Home Renovation

Considering a Career in Home Renovation? Check Out This Year’s Trends

November 20, 2018

One of the great things about training in home renovation is that you get to work on such a wide variety of projects. Whether a client wants new tiles in their bathroom, updated doors or windows, a floor-to-ceiling kitchen revamp or even an addition on their house, as a technician, you’ll be equipped with the skills to make it happen. This gives home renovation technicians a lot of flexibility in their careers, as they’re free to specialize in any area of the home or to remain generalists, doing it all. Either way, it’s important for anyone interested in a career in home renovation to keep up with all of the latest trends that clients are likely to be asking about.

If you’re interested in a career as a home renovation technician, here are five of the biggest trends that you should be aware of.

Natural Wood Can Give Rooms a Warm and Organic Feel

Natural wood can add a light, warm and organic touch to kitchens, bathrooms and dining areas. Depending on the type of wood and how it’s treated, it can produce either a more rustic or modern look, and can dominate the room or be used as a subtle accent. This trend is being seen in the form of plank-wood shelves, bare wood kitchen cabinetry, exposed beams and more.

Bring Natural Light into a Home with Big Windows after Home Renovation College

Large windows and glass-panelled doors have become a popular choice for homeowners renovating their houses. Particularly for homes surrounded by natural environments, they can help bring a sense of the outdoors inside, and fill rooms with natural light.

Students graduating from home renovation school should expect clients asking for floor-to-ceiling windows, panoramic views and skylights.

Home renovation technicians know that large windows can provide a space with lots of natural light

Open Floor Plans Make a House Brighter, More Flexible and More Sociable

Open floor plans have been a big trend for home renovations this year. They can improve traffic flow inside a house, and make it more sociable and easier to communicate. Without doors and walls, light can spread between rooms, including natural light from large, newly renovated windows. Open floor plans also allow homeowners to more easily reconfigure a house to fit their needs. It’s also a popular renovation because it increases a home’s value to potential buyers, so it’s a good long-term investment in a property.

Waterfall Countertops: A Kitchen Trend You’ll See During Your Home Renovation Career

If you’re interested in a career in home renovation, you should make sure you’re familiar with waterfall countertops, which are currently a major trend in kitchen remodels.

With a traditional countertop, the horizontal surface ends at the edge, but with waterfall countertops, that top surface drops down vertically on either side, creating a continuous surface from the floor, over the counter and back down. It’s a striking look, often perfect for center islands in larger kitchens. These dramatic counters often make use of quality materials like marble, granite or quartz.

A waterfall countertop, like this marble one, can be a stylish addition to any kitchen

Blurring the Line Between Indoor & Outdoor Spaces After Home Renovation School

Another current trend, particularly around the West Coast and in mountainous or temperate areas, is blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space. For hopeful home renovation technicians, this means a lot of big patio doors, flooring that extends from indoor living spaces into outside areas and outdoor tables, countertops and cooking areas made of durable, weather-resistant materials.

Are you interested in working with the newest trends as a home renovation technician?

Contact North American Trade Schools for more information about training in home renovation college.

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Cabinetmaking

Learn to Choose the Right Wood for Every Job at Cabinetmaking School

November 14, 2018

Cabinetmaking students spend a lot of time working with wood, building cabinets and other types of furniture and fixtures like shelves, tables and benches. While there are many other options for building materials, none can match the warmth and unique character of wood, with its distinct grain patterns, color variations and texture. This is where much of the artistry of the trade comes in, as cabinetmakers not only design unique custom pieces, but also choose the right materials to bring them to life. If you’re looking for a career in the trades that allows you to flex your creativity, cabinetmaking is a great option.

Knowing what type of wood to use for different projects can be overwhelming at times. The right training will teach you that there are many options to choose from including manufactured woods like plywood, softwoods like pine or cedar, and hardwoods like mahogany, walnut or oak. Each type might vary in terms of its relative hardness as well as its colour, grain, and how well it accepts paints or stains.

Read on to learn how to choose the right wood for every job at cabinetmaking school and beyond.

Cedar and Redwood are Great Options for Outdoor Projects

Not all woods can handle moist environments without warping or rotting, so it’s particularly important to choose the right wood for anything that might be left outside, like a set of patio furniture or an outdoor bench, for example.

