HVAC Tech Classes in Idaho (Top Schools)

If you are here to see how to pursue a career in the HVAC industry, you are at the right place!

This career proves to be stable and lucrative. Why?

Because the The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for HVAC technicians to rise to an astonishing 21% in the period between 2012 and 2022.

Here is all you need to know in order to become a HVAC technician in Idaho.

Salary

As a HVAC technician your salary will depend on many different factors. Just some of those factors are your skills, education, licensure, and knowledge.

HVAC technicians can have an hourly wage from $10.51 to $28.61, all depending on the previously mentioned factors.

Here are salaries that you can expect in the ten largest cities in Idaho:

Apprentice Requirements

There are two kinds of apprenticeships you can register for.

The first one is a HVAC apprentice, and the second one is the HVAC Specialty apprentice.

To register for a HVAC apprentice you have to be employed by a licensed HVAC contractor, and work under a HVAC journeyman for the period of four years.

Additionally, you must complete a training program that is related to mechanical engineering and principles of thermodynamics.

The registration is valid for five years.

However, you must be aware that this registration by no means implies your level of competence, nor can it replace a certificate of competency or a license.

Fee for this kind of registration is $50.

If you are willing to register as a Specialty apprentice you have to be employed by a HVAC Specialty Contractor and to work under a HVAC Specialty Journeyman that works in the same category.

You will also need to complete a training course within that specialty field. This type of registration is valid for two years.

Just like the previous registration it does not act as a certificate of competency, or as a license. The fee for the registration is $20.

HVAC Journeyman

Just as it is the case with apprenticeships, there are two types of journeyman – a HVAC journeyman, and a HVAC specialty journeyman.

To become a HVAC journeyman you have to be employed for at least four years or be a registered HVAC apprentice making HVAC installations on the job under the supervision of a qualified HVAC journeyman having completed four years of approved HVAC apprenticeship school.

The fee you will have to pay is $35.

If you have experience that you have gained out of the state of Idaho you must supply proof of meeting that experience.

An additional requirement is that you must have four years of apprenticeship school, and you must have four years of HVAC work experience if you are a technician who has never been previously licensed a journeyman and hasn’t worked in a recognized jurisdiction.

There is an alternative method.

By this method, you must have eight years of experience in the HVAC industry.

This means that you need to have at least 16,000 working hours experience, as one year experience is considered to be 2000 hours.

If you want to become a HVAC specialty journeyman there are four licensing specialties you can opt for: hearth, fuel gas piping, waste oil heating, LP limited heating.

The fee you will have to pay is $35.

To be eligible for this license you must have at least one year of work experience, or two if you opt for LP limited heating, in your specialty filed.

You will also need to either complete an approved training course that has 60 hours of education in the specialty (for LP Limited Heating, the hour count is 120) or pass the exam for specialties.

HVAC Contractor

You can also opt for being a HVAC contractor, or a HVAC specialty contractor. Applications fee for each license is $35.

To meet the requirements of eligibility for the HVAC contractor license you must have at least two years of work experience as a HVAC journeyman in Idaho or elsewhere, as well as submit a $2,000 Compliance Bond in the name of your company.

Similarly to qualify for the HVAC specialty contractor’s license you need to have at least two years of experience within the field of your chosen specialty (in Idaho or another jurisdiction), and supply a $2,000 Compliance Bond in the name of the company.

If you hold a HVAC specialty Journeyman License it can act as proof of your experience.

In case you are an out-of-state applicant, you should provide a notarized Employer’s Verification Form that indicates your experience as a HVAC Specialty Journeymen.

The applications are available at the Idaho Division of Building Society’s website

Examination

If you meet all of the requirements and your application has been approved, then the the Division of Building Safety will inform you about the exam date for your license.

The journeyman and the Specialty journeyman exams both have 120 questions and you should complete them within 4 hours.

In order to pass you will need a score of at least 70%.

Here are the topics that are tested in the journeyman exams:

• Scope and Administration
• Definitions
• General Regulations
• Ventilation
• Exhaust Systems
• Duct Systems
• Chimneys and Vents
• Specific Appliances, Fireplaces, and Solid Fuel-Burning Equipment
• Boilers, Water Heaters, and Pressure Vessels
• Refrigeration
• Hydronic Piping
• Fuel Oil Piping Storage
• Solar Systems
• International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
• Gas Piping Installations
• Gaseous Hydrogen Systems
• Sizing and Drawings
• Idaho HVAC Statutes and Rules

In the Contractor and Specialty Contractor exams you have 110 questions and 4 hours to complete them.

In order to pass the exam you must have at least 70% of correct answers. The contractor exams are open book exams.

To prepare for the exams you may want to go through these materials:

• International Fuel Gas Code, 2012
• International Mechanical Code, 2012
• Idaho Contractors Business and Law Reference Manual
• Idaho HVAC Statutes and Rules

EPA Requirements

The Federal Clean Air Act, Section 608, sets forth that any person who intends to work with refrigerants needs to be certifies in refrigerant handling techniques.

This certificate is obtained through passing the Environmental Protection Agency 608 Technician Certification exam.

This certification is obligatory in all states by the federal law.

Schools

What better way to prepare for a licensure exam or for on-the-job situations than to acquire education at an official HVAC training center.

This education is what will give you an edge over other technicians; and it might serve as work experience based on the number of credits per program.

Here is a table of best HVAC official training centers in Idaho:

Conclusion

In Idaho job prospects for HVAC technicians are great.

However, in order to be a HVAC technician you have to be either a licensed apprentice or a licensed journeyman or a contractor.

You can even opt to specialize within a special area of HVAC industry. The application and examination process is simple.

We hope that you develop and further your career in the HVAC industry.