When you want to hire a trusted professional to work on major systems in your home, you want to know you can count on them to be qualified, trained & certified and the best at what they do. That goes for any of the important systems in your home that make it functional and comfortable for you and your family, but there is one that we Arizonians hold very dear to our hearts: the wonderful AC system. Our summer months are brutal, and there really is nothing worse than having an air conditioning unit that dies on you right when temperatures are reaching the 100’s. Would you be able to survive without AC in the Arizona heat with the scorching sun? We didn’t think so.

When that does happen, or even if you simply are doing the right thing by getting annual maintenance, you look to HVAC contractors and technicians to get the job done safely and correctly. At Cooper Climate Control, we make sure all of our Heating & Cooling Specialists have gone through the right process for certification and the best training they can get.

No matter who you work with, we want you to know exactly what goes into the process for HVAC specialists to get their license and then eventually into your home. A lot of time, discipline, and dedication go into becoming a contractor and/or technician. Read on to find out the essentials that go into becoming a Cooper Climate Control licensed technician and contractor!

Applying

When a person wants to become an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) Technician or an ACR contractor, he or she must submit a completed application and the application fee to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Also, they need to qualify for the license and, of course, pass the required exams.

All applicants, whether technician or contractor, must be at least 18 years old, and the license requirements are to provide 48 months of practical experience in air conditioning and refrigeration related work under the direction of a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contactor in the previous 72 months. Did you do the math? Yeah, that’s a lot of years of previous experience before they can even get certified! Once the application is approved, the applicant will be notified and then able to schedule his or her exam.

License Type

Getting an ACR license isn’t so simple- applicants need to figure out what exactly it is they want to specialize in and work on. First, a Class A license allows you to work on any size unit, while the Class B license allows you to work on cooling systems of 25 tons and under, and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs/hour and under.

Second, there are a few different options for the specific equipment and/or treatments one can be licensed to use:

• “Environmental Air Conditioning” means that the person can treat air to control temperature, humidity, cleanliness, ventilation, and circulation to meet human comfort requirements.
• “Environmental” includes central air conditioning and heating.
• “Commercial Refrigeration” means the person may use mechanical or absorption equipment to control temperature or humidity to satisfy the intended use of a specific space.

• “Process Cooling or Heating” includes controlling temperature, humidity, or cleanliness solely for production requirements or the proper operation of equipment.
• “Commercial Refrigeration/Process Heating and Cooling” is limited to coolers, freezers, ice machines, and equipment that provides temperature and humidity controls.

The point is, not everyone can just do anything and everything to your system at any given time just because it’s what you need. Having a person who is trained and specialized specifically for certain types of equipment or tasks is taken very seriously in this business, and that’s what makes us so confident in our work!

Examination

Other than completing and turning in a License application, those seeking certification need to also submit the Employment Verification Form detailing the required practical experience within the required time frame as verified by a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor that they worked under.

From there on, all they need to do is pass. Study materials are optional, but are encouraged and provided by most community college bookstores. So they messed up the first time? That’s ok; exam takers are allowed to retake the exam as many times as they would like within one year of when their application was approved.

Certification versus Registration

Registration is required for air conditioning technicians who work under a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor and who perform air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance work, and does not require examination. Certification, on the other hand, is optional. To become certified, you must register with Arizona Registrar of Contractors and pass the exam. This provides the leeway to get to your desired position in the ladder, so to speak. All that stands in the way of becoming a Certified ACR Technician is more examination. Can’t hurt!

Renewals

The license for Registered ACR Technician, Certified ACR Technician, and ACR Contractor can be renewed any time- 24 hours, 7 days a week through online services that TDLR provides and requires a small fee. But, of course, it isn’t that easy.

Each ACR Contractor is required to complete eight hours of continuing education to renew their license, including two hours of instruction in Arizona air conditioning and refrigeration law and rules that regulate conduct. Continuing education hours must be completed within the period of the license, which is mostly one year. If the license has been expired for more than 18 months but less than three years, then the person must submit a special form to get a renewal approved. If it’s been more than three years, applicants are required to apply for a new license altogether.

Continuing Education

Licensed technicians and contractors are required to continue perfecting and adding to their work experience and knowledge. As they should! At Cooper Climate Control, we believe continuing ones education is always a good thing, allowing professionals to stay up to date with the latest in their field of expertise.

For a licensed ACR technician or contractor, eight hours of continuing education are required during the period their license is valid before being able to renew it. They must seek out local or online classrooms approved by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which are all monitored very closely. And guess what? No partial credit is given- license holders must complete the eight hours exactly, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Why You Should Care

For one, safety is everything when it comes to family, and it’s definitely everything to us, too. Letting someone into your home only happens when you approve and feel safe, and you should always feel good about letting a Cooper Climate Control Heating & Cooling Specialist or contractor fix your beloved AC unit- that beacon of hope that lets us Arizonians live in peace during the long, hot summer months.

Knowing that things are being done safely and correctly should an important factor in choosing someone to help you get your problems fixed up. We at Cooper Climate Control want our readers to know exactly who the people are that are checking and repairing their most important (and expensive!) systems in their homes. That’s why we encourage everyone to be aware, never hesitate to ask questions, do their research, and trust a Cooper Climate Control professional to get the job done right.

Summer is just getting started, but the heat is getting more intense every single day. Don’t wait until something goes wrong to give us a call. As we have mentioned before, annual maintenance is a must for those of us who rely so much on our AC during this time of year. Now that you know the process we go through to be the best at our job, give us a call today and let us show you the quality and care we consistently put into our work for you and your family.