Qualities and Skills Needed to Work in HVAC

Are you interested in becoming an HVAC technician but not sure if you have the qualities and skills needed to succeed? If you aren’t ready just yet, the good news is that you will hone a lot of your qualities and skills while attending an HVAC technician program at Interactive College of Technology. ICT can help you lay a foundation that you can build upon throughout your career.

What Qualities are Needed to Work in HVAC?

The following are the qualities that an HVAC will need to be successful:

Quality #1: Friendliness

You must be approachable when you show up at a customer’s residence to fix their HVAC system. A good first impression is key, and nothing works better than a smile. As an HVAC technician, having a friendly demeanor will help keep customers happy and get you good Yelp reviews in turn.

Quality #2: Reliability

An HVAC organization looks to hire those that take responsibility for their work and does what they say they are going to do. Showing up on time and doing the job properly goes a long way to keeping customers loyal and employers happy.

For example, you may be installing a new air conditioning system. There are proper measurements and calculations that need to be completed before the air conditioning system can be installed. Measuring the ductwork incorrect can cause issues further down the line and cost a customer additional money for another HVAC technician to come and fix any mistakes. Being reliable means measurements, calculations, and specification are accurate the first time, every time.

Quality #3: Patience

Not all customers are quick-witted or completely awake when you arrive to diagnose or repair an HVAC system. You may need to explain the diagnosis more than once or wait for a customer to recount the situation. Being patient with customers offers a positive atmosphere to work in and shows that you are resourceful and calm. Sometimes a customer just wants to be heard and listening to their tragic story will create a loyal customer.

Quality #4: Punctuality

No one likes to wait when they have an appointment. Consider what the customer thinks when you tell them you will be at their house between 8am and 5pm. They may have responsibilities to deal with and can’t wait all day for you to show up and fix the air conditioning. It is important to set a small window of time that you will stick with to fix the HVAC system and showing up on time will divert a future problem.

Quality #5: Honesty

It is important for you to be honest with both your customers and employer. Especially when it comes to the cost of repairs. Try to offer accurate estimates and consider unforeseen expenses before they happen. Make sure to get approval from the customer before doing extra work and contact your employer if you decide to deviate from your daily schedule. Those that can be trusted are called again and again to handle any situation that may arise.

Quality #6: Hard-Working

It goes without saying that a good HVAC technician is hard-working. You never know what you will find when you go to diagnose an HVAC system for the first time, so it is good to put in a hard day’s work to offer the customer your best and most energetic self. If you need to put in another hour or two to complete a job, consider the customer not having an air conditioning during a hot day, and that should motivate you to finish.

Quality #7: Methodical

When diagnosing an HVAC system, it is important to take a methodical approach. You should have a checklist that helps you prepare the HVAC system to shut down and create a safe environment. Proceed to the next steps of the checklist and come to the end before you decide on a problem and solution. Missing one step in the process can be catastrophic so take your time and take a systematic approach to the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of all equipment.

What Skills are Needed to Work in HVAC?

In addition to the qualities you want to exhibit, there are also skills that you should master to be a successful HVAC technician. Whether it is good communication, active listening, or one of the other important skills that you will use everyday as an HVAC technician, you have the opportunity to master these skills during an HVAC program at Interactive College of Technology. The skills we help you build include:

Skill #1: Communication

Although an HVAC technician works solo, they spend a lot of their time speaking with customers and supervisors. The ability to convey information properly cuts down on errors and misunderstandings. If a customer expects one thing and you offer then another, they will be unhappy.

Further, part of an HVAC technician’s job is to write up reports of the services that were rendering during an appointment. Subsequent technicians may need to understand what was completed to better diagnose any problems that may arise. Properly documenting the situation and explaining the problem and solution can be very useful for future HVAC appointments.

Skill #2: Active Listening

In tandem with communication, good active listening skills are important for HVAC technicians when working with customers. It is important to know what the customer wants before you try to fix any of their problems. What noises did they hear? Were there any issues leading up to the HVAC failure? Take the time to listen to the customer and truly understand the situation, only then can you diagnose the issue and come up with a solution.

Skill #3: Adaptability

Every situation you encounter will be a little bit different and not every problem will have the same solution. By being methodical as you approach the situation, you can adapt your solution to the particular HVAC system issues. During an HVAC program, you will learn how to fix common issue with HVAC systems but as technology advances, you will be asked to adapt and take the time to learn more about the newest and latest HVAC components. Or you may be familiar with one brand of HVAC system but encounter an alternate brand. Most components will be similar, but each brand has specific proprietary parts and you must adapt.

Skill #4: Attention to Detail

Paying attention to details is an important skill for any HVAC technician. There are a lot of little parts, and even missing one of those parts can cause an HVAC system to malfunction. It is important to use your attention to detail skills to look at blueprints and schematics to help diagnose an issue and find the proper solution.

Skill #5: Problem Solving

There are always problems to solve. The key is to identify the best solution out of the many solutions that exist. A successful HVAC technician takes the time to fully understand the issue and identify the best solution possible. Should you use duct tape to cover the opening in the duct work or should you replace the entire system? Some problems have multiple solutions, so you must use your best judgement to choose the right solution for the situation. Being methodical and paying attention to the details will allow you to solve any HVAC issue you encounter on the job.

Skill #6: Time Management

As an HVAC technician, you will have multiple customers to see in a day, so creating a schedule and sticking to it will allow you to see all your customers in the given workday. Take time to build a schedule that allows you down time so that you are not exhausted at the end of the day and make mistakes on your last appointment. ICT can teach you to be better at planning your time.

Skill #7: Customer Service

Nothing is more important than good customer service when working as an HVAC technician. Customers are the life blood of an HVAC business, and without loyal customers the business might not survive. It cost less to retain customers than it does to continue to acquire new customer, so it is important to offer good customer service every time. Good customer service will also mean opportunities to advance and those all-important 5-star reviews on Yelp.

Skill #8: Continuous Learning

A great skill to have, in any industry, is a willingness to learning. There are always new techniques to learn and HVAC equipment to use, so the ability to adapt and learn new things is an important trait to have.

How Do You Become an HVAC Technician?

An easy way to become an HVAC technician is to attend Interactive College of Technology’s HVAC program. We prepare you for day one of your new career. We also get you ready to take the EPA & NATE certifications by preparing you to take those tests. We also offer externships and work experience to build confidence in your abilities and show your dedication to prospective employers. If you want to hone your qualities and master the important skills that will help you succeed as an HVAC technician, then learn more about Interactive College of Technology today.

Want to Learn More?

This HVAC residential training program at the Pasadena, TX and Newport, KY campuses offer training in all phases of repair and maintenance of residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The HVAC/R Technology program at the Chamblee, GA campus offers training in all phases of HVAC including refrigeration systems. Both programs at all three campuses prepare students for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certification in the management of refrigerants and North American Technicians Excellence (NATE) Certification.

An externship is a part of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning residential training program and assigns you to a partnering company for 135 hours, giving you the opportunity to put your new skills to use and gain real-life career training experience. Plus, after you graduate, our Lifetime Career Placement Support program will be there to help you find work whenever you need it.

Let’s take the first step together! Contact us now to learn more.

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