Cedar comes in several varieties, with the most common being western red. It’s a relatively soft wood, with a straight grain and a pleasant, aromatic smell. Redwood also has a straight grain, and like western red cedar, a slight reddish tint. Both of these softwoods are good options for students in cabinetmaking training working on outdoor projects, as they’re resistant to moisture and won’t rot or warp if left outside.

Oak and redwood are typically top choices for cabinetmakers when working on outdoor furniture

Common Hardwoods Used by Cabinetmaking Professionals

Oak is one of the most commonly used hardwoods for cabinets and furniture. It has a light to medium brown colour, and coarse and uneven grain which can be stained or painted. Oak comes in two varieties, red and white. White oak is the preferable option for furniture-making, and like cedar and redwood, it can be used for outdoor projects, although red oak cannot.

Another great hardwood for furniture is mahogany. With a reddish-brown to deep-red colour and a straight grain, it takes stain well and looks great with a natural finish, although it can be much pricier than oak and your future clients may not be willing to splurge on mahogany.

Walnut is attractive and easy to work with, but can also be rather expensive, and for this reason, is often only used for accents or inlays. Poplar, on the other hand, is one of the least expensive hardwoods, and is also easy to work with. It’s considered less attractive than walnut or other hardwoods, though, so is usually painted, or used for less visible pieces, like drawers.

Other common hardwoods that students in cabinetmaking schoolmight use for furniture and cabinet-building are cherry, maple, beech, and ash.

Cabinetmaking students know that the type of wood chosen can impact the finished look of cabinets

What Students in Cabinetmaking Training Should Consider When Choosing

There may be several options that work for any particular project, and it’s important to keep all of the relevant factors in mind when choosing. These include the grain and colour of a wood, its ability to take stain or paint, its workability and relative hardness and its price, among other things. For students in cabinetmaking, these choices are all part of the artistry that goes into a well-made custom piece of furniture.

Are you interested in going to trade school for a career in cabinetmaking?

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Solar Energy Technician

Solar Thermal vs. Solar Photovoltaic: Understand the Difference with a Solar Energy Technician Diploma

November 06, 2018

The growing gap between energy supply and demand is placing more and more emphasis on renewable sources such as solar power. Many emerging green technologies rely on solar energy to operate and more people and companies are turning to solar power as an energy source.

Because solar power is still in a period of expansion, it can be complicated for the general public to understand how it works and the different ways it can function, as well as what options are available to consumers and what is still in development.

If you’re considering a solar technician career and want to learn more about solar power and the exciting energy trends you can expect to see, read on for more information.

How is Solar Energy Generated?

The sun emits energy in the form of particles of light known as photons, and these are captured using two different technologies known as solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal systems.

Solar thermal technology produces energy by concentrating light from the sun to create heat. It is most commonly used to heat water or other liquids and doesn’t require much sophisticated technology to generate consumable energy. Flat plate panels are used as low to medium heat collectors, while concentrated solar systems such as a parabolic trough, reflectors and solar towers can be used to reach higher temperatures.

Photovoltaic energy absorbs photons and transforms them into electricity with a silicon-based technology. It is different from solar thermal technology because it generates electricity, while a solar thermal system does not generate additional energy but instead captures incoming heat.

Know the Pros and Cons with Solar Technician Certification

Solar thermal and PV technologies use different methods to achieve the same purpose of harnessing solar energy. Accordingly, both systems have different benefits and detractions, and in general vary in the amount of power they produce as well as the cost of a solar cell unit.

For those worried about space efficiency, solar thermal panels are smaller and less complex than photovoltaic systems, which means they are less expensive and more affordable for use by the general population. The panels, however, are not as effective in winter months due to the seasonal decrease in sunlight, and have a shorter lifespan than photovoltaic panels.

Solar power offers an exciting future of solar energy technicians

Photovoltaic systems are more versatile, and can generate enough energy to heat water and power appliances such as refrigerators and HVAC systems. Although only effective during daylight hours, PV panels have a long life span, and unlike a solar thermal system, can be installed anywhere and maintained by anyone with the proper solar technician certification. PV panels also do not freeze or lose functionality in winter, but they are more expensive and require more space than solar thermal cells.

What Does the Future of Solar Power Look Like?

Whether thermal or photovoltaic, solar energy is a promising technology that can ease the burden of energy demand and serve as a viable alternative to natural resources. Solar power is becoming increasingly prevalent across Canada, with a corresponding rise in PV cell installation for both residential and commercial use as solar technology becomes more affordable for the general public.

