Installing, commissioning and servicing residential air conditioners, heat pumps and ductless systems, from equipment placement to cold-climate and dual-fuel setups.

16 skills in 7 sections · listed in learning order

Equipment installation

1. Indoor equipment installation

   Set air handlers, coils and furnaces correctly in attics, crawlspaces, closets and conditioned space, with access, drainage and support in mind.

   Core No courses yet

2. Outdoor and package unit installation

   Place and secure condensing units and package units on pads, platforms and pitched or flat roofs.

   Core No courses yet

Condensate management

1. Condensate drain installation

   Run, trap, slope, insulate and support condensate drains and secondary protection so water never ends up on a ceiling.

   Foundation No courses yet

Heat pump fundamentals

1. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve

   Trace refrigerant flow in heating and cooling, and test and replace the reversing valve and check valves that make it possible.

   Core No courses yet

2. Heat pump charging

   Charge heat pumps in heating and cooling modes using weigh-in, subcooling, superheat and manufacturer methods.

   Core No courses yet

3. Heat pump types and selection

   Compare ducted, ductless, packaged, ground-source and water-source heat pumps and explain how they differ from fossil-fuel heating.

   Core No courses yet

Heat pump controls

1. Defrost controls

   Understand demand and time-temperature defrost, test defrost boards, sensors and relays and set a system up to defrost properly.

   Core No courses yet

2. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat

   Wire heat pump thermostats with emergency heat, set outdoor thermostats and lockouts and control auxiliary strip heat sensibly.

   Core No courses yet

Ductless & variable speed

1. Variable-speed systems

   Understand inverter compressors and variable-speed blowers: capacity range, sequence of operation and how commissioning changes.

   Advanced No courses yet

2. Ductless mini-split installation

   Mount indoor heads and outdoor units, run and flare line sets, and charge single-zone mini-splits.

   Core No courses yet

3. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service

   Charge and service multi-head systems, replace EEVs, boards and compressors and read inverter diagnostics.

   Advanced No courses yet

Cold climate & dual fuel

1. Cold-climate heat pump performance

   Explain how capacity and efficiency fall with outdoor temperature and how sizing strategy changes for cold climates.

   Advanced No courses yet

2. Dual-fuel systems

   Pair a heat pump with a gas or oil furnace, set the balance point and install the dual-fuel thermostat that switches between them.

   Advanced No courses yet

Cooling diagnostics

1. Power and amperage commissioning checks

   Measure amps and watts on indoor and outdoor equipment at start-up and compare them to nameplate and expected values.

   Core No courses yet

2. Residential AC troubleshooting

   Diagnose a cooling system end to end using data plate, test instruments and a repeatable method, including noise and vibration complaints.

   Advanced No courses yet

3. Heat pump troubleshooting

   Diagnose heat pumps in both modes: reversing valve, defrost, pressure switches, control fuses and board faults.

   Advanced No courses yet