Sets, pipes, wires, ducts and commissions new residential systems so they perform as designed from day one.

Found in shops of every size. 60 required, 35 recommended and 25 elective skills in 3 stages.

Stages follow the tiers: Foundation, then Core, then Advanced. Skills inside a stage are in learning order.

Stage 1 · Foundation

24 required · 9 recommended

Required

1. PPE and jobsite hazards Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Ladders and fall protection Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
3. Lockout / tagout Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
4. Emergency first aid Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
5. Refrigerant and nitrogen handling safety Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
6. Heat, matter and pressure Foundation & Safety
7. Hand tools and instruments orientation Foundation & Safety
8. Trade math basics Foundation & Safety
9. Measurement and unit conversion Foundation & Safety
10. Industry orientation Foundation & Safety
11. Efficiency ratings literacy Foundation & Safety
12. Electrical shock and burn prevention Electrical & Controls Safety-critical
13. Airflow fundamentals Airflow & Ducts
14. Airflow measuring tools Airflow & Ducts
15. Duct insulation Airflow & Ducts
16. Refrigeration cycle basics Refrigeration Circuit
17. Saturation tables and P/T charts Refrigeration Circuit
18. Refrigerant piping basics Refrigeration Circuit
19. Line set insulation and support Refrigeration Circuit
20. Gauges and service valves Refrigeration Circuit
21. Carbon monoxide safety Heating Safety-critical
22. Combustion fundamentals Heating
23. Furnace configurations and components Heating
24. Condensate drain installation Cooling & Heat Pumps

Recommended

1. Electricity and circuit laws Electrical & Controls
2. Series, parallel and combination circuits Electrical & Controls
3. Conductors, insulators and circuit protection Electrical & Controls
4. Using electrical meters Electrical & Controls
5. Electric heat fundamentals Heating
6. Building science fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
7. Psychrometrics fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
8. Filtration Building Science & IAQ
9. Customer communication fundamentals Business & Leadership

Stage 2 · Core

31 required · 19 recommended · 10 elective

Required

1. Rigging, hot work and confined spaces Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Conventional thermostat wiring Electrical & Controls
3. High and low voltage verification Electrical & Controls
4. Measuring static pressure Airflow & Ducts
5. Measuring total system airflow Airflow & Ducts
6. Airflow for capacity Airflow & Ducts
7. Sheet metal fabrication Airflow & Ducts
8. Duct board and flex duct installation Airflow & Ducts
9. Duct routing and support Airflow & Ducts
10. Duct sealing and leakage testing Airflow & Ducts
11. Nitrogen purge and pressure testing Refrigeration Circuit
12. Brazing and soldering Refrigeration Circuit
13. System evacuation Refrigeration Circuit
14. Charging by weight Refrigeration Circuit
15. Superheat and subcooling Refrigeration Circuit
16. Leak detection Refrigeration Circuit
17. Recovery, recycling and reclaim Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
18. A2L refrigerant fundamentals Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
19. Venting systems Heating Safety-critical
20. Gas piping Heating Safety-critical
21. Temperature rise and furnace airflow Heating
22. Indoor equipment installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
23. Outdoor and package unit installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
24. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve Cooling & Heat Pumps
25. Heat pump charging Cooling & Heat Pumps
26. Ductless mini-split installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
27. Power and amperage commissioning checks Cooling & Heat Pumps
28. Blower door testing Building Science & IAQ
29. Manual J load calculation Design & Commissioning
30. Manual S equipment selection Design & Commissioning
31. Commissioning fundamentals Design & Commissioning

Recommended

1. Reading wiring diagrams Electrical & Controls
2. Transformers and control voltage Electrical & Controls
3. Run and start capacitors Electrical & Controls
4. Single-phase motors Electrical & Controls
5. Contactors, relays and solenoids Electrical & Controls
6. Blower setup and speed adjustment Airflow & Ducts
7. Belt-drive blower maintenance Airflow & Ducts
8. Refrigerant types and blends Refrigeration Circuit
9. Metering devices Refrigeration Circuit
10. Line components and pressure controls Refrigeration Circuit
11. Gas valves and burners Heating
12. Ignition and flame proving Heating
13. Gas pressure, input and derating Heating
14. Electric heat service and installation Heating
15. Defrost controls Cooling & Heat Pumps
16. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat Cooling & Heat Pumps
17. Heat pump types and selection Cooling & Heat Pumps
18. Wireless probes and diagnostic apps Design & Commissioning
19. Systematic troubleshooting method Design & Commissioning

Elective

1. Sensors and thermistors Electrical & Controls
2. Compressors and oils Refrigeration Circuit
3. Condensers and evaporators Refrigeration Circuit
4. Oil burner fundamentals Heating
5. Moisture and vapour control Building Science & IAQ
6. Psychrometric chart plotting Building Science & IAQ
7. Ventilation strategies Building Science & IAQ
8. Air purification and pollutant control Building Science & IAQ
9. Humidification and dehumidification Building Science & IAQ
10. Efficiency standards and incentives Building Science & IAQ

Stage 3 · Advanced

5 required · 7 recommended · 15 elective

Required

1. Communicating and smart thermostats Electrical & Controls
2. Air balancing Airflow & Ducts
3. A2L installation and service Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
4. Manual D duct design Design & Commissioning
5. Manual T air distribution Design & Commissioning

Recommended

1. ECM and variable-speed motors Electrical & Controls
2. Panel capacity for electrification Electrical & Controls
3. Refrigerant charge diagnostics Refrigeration Circuit
4. Combustion analysis Heating
5. Variable-speed systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
6. Cold-climate heat pump performance Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Dual-fuel systems Cooling & Heat Pumps

Elective

1. Electrical troubleshooting Electrical & Controls
2. Charging blends and manufacturer methods Refrigeration Circuit
3. Compressor efficiency and failure analysis Refrigeration Circuit
4. Gas furnace troubleshooting Heating
5. Oil furnace setup and tuning Heating
6. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Residential AC troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
8. Heat pump troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
9. Building pressure diagnostics Building Science & IAQ
10. Energy auditing Building Science & IAQ
11. Heat pump sizing strategies Design & Commissioning
12. Refrigerant line sizing Design & Commissioning
13. Total system performance verification Design & Commissioning
14. Existing system performance optimisation Design & Commissioning
15. Fault codes and board-level diagnostics Design & Commissioning