Hiring an HVAC Pro—Do Certifications Matter?

Today, the role of a heating and cooling professional has changed dramatically due to advanced technology and more complex equipment. When you’re ready to hire someone to work on the most critical and expensive systems in your home—your furnace or air conditioning—dealer certifications are a great way to determine expertise. To take the guesswork out of the hiring process, Gross Heating & Air Conditioning recommends looking for these certifications:

NATE Certification

North American Technical Excellence (NATE) certification is definitely one of the factors you want to consider if you’re in the 87 percent of consumers demanding excellence in HVAC service. As there are fewer than 25,000 NATE-certified technicians in the entire country, you know you’re getting the best installation and repair service the industry has to offer when you hire one.

NATE is the nation’s top certification program for HVAC technicians. To earn certification, techs must pass a knowledge-based exam in one or more specialty areas, including air conditioning, gas furnaces, and air distribution. According to this independent, nonprofit organization, customers report higher levels of satisfaction with NATE-certified technicians in the areas of comfort, efficiency, and equipment performance.

HVAC Excellence Certification

Those contractors who meet Carrier’s most stringent standards are designated as Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers. Certification means the dealer and dealer employees will follow best technical practices, choose the appropriate parts for each job, and make decisions that are good for customers and the environment.

EPA 608 Certification

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 608 certification ensures that the refrigerants used in air conditioning are handled appropriately and that a technician understands how to keep HVAC systems running well while protecting the environment from refrigerant pollution. Technicians must have EPA 608 certification—to service air conditioners and refrigeration systems that contain refrigerants. Those technicians who go through the certification process, have a better awareness of the many laws and rules that come with handling HVAC chemicals.