No matter the technology, the future of solar energy is promising for students at NATS

The price of solar power has decreased nearly seven-fold in the last decade, from $6.18 per watt to $0.85 per watt. As more solar systems are adopted throughout Canada and North America, there will be more demand for trained professionals who have earned their solar technician certification  to install and maintain generators and systems, making for a promising job outlook and a greener future.

Are you interested in a bright future with solar energy technician college?

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Welding

Interested in Welder Training? Here’s the Fascinating History of this Great Craft

October 31, 2018

Welding can be one of the most fascinating and rewarding careers in the construction industry today. Besides being well-paid and in demand, welders get to work with powerful tools to cut, join, and trim metal, performing jobs as varied as breaking down decommissioned ships and welding steel beams in place on a skyscraper’s frame. As a technology, it’s easy to forget just how important the development of welding has been, because its products are all around us: buildings, pipelines, industrial machinery, cars and other vehicles. These all depend on our ability to weld metal.

If you’re interested in welder training, it’s worth taking a look at the history of this fascinating craft, to get a sense of how both the field and the technology have developed over the years. Read on to learn more.

There Were Other Ways to Join Metal Before Welding

Humans have been joining metals for thousands of years, but for much of that time, the techniques used were rudimentary. By around 1000 BC, for example, the Egyptians had developed a technique of melting metals to be used for solder, which could then be fed into metal joints with a blowpipe.

Another technique, developed in the Middle Ages, was to hammer pieces of metal together under heat until they were fused. This was effective for many purposes, such as making swords and armour, but the process was incredibly labour-intensive and not nearly as effective as later forms of welding.

The technique of heating and hammering metal is still in use for certain purposes today

The Tools You’ll Use in Welder Training Originated in the 19thCentury

The process of joining metals didn’t develop much until the 19thcentury, when several key breakthroughs allowed new processes to be developed. The first of these developments was the discovery of acetylene in 1836, which, when burned, produced a flame hot enough to weld and cut metals.

In the early 19th century, the electric arc was also discovered, eventually leading to the invention of carbon arc welding in 1881. Rather than an open flame, this technique uses the heat of an electric arc running between a carbon electrode and the material on which it’s being used. While melting the metal with this electric arc, filler material can be fed into the weld to help join the pieces. This invention was the first significant step towards the types of welding machines you’d be likely to use in welding school and beyond.

Shielding Gas Was a Key Step in Welding History

One of the issues with early carbon arc welding was that welds were vulnerable to oxidization. This is the process of metals bonding to oxygen particles in the atmosphere, which can result in brittle or weak joints. In the 20th century, this led to the development of shielding gas for welding, which was a great advance in producing the strong, durable welds we see today. As students in welding college know, a shielding gas is a gas like argon, helium or carbon dioxide that’s used to shield the molten metal of a weld from coming into contact with oxygen and becoming oxidized. This was first developed with the use of hydrogen by Irving Langmuir in the 1920s.

As students in welding training know, shield gases protect a weld from becoming oxidized

Like most technologies, the tools used for welding are constantly improving, and among the various types of welding equipment in use today, many still use the basic principles developed over the 19th and 20th centuries of an electric arc shielded by gas.

Are you interested in a fascinating new career as a welder?

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HVAC

HVAC School Advice for Getting a Home Fall and Winter Ready

October 23, 2018

As the days get shorter and temperatures begin to drop, it’s important for people to get their homes ready for the colder seasons. There’s more to do than just pile on the blankets, switch off the air conditioning and crank up the thermostat, though. Proper preparation means ensuring that a home’s heating system is in good working order for the long winter ahead, and that it won’t be wasting energy, which can result in soaring bills over the winter months.

HVAC school teaches aspiring technicians to spot any of the potential problems that can result in a poorly functioning or wasteful home heating system. If you’re considering, or already pursuing, HVAC technician training, here’s some advice you might soon be giving to clients for getting a home fall and winter ready.

HVAC Experts Advise Clients to Change their Air Filters Regularly

As air flows out from a unit, the air filter removes small particles like dust and dirt, which would otherwise circulate and be breathed in by occupants. However, over time these small particles can build up and block the filter. When this happens, the unit has to work much harder to keep a home warm. Air quality suffers and heating costs go up.

