Leads the service department: diagnostics quality, callbacks, scheduling, coaching and maintenance agreement growth.

Usually from a shop of about 5. 35 required, 54 recommended and 44 elective skills in 4 stages.

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

Stage 1 · Foundation

14 required · 14 recommended · 6 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. Carbon monoxide safety Heating Safety-critical
14. Customer communication fundamentals Business & Leadership

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. Airflow fundamentals Airflow & Ducts
6. Airflow measuring tools Airflow & Ducts
7. Refrigeration cycle basics Refrigeration Circuit
8. Saturation tables and P/T charts Refrigeration Circuit
9. Gauges and service valves Refrigeration Circuit
10. Combustion fundamentals Heating
11. Furnace configurations and components Heating
12. Psychrometrics fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
13. Filtration Building Science & IAQ
14. Call handling and booking Business & Leadership

Elective

1. Duct insulation Airflow & Ducts
2. Refrigerant piping basics Refrigeration Circuit
3. Line set insulation and support Refrigeration Circuit
4. Electric heat fundamentals Heating
5. Condensate drain installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
6. Building science fundamentals Building Science & IAQ

Stage 2 · Core

9 required · 30 recommended · 27 elective

Required

1. Rigging, hot work and confined spaces Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Recovery, recycling and reclaim Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
3. A2L refrigerant fundamentals Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
4. Venting systems Heating Safety-critical
5. Gas piping Heating Safety-critical
6. Systematic troubleshooting method Design & Commissioning
7. Pricing and proposals Business & Leadership
8. Dispatching and scheduling Business & Leadership
9. Digital tools and remote diagnostics Business & Leadership

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. Sensors and thermistors Electrical & Controls
7. Conventional thermostat wiring Electrical & Controls
8. Measuring static pressure Airflow & Ducts
9. Measuring total system airflow Airflow & Ducts
10. Airflow for capacity Airflow & Ducts
11. Blower setup and speed adjustment Airflow & Ducts
12. Compressors and oils Refrigeration Circuit
13. Metering devices Refrigeration Circuit
14. System evacuation Refrigeration Circuit
15. Charging by weight Refrigeration Circuit
16. Superheat and subcooling Refrigeration Circuit
17. Leak detection Refrigeration Circuit
18. Ignition and flame proving Heating
19. Gas pressure, input and derating Heating
20. Temperature rise and furnace airflow Heating
21. Electric heat service and installation Heating
22. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve Cooling & Heat Pumps
23. Defrost controls Cooling & Heat Pumps
24. Heat pump charging Cooling & Heat Pumps
25. Heat pump types and selection Cooling & Heat Pumps
26. Commissioning fundamentals Design & Commissioning
27. Wireless probes and diagnostic apps Design & Commissioning
28. Preventive maintenance programs Commercial & BAS
29. Office operations and administration Business & Leadership
30. Inventory and warehouse management Business & Leadership

Elective

1. High and low voltage verification Electrical & Controls
2. Sheet metal fabrication Airflow & Ducts
3. Duct board and flex duct installation Airflow & Ducts
4. Duct routing and support Airflow & Ducts
5. Duct sealing and leakage testing Airflow & Ducts
6. Belt-drive blower maintenance Airflow & Ducts
7. Refrigerant types and blends Refrigeration Circuit
8. Condensers and evaporators Refrigeration Circuit
9. Line components and pressure controls Refrigeration Circuit
10. Nitrogen purge and pressure testing Refrigeration Circuit
11. Brazing and soldering Refrigeration Circuit
12. Gas valves and burners Heating
13. Oil burner fundamentals Heating
14. Indoor equipment installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
15. Outdoor and package unit installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
16. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat Cooling & Heat Pumps
17. Ductless mini-split installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
18. Power and amperage commissioning checks Cooling & Heat Pumps
19. Moisture and vapour control Building Science & IAQ
20. Blower door testing Building Science & IAQ
21. Psychrometric chart plotting Building Science & IAQ
22. Ventilation strategies Building Science & IAQ
23. Air purification and pollutant control Building Science & IAQ
24. Humidification and dehumidification Building Science & IAQ
25. Efficiency standards and incentives Building Science & IAQ
26. Manual J load calculation Design & Commissioning
27. Manual S equipment selection Design & Commissioning

Stage 3 · Advanced

12 required · 9 recommended · 11 elective

Required

1. Electrical troubleshooting Electrical & Controls
2. Refrigerant charge diagnostics Refrigeration Circuit
3. Combustion analysis Heating
4. Gas furnace troubleshooting Heating
5. Residential AC troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
6. Heat pump troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Total system performance verification Design & Commissioning
8. Fault codes and board-level diagnostics Design & Commissioning
9. Service department management Business & Leadership
10. Hiring and onboarding Business & Leadership
11. Teaching and mentoring technicians Business & Leadership
12. Regulatory and technology transition Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. ECM and variable-speed motors Electrical & Controls
2. Communicating and smart thermostats Electrical & Controls
3. Air balancing Airflow & Ducts
4. Compressor efficiency and failure analysis Refrigeration Circuit
5. A2L installation and service Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
6. Variable-speed systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Cold-climate heat pump performance Cooling & Heat Pumps
8. Dual-fuel systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
9. Financial fundamentals for contractors Business & Leadership

Elective

1. Panel capacity for electrification Electrical & Controls
2. Charging blends and manufacturer methods Refrigeration Circuit
3. Oil furnace setup and tuning Heating
4. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service Cooling & Heat Pumps
5. Building pressure diagnostics Building Science & IAQ
6. Energy auditing Building Science & IAQ
7. Heat pump sizing strategies Design & Commissioning
8. Manual D duct design Design & Commissioning
9. Manual T air distribution Design & Commissioning
10. Refrigerant line sizing Design & Commissioning
11. Existing system performance optimisation Design & Commissioning

Stage 4 · Specialist

1 recommended

Recommended

1. Leadership and company culture Business & Leadership