Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician Program Covers Variety of Industry Areas
A professional who has attended a Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program isn’t limited to just installing the systems the heat and cool homes and businesses. He or she is also prepared to work in areas such as technical support, maintenance, design, and sales and service. That’s because programs like Centennial College’s offer students a well-rounded view of the industry.
At Centennial, students who have an interest in the field and have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or have mature student status (19 years or older); English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) or can take the Centennial College English Skills Assessment for Admission; and Mathematics Grade 11 M or U, or 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) or can take a Centennial College Engineering Math Skills Assessment for Admission are invited to apply to the two-year Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Tech offering.
With great strides being made in the field, the offering is highly technical and spans a range of areas that include: the development of refrigerants, selection of equipment to meet the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standards, the efficiency standards for heating equipment, and installation and service techniques. With students studying from an environment equipped to allow for practical application, much of the two-year program is conducted from labs with students using theory to complete projects and assignments that mimic the real world.
Here is a closer look at some of the specific Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses in the undertaking.
Fundamentals of Cooling Cycles: Learning to describe the structure of matter, molecular motion, work and energy, thermal energy and the change of state, and laws of physics that relate to vapours and gases is a major part of this course. Additionally, training is offering in operating principles and function, temperatures and pressures of the mechanical cooling cycle and the procedures for plotting a mechanical cooling cycle in a mollier diagram.
Mechanical Cooling Cycle: Presented with both theoretical and practical aspects, this course covers operating principles and functions of compressors, metering devices, condensers, evaporators and accessories used in a mechanical cooling cycle as well as the materials used to interconnect the components and accessories for a mechanical cooling cycle.
Acts, Regulations and Procedures: Being able to identify regulations as applicable to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and pertinent Codes, Acts, Regulations and Legislation is essential for those in this field. In addition, this course teaches students to identify personal protective equipment, safe working conditions, procedures for handling hazardous or toxic materials, fire safety procedures, the reporting of injuries, demonstration for prevention of personal injuries, procedures for lockout and tagging, operating material handling equipment (rigging and hoisting), procedures for the use of personnel lift equipment; and more.
Ethics in Technology and the Environment: Ethical issues governing social, technological and environmental policies, and the impact of their implementation are all examined, with students learning to analyze, question and resolve ethical dilemmas by developing a personal framework for ethical and moral decision-making.
Capstone Project: Facilitated in the final semester, this is the students’ opportunity to apply what they have learned in previous semesters to a single project supervised by a faculty member. The all-encompassing course employs a real-world situation.
