learned in their Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses before graduation, students partake in a Capstone Project in their final semester. As it is offered in the final semester, students are expected to apply elements of everything they have learned in the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician offering to this project. A faculty member supervises the Capstone Project.

Thanks to the well-rounded training offered by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses, students are able to: maintain, size and select equipment for air conditioning and refrigeration application; develop refrigerants; develop equipment to meet the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standards; make, install, repair and service residential, commercial and industrial cooling and heating systems; 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.

Upon graduation from Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program, students may obtain employment as heating technicians or through affiliated trade apprenticeships in plumbing, pipe fitting, electrical, sheet metal or refrigeration. Some work in building maintenance, others specialize in repairing small, portable refrigeration and freezing units. Apprenticeship is required after graduation, for those who wish to become trades persons.