Once you’ve earned your diploma, you might recommend that clients replace their air filters every one to three months. Heading into winter, it’s particularly important they make sure that the unit is running with a clean, new filter.

Thermostats Should Be Measured Against a Separate Thermometer

HVAC training will teach you that the thermostat is the control centre of a heating system making sure that the heat turns on and off as intended and that the home is kept at the desired temperature. For this reason, it’s important for clients to know if it’s in good working condition before the weather gets too cold.

You might test the thermostat by setting the temperature at least ten degrees higher than the temperature of the room. This should cause the heat to turn on. After about fifteen minutes, a standard thermometer should be used to test the temperature of the room and compare it to the readout on the thermometer. When the numbers don’t match up, there’s a problem.

Check the thermostat against a separate reading to make sure it’s working

Professionals with HVAC Training Know the Importance of Weatherstripping

Even if an HVAC system is in good working order, problems can still arise if hot air isn’t being kept in and cold air isn’t been kept out. If the weatherstripping around a home’s doors and windows isn’t in good shape, then the unit has to work much harder to keep the air inside at the set temperature. After graduating from HVAC school, you’ll know that in the short term, this can increase heating costs significantly, and in the long term, it can wear down the unit. This can be avoided by checking all the seals around a home’s doors and windows ahead of time, as well as inspecting the home for any other gaps or holes.

Clients Should Make Sure Units Won’t Be Damaged By Falling Branches

You don’t need to advise clients to cover their outdoor HVAC unit in the winter, as it’s built to withstand outdoor conditions, but you should advise them to regularly check it for leaves, dirt, or other build-up.

Branches weighed down by snow can also snap and fall, potentially damaging an HVAC unit underneath. Clear any branches directly above the unit and inspect the surrounding area for other such risks.

Heavy snow can cause tree branches to snap and fall, sometimes damaging HVAC units

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Uncategorized

Maintenance Electrician Training 101: Essential Starter Tools for your New Career

October 16, 2018

As a maintenance electrician, you could find yourself handling a wide variety of jobs, from installing home electrical systems to diagnosing and repairing electrical malfunctions in industrial machinery. But whether you’re on the factory floor or a residential construction site, there are some tools that are essential for every electrician.

When investing in your first set of tools, it’s important to do some research. You don’t necessarily need the most expensive equipment, but you should make sure to buy the best possible product for the budget you have. These tools are likely to stay in your kit for a long time to come, so it’s worth making sure that they’re reliable, durable, and effective. You don’t want to be replacing parts constantly or having an important tool fail on the job. In the long run, a good set of tools will save you both time and money.

Tools for Cutting, Gripping, and Stripping Wires

Pliers are one of the most basic and commonly used tools in an electrician’s kit. You’ll need both side-cutting or diagonal pliers, for cutting wire, and needle-nosed pliers for gripping, pulling, and twisting. One thing pliers can’t do, though, is remove the insulation from wires, so you’ll also need a pair of wire strippers that can accommodate a wide range of wire gauges. These should all have comfortable grips and smooth mechanical motion, and like all of your tools, they should have insulated handles.

To remove the insulation from electrical wires, you’ll need a wire stripper

Protecting Your Safety With a Non-Contact Voltage Tester

After you finish construction school, you’ll want a good non-contact voltage tester to keep you safe on the jobsite. These handy, portable tools can detect an AC current without making direct contact with the source, even through standard wiring insulation. A simple pen-style option that you can keep with you at all times is ideal, and can usually be found for under twenty dollars. These tools are indispensible for keeping you safe on the job and avoiding accidental shocks, so reliability is the most important factor when considering which model to buy.

To Diagnose Electrical Issues, You’ll Need a Multimeter

A voltage tester is sufficient for telling you whether or not a wire or device is live, but for a more detailed reading, you’ll need a multimeter. These tools are used frequently by professionals who have completed maintenance electrician training to measure current, voltage, and resistance, and are indispensable when troubleshooting electrical problems. Prices can range from less than fifty dollars, up into the thousands, with more expensive models boasting a higher resolution, a wider range of values that can be tested, and extra features like the ability to measure capacity or duty cycle.

While analog interfaces are still available, digital has become the standard, and some models now feature an added clamp (called a clamp meter) that can measure AC current in a wire, cable, or other conductor without disrupting the flow. Shop around to find the best multimeter in your price range, and make sure that it’s suitable for the type of work you’ll be doing.

