The 411 on HVAC Contractor Education and Certification

As in any professional industry, there are reputable businesses and others that are not. The air conditioning and heating industry is no different. Selecting a contractor based on recommendations from family and friends, or by visiting a review website like Angie’s List or Yelp is a good place to start. But, before you choose your Phoenix or Tucson air conditioning contractor, you may want to consider these factors:

Is the contractor or company certified with the Registrar of Contractors?

One of the most important certifications to look for in a reputable contractor is to see if they are certified with the state Registrar of Contractors. Never use a contractor that is not recognized by the state in this way. A reputable Phoenix and Tucson air conditioning contractor will be licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Chas Roberts Air Conditioning and Plumbing, a top installer and servicer of Phoenix and Tucson air conditioners, is licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and insured for at least $2 million.

Does the company offer an extensive training program for their technicians?

The sad fact is that many contractors’ employees learn on the job and practice on your system.

The HVAC contractor you select should have a formal technician training program. Chas Roberts has a full-time training department that holds thousands of hours of training each year.

Chas Roberts employees are professionals who will not experiment on your system and will not cause damage to your home.

Does the contractor have North American Technician Excellence (NATE) education and certification?

While there are many independent testing and education groups for HVAC technicians, there is no specific industry standard certification. NATE is a non-profit certification program for technicians in the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. To become NATE certified, technicians must pass both a core and a specialty test in one of the following areas:

• Air conditioning
• Air distribution
• Heat pumps
• Gas heating
• Oil heating
• Hydronics gas
• Hydronics oil
• Light commercial refrigeration
• Commercial refrigeration
• Ground source heat pump loop installer
• HVAC efficiency analyst (senior level)

It’s important to select a reputable, experience contractor that has been in business for a long time. If you go with a contractor that isn’t operating with the required licenses or isn’t sufficiently skilled, you may be put in financial jeopardy when things go wrong.

To receive skilled, experienced Phoenix and Tucson air conditioning service from a Chas Roberts technician, schedule an appointment today. Visit ChasRoberts.com or call (602) 943-3426 in Phoenix, (520) 618-1884 in Tucson or (505) 264-7257 in New Mexico.