Explore articles tagged with "hvac" to find relevant resources about trade education and career development.
9 articles found
What to know before you sit the EPA Section 608 exam in 2026: the new question bank and the January 1, 2027 cutoff for the old one, how many questions each section has, open-book versus proctored rules, testing from home, retakes, a study plan, and how 608 differs from Section 609 for vehicle air conditioning.
On August 27 the Bureau of Labor Statistics published a relative AI exposure rating for all 831 occupations it projects. Construction and extraction came in 98% Low or Moderate with zero occupations in the highest category. Not a single bachelor's-degree occupation was rated Low.
HVAC is the trade where federal and state rules meet: EPA Section 608 certification is mandatory everywhere you touch refrigerant, while state licensing ranges from strict contractor boards to nothing at all. Here's every state's HVAC licensing picture, with pay and job-growth data to match.
A working tech's guide to NATE certification: Traditional vs CHP-5 pathway, the full specialty exam menu, real fees, the manufacturer rules that quietly require it (Carrier's 50% Factory Authorized Dealer rule), and the honest math on when the credential earns back its cost.
A side-by-side career comparison of commercial and residential HVAC for technicians choosing where to specialize. The pay differential, the on-call and overtime profile, the BAS controls premium, the burnout data behind the industry's 110,000-tech shortage, and the realistic career ladders on each side.
A practical guide to EPA Section 608 — the federally-mandated refrigerant handling certification — covering Type I, II, III, and Universal in plain language: what each Type lets you legally work on, the 18-of-25 pass mark, why open-book Type I can't count toward Universal, where to test (including from home), what it costs, and why it does not expire.
Heat pumps are the fastest-growing HVAC equipment category and federal/state incentives have changed which technicians get hired. A practical guide to the IRA's HEAR rebate program, the 25C tax credit (now expired), AHRI shipment trends, the DOE Energy Skilled training designation, NATE Heat Pump specialty pay, and how new HVAC techs should position themselves for heat pump work.
A step-by-step guide to becoming an HVAC technician — covering school vs apprenticeship, the EPA Section 608 certification, NATE credentials, state licensure, and what you earn from apprentice to senior tech across the first five years.
Discover the must-have tools, safety gear, and equipment every HVAC technician needs — from apprentice starter kits to professional setups.