Is your HVAC contractor certified or just qualified?

September 11, 2015

Your heating and cooling systems are big investments, so keeping them working efficiently for years to come is important. The company or companies you hire to install, service, and maintain these systems is just as important, as they will be the ones that can make your investment last.

Industry certifications can be a tool to help consumers find the right company for them. Here at Save Home Heat, Co., our employees hold a number of various certifications across specialties. And as a company, we follow certain industry standards that set us apart from the pack.

To better educate our customers and anyone looking for a HVAC contractor, we’ll detail NATE Certification and some EPA Regulations.

What Is the NATE Certification?

The NATE (North American Technician Excellence) certification was originally created in 1997, and helps to establish a standard of service within the industry. The exams that need to be passed for the certification test a technician’s knowledge, skills, and abilities across many different HVACR fields such as heating, air conditioning, air distribution, and gas.

Why Does the Certification Matter?

To be completely honest, you don’t need the NATE certification to work in the field of heating and cooling technologies. Most employers don’t require certification before hiring an employee – instead, they hire based on skills and experience. Not becoming certified doesn’t mean that a technician is bad at their job, either.

On the other hand, the certification is so valuable to customers because it helps to eliminate surprises. When you know that your technician is certified, you can be more than reasonably assured that you aren’t going to run into problems due to technical mistakes, errors, and incompetence.

Consider that the exams are quite difficult, and it takes an enormous amount of time, effort, and energy to properly prepare to take the certification exams. Because the exams are so difficult, not everyone passes. This only helps to raise the value of the certification because it will help increase your trust in the skills and experience of a certified technician.

Also, know that the NATE certification isn’t the only certification out there. If there are other certifications, why is the NATE certification so valuable? Why don’t other certifications carry the same weight and respect as the NATE certification? The answer lies in the other exams’ pass rates. Because other exams have higher pass rates, they are somewhat easier to achieve.

Protecting the Environment by Following EPA Regulations

In addition to our certified technicians, we also take the greatest care to follow EPA regulations to protect our environment.

We have special tools and machinery such as:

    • Top quality refrigerant reclaim and recycling machines
    • Special refrigerant storage and transfer tanks
    • Vacuum pumps

Gauges

Specialty accessories

Though refrigerant technologies have come a long way, there are still a few problems. Older CFCs that were harmful to the ozone layer were phased out and replaced with alternatives that don’t harm the atmosphere. However, it is believed that there is still the potential that they contribute to climate change. With EPA certifications for refrigerant handling, we are qualified to and capable of dealing with these potentially harmful materials and we take the job of handling these refrigerants very seriously.

The next time you need an HVAC professional to install or service your heating and cooling systems, do some research into their certifications. If you live in the Save Home Heat service area, you can be confident that we’ll provide you with the best service around. Need help now? Contact us!