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Occupational Title: HVACR Technician
Key Purpose: Diagnose, install, service, and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Critical Work Function
5 Utilize heating principles and practices in residential and light commercial heating and heat pumps.
Occupational Skills, Knowledge and Conditions
Key Activities
Performance Criteria
Occupational Skills and Knowledge
Conditions
Those duties or task clusters that are necessary to perform each critical work function.
Specific demonstrable performance and standards that indicate when the key activity has been performed successfully.
Those skills and knowledge that are specific to the occupation, such as technical processes or procedures common across the occupation that are critical to the related key activity.
Tools, resources and equipment necessary to carry out key activities and their related performance criteria.
KA5.1 Apply heating principles to HVACR system.
Number
Criteria
5.1.1  Identify and diagnose type of fuel and operating fuel systems operating conditions. 
5.1.2  Identify and diagnose types of fuel systems, such as propane, butane and natural gas. 
5.1.3  Supervisor's review indicates design specifications adequate for specified HVACR systems. 
Knowledge and understanding of heating principles.

Understanding and application of drafting principles and tools. 
Pressure gauges

Manometer
KA5.2 Identify, diagnose, install, maintain, and replace electric air, forced air, gas and electric heating systems.
Number
Criteria
5.2.1  Identify and diagnose electric resistance heat systems and forced-air heating systems. 
5.2.2  Install electric resistance heat systems and forced-air heating systems. 
5.2.3  Maintain electric resistance heat systems and forced-air heating systems. 
5.2.4  Repair electric resistance heat systems and forced-air heating systems. 
5.2.5  Post-service performance audit of HVACR equipment indicates electric resistance heat system operating at or above manufacturer’s design specification, benchmarks, and baselines.
 
Knowledge of heating system principles. 

Knowledge and understanding of LP and natural gas heating applications. 

Knowledge and application of various meter measurements. 

Ability to use voltmeter to determine proper voltage.

Ability to use ammeter to determine heating element operation.

Ability to use Ohm Meter to determine load winding and element condition.

Ability to use temperature meter to determine air temperature rise.

Ability to use temperature rise method to determine airflow.
Appropriate hand tools 

VOM multimeter 

Manometer 

Ammeter 

Digital thermometer
KA5.3 Identify, diagnose, install, maintain, and replace residential and gas-fired hydronic heating systems.
Number
Criteria
5.3.1  Identify and diagnose hydronic gas and electric heat systems. 
5.3.2  Install hydronic gas and electric heat systems. 
5.3.3  Maintain hydronic gas and electric heat systems. 
5.3.4  Repair hydronic gas and electric heat systems. 
5.3.5  Identify and select liquid, natural gas and oil pipe sizes and layout. 
5.3.6  Post-service performance audit of HVACR equipment indicates hydronic gas and electric heat system operating at or above manufacturer's design specifications, benchmarks, and baselines.
 
Knowledge and understanding of gas-fired hydronic heat systems.

Knowledge and application of meter measurement.

Knowledge and understanding of sizing and layout of liquid and natural gas pipes.

Knowledge of venting.

Knowledge and understanding of National Fuel Gas Code.
Appropriate hand tools 

VOM multimeter 

Manometer 

Digital thermometer
KA5.4 Diagnose, maintain, and repair compression and resistive heating systems in the heat pump.
Number
Criteria
5.4.1  Diagnose problems related to vapor compression heat pump cycles.
5.4.2  Inspect supplementary heat for proper operation. 
5.4.3  Repair the supplementary heat. 
5.4.4  Determine balance  point of heat pumps. 
5.4.5  Identify and calculate heating capacity based on outdoor ambient temperature.
5.4.6 Post-service performance audit of HVACR equipment indicates compression and resistive heating system operating at or above manufacturer’s design specifications, benchmarks, and baselines.
 
Knowledge and understanding of effect of outdoor temperature on heating capacity.

Ability to calculate balance point using heat load and manufacturers’ data.

Ability to calculate heat loads for proper sizing of system and to calculate heating capacity required of structure based on heat loss.

Knowledge of heat pumps and supplementary heat.

Knowledge and application of various measuring instruments and testing devices.

Knowledge and interpretation of pressure/temperature relationships.
Appropriate hand tools 

VOM multimeter 

Ammeter 

Refrigerant gauge manifold  

Digital thermometer
KA5.5 Identify, diagnose, maintain, and repair electrical circuits for all types of heat pumps.
Number
Criteria
5.5.1  Identify and diagnose the electrical circuits of air to air, water to air, and ground to air heat pumps.
5.5.2  Inspect and adjust the electrical circuits of air  to air, water to air, and ground to air heat pumps. 
5.5.3  Repair the electrical circuits of air to air, water to air, and ground to air heat pumps. 
5.5.4  Post-service performance audit of HVACR equipment indicates electrical circuits for all types of heat pumps operating  at or above manufacturer's design specifications, benchmarks, and baselines. 
Knowledge of electrical circuitry as used in heat pumps.

Knowledge and application of meter measurement.

Knowledge and understanding of manufacturing maintenance guidelines.

Ability to use wiring diagrams for installation and  troubleshooting.

Ability to use ammeter, voltmeter and Ohm meter.
Appropriate hand tools 

VOM multimeter 

Ammeter 

Digital thermometer
KA5.6 Verify proper operation of defrost controls in heat pump systems.
Number
Criteria
5.6.1  Inspect proper operation of defrost controls in  heat pump systems; for example, electronic demand defrost, pressure, time/temperature, time, etc.
5.6.2  Repair and/or replace defrost controls in heat pump systems; for example, electronic demand defrost, pressure, time/temperature, time, etc. 
5.6.3  Post-service performance audit of HVACR equipment indicates defrost controls in heat pump system operating at or above manufacturer’s design specifications, benchmarks and baselines.  
Ability to identify various heat pump defrost control types.

Knowledge and application of meter measurement.

Knowledge and understanding of manufacturing guidelines.

Ability to differentiate methods for heat pump defrost and initiate defrost for troubleshooting procedures.

Ability to use wiring diagrams for troubleshooting and installation.
Appropriate hand tools 

VOM multimeter 

Ammeter 

Digital thermometer 

Refrigerant gauges