Diagnoses and repairs heating, cooling and heat pump systems across electrical, airflow and refrigerant faults.

Found in shops of every size. 80 required, 30 recommended and 10 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

28 required · 5 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. Electricity and circuit laws Electrical & Controls
14. Series, parallel and combination circuits Electrical & Controls
15. Conductors, insulators and circuit protection Electrical & Controls
16. Using electrical meters Electrical & Controls
17. Airflow fundamentals Airflow & Ducts
18. Airflow measuring tools Airflow & Ducts
19. Refrigeration cycle basics Refrigeration Circuit
20. Saturation tables and P/T charts Refrigeration Circuit
21. Gauges and service valves Refrigeration Circuit
22. Carbon monoxide safety Heating Safety-critical
23. Combustion fundamentals Heating
24. Furnace configurations and components Heating
25. Electric heat fundamentals Heating
26. Condensate drain installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
27. Filtration Building Science & IAQ
28. Customer communication fundamentals Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. Duct insulation Airflow & Ducts
2. Refrigerant piping basics Refrigeration Circuit
3. Line set insulation and support Refrigeration Circuit
4. Building science fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
5. Psychrometrics fundamentals Building Science & IAQ

Stage 2 · Core

40 required · 15 recommended · 5 elective

Required

1. Rigging, hot work and confined spaces Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Reading wiring diagrams Electrical & Controls
3. Transformers and control voltage Electrical & Controls
4. Run and start capacitors Electrical & Controls
5. Single-phase motors Electrical & Controls
6. Contactors, relays and solenoids Electrical & Controls
7. Sensors and thermistors Electrical & Controls
8. Conventional thermostat wiring Electrical & Controls
9. High and low voltage verification Electrical & Controls
10. Measuring static pressure Airflow & Ducts
11. Measuring total system airflow Airflow & Ducts
12. Airflow for capacity Airflow & Ducts
13. Blower setup and speed adjustment Airflow & Ducts
14. Refrigerant types and blends Refrigeration Circuit
15. Compressors and oils Refrigeration Circuit
16. Condensers and evaporators Refrigeration Circuit
17. Metering devices Refrigeration Circuit
18. Line components and pressure controls Refrigeration Circuit
19. System evacuation Refrigeration Circuit
20. Charging by weight Refrigeration Circuit
21. Superheat and subcooling Refrigeration Circuit
22. Leak detection Refrigeration Circuit
23. Recovery, recycling and reclaim Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
24. A2L refrigerant fundamentals Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
25. Gas valves and burners Heating
26. Ignition and flame proving Heating
27. Gas pressure, input and derating Heating
28. Venting systems Heating Safety-critical
29. Gas piping Heating Safety-critical
30. Temperature rise and furnace airflow Heating
31. Electric heat service and installation Heating
32. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve Cooling & Heat Pumps
33. Defrost controls Cooling & Heat Pumps
34. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat Cooling & Heat Pumps
35. Heat pump charging Cooling & Heat Pumps
36. Heat pump types and selection Cooling & Heat Pumps
37. Power and amperage commissioning checks Cooling & Heat Pumps
38. Manual J load calculation Design & Commissioning
39. Manual S equipment selection Design & Commissioning
40. Systematic troubleshooting method Design & Commissioning

Recommended

1. Duct board and flex duct installation Airflow & Ducts
2. Duct routing and support Airflow & Ducts
3. Duct sealing and leakage testing Airflow & Ducts
4. Belt-drive blower maintenance Airflow & Ducts
5. Nitrogen purge and pressure testing Refrigeration Circuit
6. Brazing and soldering Refrigeration Circuit
7. Oil burner fundamentals Heating
8. Indoor equipment installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
9. Outdoor and package unit installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
10. Ductless mini-split installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
11. Blower door testing Building Science & IAQ
12. Ventilation strategies Building Science & IAQ
13. Humidification and dehumidification Building Science & IAQ
14. Commissioning fundamentals Design & Commissioning
15. Wireless probes and diagnostic apps Design & Commissioning

Elective

1. Sheet metal fabrication Airflow & Ducts
2. Moisture and vapour control Building Science & IAQ
3. Psychrometric chart plotting Building Science & IAQ
4. Air purification and pollutant control Building Science & IAQ
5. Efficiency standards and incentives Building Science & IAQ

Stage 3 · Advanced

12 required · 10 recommended · 5 elective

Required

1. ECM and variable-speed motors Electrical & Controls
2. Communicating and smart thermostats Electrical & Controls
3. Electrical troubleshooting Electrical & Controls
4. Air balancing Airflow & Ducts
5. Refrigerant charge diagnostics Refrigeration Circuit
6. Combustion analysis Heating
7. Gas furnace troubleshooting Heating
8. Residential AC troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
9. Heat pump troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
10. Manual D duct design Design & Commissioning
11. Manual T air distribution Design & Commissioning
12. Fault codes and board-level diagnostics Design & Commissioning

Recommended

1. Panel capacity for electrification Electrical & Controls
2. Charging blends and manufacturer methods Refrigeration Circuit
3. Compressor efficiency and failure analysis Refrigeration Circuit
4. A2L installation and service Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
5. Oil furnace setup and tuning Heating
6. Variable-speed systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service Cooling & Heat Pumps
8. Cold-climate heat pump performance Cooling & Heat Pumps
9. Dual-fuel systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
10. Total system performance verification Design & Commissioning

Elective

1. Building pressure diagnostics Building Science & IAQ
2. Energy auditing Building Science & IAQ
3. Heat pump sizing strategies Design & Commissioning
4. Refrigerant line sizing Design & Commissioning
5. Existing system performance optimisation Design & Commissioning