Our HVAC technicians at Bruce Inc. Mechanical Heating and Air pride themselves on their NATE certification. Our customers know that NATE-certified professionals are the best in the business. An acronym for the North American Technician Excellence, NATE is a certification organization for technicians who are passionate about heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration and want to excel in installing, repairing and taking care of these systems. A non-profit, NATE is the largest certification organization in the country. Founded in 1997, NATE certification applies only to individual technicians and not to companies. The technician has to pass an exam that tests them on:

• Tools and equipment and their safe handling
• Achieving home comfort
• Measuring humidity and temperature
• Basics of construction and sciences related to HVAC systems

How Technicians Get NATE Certification

A technician who wants NATE certification should have at least six months to a year of working with HVAC systems if they want to register for the support team exam. They’ll need two years of hands-on work with HVAC systems to register for the professional-level exam. They can do this through working, interning or being an apprentice for an HVAC contractor. Vocational and technical schools also help with attaining NATE certification. The technician can use the internet as well as their colleagues to help them prepare for the NATE exam.

When the technician believes they’re ready, they can register to take the exam. Nearly every state has a testing site, and the technician can sign up on NATE’s own website. The exam has two portions. One is a core service exam, and the other is the specialty exam that covers areas such as air conditioning, heat pumps and others. The core exam has 50 questions; the specialty test has 100. The entire test can take about four hours to complete.

The technician has to score at least 70 on both parts of the exam to be certified. The technician’s certification also needs to be kept up to date. To do this, the NATE-certified technician has to engage in continuing education which encompasses at least 16 hours of training every two years. If they do this, they won’t need to take the core exam again.

NATE-certified HVAC professionals can also rise to a senior-level technician certification. They can do this if they have five years of experience working on HVAC systems and have passed two specialty exams and the efficiency analyst test.

Why Hire NATE-Certified Technicians?

Hiring our NATE-certified technicians for your HVAC needs brings such benefits as:

• Extended lifespan for your HVAC system
• Enhanced safety
• Enhanced efficiency
• Lower energy bills

NATE-certified technicians are trained in the ways to extend the lifespan of your HVAC system, no matter the make or model. A technician who is not up to date with the components of your system may not know the best ways to install, repair and maintain it. This leads to the system not working as long as it should.

There are some elements of your HVAC system such as refrigerant that are dangerous for laypersons to handle. Improper installation and maintenance can lead to dangers such as carbon monoxide poisoning. Technicians who have achieved NATE certification are taught how to service your HVAC systems to make sure it runs safely. Safety is one of the areas the candidate needs to be proficient in to pass the test.

Because our NATE-certified professionals are kept up to date on servicing all makes and models of HVAC systems, they help these systems to run more efficiently. Because of this and the other benefits mentioned, your utility bills will be lower.

Not only this, it’s good to remember that your NATE-certified professional has already had years of experience before they even take the certification exam. This experience needs to be hands-on. They also need to regularly update their training, a must when you realize how quickly HVAC technology is evolving.

Call Us To Learn More

Bruce Inc. Mechanical Heating and Air has been serving customers in Washington State, Colorado and Oregon for 30 years. Though we are part of the Lennox Circle of Excellence, our NATE-certified professionals serve all makes and models of HVAC systems. We assist both residential and commercial customers, and we also work with new construction, custom welding, handrails and catwalks. Call us today if you need help with your HVAC system.