Other Essentials for Those Finishing Their Maintenance Electrician Training

Besides more specialized tools like voltage testers and multimeters, maintenance electricians will require some other more general tools for the jobsite as well. A good set of Phillips and flathead screwdrivers will be necessary, as well as a tape measure, hammer, flashlight, and utility knife.

It’s important for your screwdrivers to have a comfortable grip and a long range

Over time, you will likely add more specialized devices to your collection, but the tools listed here will provide a good starter kit for any new electrician.

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Home Renovation

Roofing Terms you Need to Know for a Career in Home Renovation

October 09, 2018

While a roof may seem like a relatively straightforward feature of any building, a home renovation can quickly become complicated if someone is unfamiliar with the appropriate terminology. A roof’s construction can be a serious, expensive investment, and it’s important to get all the details correct before breaking out the tools to get started.

Canadian residential renovations have recently grown to reach nearly $1 billion in revenue. With many people investing in changes to their properties, professional renovators should be aware of the wide variety of styles and specifications that their clients may ask for. Here are some helpful terms to be aware of when taking on a new roofing project.

An Introduction to Roofing Styles

In addition to providing necessary shelter from weather and the elements, a home’s roof is designed to be both resilient and energy-efficient. There are many different varieties of roof styles in home renovation training, but the two most commonly found are the gable and hip style.

A gable-style roof is a popular and simple design

A gable style roof is a more traditional style and, due to its simplicity, is inexpensive to incorporate into the design of a house. It is, however, not recommended for areas with high winds, which can cause roofing material to peel away or collapse.

A roof which slopes on all four sides at equal length is called a hip roof. These sides form a ridge at the top of the roof, which is preferable for snowy and windy locations. Hip roofs are more stable than gable styles due to their inward slope, but are generally more expensive.

Identifying Slope, Pitch, and Individual Roof Sections

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, slope and pitch refer to separate aspects of a roof’s structure. The slope of a roof is the angle of its incline and is usually expressed as a fraction or ratio of the vertical height to the horizontal width. The pitch, similarly, is the rise over span and the overall angle of the slope’s incline.

All roofs have similar components which make up the structure as a whole. The deck is the foundation of a roof, and forms the base which supports the weight of the roofing materials. The ridge is the highest point of the roof where two lines intersect, and should have vents to allow hot air to escape attic spaces. These ridges can also create valleys, which are highly vulnerable to water damage. Additionally, the eaves of a roof hang over the exterior walls of the building and help with water runoff.

Important Roofing Materials During Home Renovation Training

The materials used in a roofing project are just as important in a career in home renovation as the structure itself, and affect a wide range of quality factors, from environment response to durability. Most roofing materials protect the building from water damage, but have additional purposes as well.

Roofing material primarily keeps out water damage

The underlayment is a base layer of a roof between the deck and shingles, and is made of asphalt and a mat of fibreglass or felt, which increases water resistance. Shingles are the visible material which primarily protects the roof from the elements, as well as blocking UV rays from the sun to lower the home’s internal temperature.

Shingles come in a variety of forms and styles, and can be made of metal, tile, slate, or most commonly asphalt due to its cost and versatility. Flashing is a corrosion-resistant metal strip which provides added protection from water damage, and can be applied directly to the roof, valleys, and edges.

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Cabinetmaking

5 Common Woodworking Joints and When to Use Them at Cabinetmaking School

October 02, 2018

Joints are an important component of a woodworking project. Wood joinery allows cabinetmakers to assemble different components of a piece together into an aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound whole, and is crucial to producing quality work.

Selecting the right type of joint can be difficult for those just beginning their career. To help make things easier, here is an overview of five of the most common types of woodworking joints and how they are used in certain projects.

1. The Butt Joint is Simple and Easy

A butt joint is one of the most common and simple methods of joining two pieces of wood together. It is done by simply placing the end of one piece on the surface area of another in a right angle formation. It is generally considered to be the weakest type of wood joint and is typically used in wall framing on construction sites and other simpler jobs.

However, its strength can depend on the kind of reinforcements used. While butt joints are often just glued together, mechanical fasteners, nails, and screws can all be used to provide additional durability.

2. Mortise and Tenon Woodworking Joints Are Stronger

For those who want a woodworking joint with more strength, the mortise and tenon joint is a great option. Rather than butting both pieces together, this type of joint requires one piece of wood to be inserted into the other.

