Keeps installed systems healthy through tune-ups, cleaning, measurements and early fault detection; the usual entry role.

Usually from a shop of about 2. 51 required, 32 recommended and 38 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

27 required · 4 recommended · 2 elective

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. Electricity and circuit laws Electrical & Controls
14. Using electrical meters Electrical & Controls
15. Airflow fundamentals Airflow & Ducts
16. Airflow measuring tools Airflow & Ducts
17. Refrigeration cycle basics Refrigeration Circuit
18. Saturation tables and P/T charts Refrigeration Circuit
19. Gauges and service valves Refrigeration Circuit
20. Carbon monoxide safety Heating Safety-critical
21. Combustion fundamentals Heating
22. Furnace configurations and components Heating
23. Electric heat fundamentals Heating
24. Condensate drain installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
25. Psychrometrics fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
26. Filtration Building Science & IAQ
27. Customer communication fundamentals Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. Series, parallel and combination circuits Electrical & Controls
2. Conductors, insulators and circuit protection Electrical & Controls
3. Duct insulation Airflow & Ducts
4. Line set insulation and support Refrigeration Circuit

Elective

1. Refrigerant piping basics Refrigeration Circuit
2. Building science fundamentals Building Science & IAQ

Stage 2 · Core

21 required · 26 recommended · 14 elective

Required

1. Rigging, hot work and confined spaces Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Run and start capacitors Electrical & Controls
3. Single-phase motors Electrical & Controls
4. Measuring static pressure Airflow & Ducts
5. Measuring total system airflow Airflow & Ducts
6. Blower setup and speed adjustment Airflow & Ducts
7. Belt-drive blower maintenance Airflow & Ducts
8. Condensers and evaporators Refrigeration Circuit
9. Superheat and subcooling Refrigeration Circuit
10. Leak detection Refrigeration Circuit
11. Recovery, recycling and reclaim Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
12. A2L refrigerant fundamentals Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
13. Ignition and flame proving Heating
14. Venting systems Heating Safety-critical
15. Temperature rise and furnace airflow Heating
16. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve Cooling & Heat Pumps
17. Defrost controls Cooling & Heat Pumps
18. Power and amperage commissioning checks Cooling & Heat Pumps
19. Manual J load calculation Design & Commissioning
20. Manual S equipment selection Design & Commissioning
21. Preventive maintenance programs Commercial & BAS

Recommended

1. Reading wiring diagrams Electrical & Controls
2. Transformers and control voltage Electrical & Controls
3. Contactors, relays and solenoids Electrical & Controls
4. Conventional thermostat wiring Electrical & Controls
5. Airflow for capacity Airflow & Ducts
6. Duct sealing and leakage testing Airflow & Ducts
7. Refrigerant types and blends Refrigeration Circuit
8. Compressors and oils Refrigeration Circuit
9. Metering devices Refrigeration Circuit
10. Line components and pressure controls Refrigeration Circuit
11. System evacuation Refrigeration Circuit
12. Charging by weight Refrigeration Circuit
13. Gas valves and burners Heating
14. Gas pressure, input and derating Heating
15. Gas piping Heating Safety-critical
16. Electric heat service and installation Heating
17. Indoor equipment installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
18. Outdoor and package unit installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
19. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat Cooling & Heat Pumps
20. Heat pump charging Cooling & Heat Pumps
21. Heat pump types and selection Cooling & Heat Pumps
22. Ductless mini-split installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
23. Humidification and dehumidification Building Science & IAQ
24. Commissioning fundamentals Design & Commissioning
25. Wireless probes and diagnostic apps Design & Commissioning
26. Systematic troubleshooting method Design & Commissioning

Elective

1. Sensors and thermistors Electrical & Controls
2. High and low voltage verification Electrical & Controls
3. Sheet metal fabrication Airflow & Ducts
4. Duct board and flex duct installation Airflow & Ducts
5. Duct routing and support Airflow & Ducts
6. Nitrogen purge and pressure testing Refrigeration Circuit
7. Brazing and soldering Refrigeration Circuit
8. Oil burner fundamentals Heating
9. Moisture and vapour control Building Science & IAQ
10. Blower door testing Building Science & IAQ
11. Psychrometric chart plotting Building Science & IAQ
12. Ventilation strategies Building Science & IAQ
13. Air purification and pollutant control Building Science & IAQ
14. Efficiency standards and incentives Building Science & IAQ

Stage 3 · Advanced

3 required · 2 recommended · 22 elective

Required

1. Combustion analysis Heating
2. Manual D duct design Design & Commissioning
3. Manual T air distribution Design & Commissioning

Recommended

1. Refrigerant charge diagnostics Refrigeration Circuit
2. A2L installation and service Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical

Elective

1. ECM and variable-speed motors Electrical & Controls
2. Communicating and smart thermostats Electrical & Controls
3. Electrical troubleshooting Electrical & Controls
4. Panel capacity for electrification Electrical & Controls
5. Air balancing Airflow & Ducts
6. Charging blends and manufacturer methods Refrigeration Circuit
7. Compressor efficiency and failure analysis Refrigeration Circuit
8. Gas furnace troubleshooting Heating
9. Oil furnace setup and tuning Heating
10. Variable-speed systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
11. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service Cooling & Heat Pumps
12. Cold-climate heat pump performance Cooling & Heat Pumps
13. Dual-fuel systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
14. Residential AC troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
15. Heat pump troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
16. Building pressure diagnostics Building Science & IAQ
17. Energy auditing Building Science & IAQ
18. Heat pump sizing strategies Design & Commissioning
19. Refrigerant line sizing Design & Commissioning
20. Total system performance verification Design & Commissioning
21. Existing system performance optimisation Design & Commissioning
22. Fault codes and board-level diagnostics Design & Commissioning