Are you looking to become an HVAC technician in North Carolina? If so, you'll need to obtain a license from the State of North Carolina Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors Examination Board. To be eligible for a license, you must have 18 months (3,000 hours) of full-time on-site experience installing, maintaining, or repairing plumbing or heating systems related to the category for which you want to be licensed. All types of HVAC contractors need 4,000 hours of on-site training, while HVAC technicians will need 3,000 hours. On-the-job training is usually done by working alongside a licensed HVAC contractor.
You can also receive a certificate or associate degree from schools such as Central Piedmont Community College, Guilford Technical Community College, and Wake Tech. In North Carolina, there are two different types of HVAC certifications: the refrigeration contractor license and the heating and cooling contractor license. The refrigeration contractor license allows professionals to work with air conditioning systems that are 15 tons or less. The H2 license allows air conditioning professionals to work with forced air heating and cooling systems for units larger than 15 tons.
Other licenses available to HVAC contractors in North Carolina include commercial refrigeration, transportation refrigeration, fuel lines, and electricity. Anyone who wants to independently carry out any work on an air conditioning system in exchange for money must have a license. The State of North Carolina Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors Examination Board issues heating and cooling licenses. For example, any HVAC professional who works in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings requires a Class I contractor license. Once you've done your research and decided on an area of air conditioning you'd like to work in, it's time to apply for your official license. Neither Board no longer requires continuing education as a condition for annual license renewal; however, licensees are urged to follow courses appropriate to their qualifications in order to keep up to date on codes, practices, technologies, and other topics related to the professional trades.