For the receiving piece, a hole or cavity is created in the surface, also known as the mortise, and the opposite piece has a carved nub on its end, called the tenon, that is inserted and provides a sturdier hold than the butt joint. In terms of measurements, the tenon is approximately 1/3 of the wood’s thickness, with the mortise corresponding to the height and width of the tenon. These types of joints are typically used in heirloom cabinetry for furniture such as dressers and cabinets.

3. Trade School Students Work With Tongue and Groove Joints

Another popular woodworking joint that students may encounter in trade school is the tongue and groove, edge-to-edge joint. This joint is made by cutting a slot or groove along the edge of one piece while its opposite has a protruding line, or tongue, that allows it to mesh when placed together. Since both pieces produce a flat surface once connected, these joints are effective in wood tabletops, flooring, parquetry, paneling, and other similar situations.

Measuring before cutting can increase precision

4. Students Can Choose Which Dado Joint to Apply

For cabinetmakers aiming to connect shelves, drawers, or bookcases, dado joints come in handy. Dado joints require a groove across the surface of one board so it can accept another board’s edge. There are two types of dado joints: the through dado, which consists of the groove running across the full width of the surface, and the stopped dado, where the groove will stop at any point before reaching each end.

5. When to Use a Bridle Joint

A bridle joint is similar to the mortise and tenon as it requires the same type of cutting in order for each piece to connect. However, there is one main distinction with this type of joint that students in cabinetmaking training should be aware of. When creating the mortise and tenon in a bridle joint, each cut runs the length of the width on the edge rather than a limited space on the surface.

Different lengths and widths can make a difference in certain situations

The longer carving can pose both an advantage and disadvantage as it can make the joint much stronger but will expose the ends on both sides. This can be seen as a blemish to those who consider visual appearance to be a factor. Bridle joints are usually used in projects that require joining upright pieces of wood, such as legs to benches or tables.

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HVAC

5 Must-Have HVAC Tools to Get You Started after Trade School

September 25, 2018

Look in the van or garage of any tradesperson and you’re likely to find a vast array of equipment, bolts, wiring, and other raw materials. While this doesn’t build up overnight, some tools are much more important than others, and there are certain essential pieces you will need to carry out a routine diagnosis of problems and simple repairs once you finish HVAC training.

All the items mentioned below will serve you well throughout your career, so try to avoid penny-pinching when you’re in the trade shop. With proper maintenance, these tools will last for years, and quickly end up paying for themselves. Here are five pieces of equipment you shouldn’t be without during routine HVAC tasks.

A Reliable Power Drill is an Asset in Most Routine Repairs

Proper diagnosis of HVAC problems will require the removal of unit covers, so make sure you have a power drill to remove any screws. It will also be needed to secure new HVAC systems in position, so this is a tool that will have many daily uses.

Get a drill that has at least one rechargeable battery, so that it will keep going for as long as possible in a working day. Professionals with an HVAC diploma recommend finding a light, cordless drill with a minimum of 18 volts, so that you can efficiently carry out routine repair tasks.

Using Refrigeration Gauges After HVAC Training

This is one of the more unique trade tools possessed by HVAC technicians. Refrigeration gauges measure the pressure of liquids and gases in a cooling system, and are a very important piece of equipment in this field.

Refrigeration gauges are essential pieces of HVAC equipment

The gauges are connected to a brass manifold to which hoses can then be attached. It’s essential to have R-143a and R12 manifolds to diagnose and repair modern systems. The gauges are normally read using an old-fashioned needle, but digital readouts are becoming increasingly popular.

Test Electrical Power with a Multi-meter

Most heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems require electrical components to function, and this is often what necessitates the visit of an HVAC technician. A multi-meter is crucial for diagnosing electrical problems because it can measure voltage, current and resistance levels. It’s therefore a simple tool for assessing whether there’s a weakness in the system. An electrical sensor isn’t as useful as a multi-meter, but is also a handy tool for spotting whether electricity is present.

Make Easy Work of Metal Cutting with these Tools

HVAC training exposes students to different forms of metalworking, and there are some important tools needed for these jobs. Tin snips cut metal, and technicians need ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘straight’ versions to cut in different directions. Shears are less precise, but excellent tools for long, straight cuts on sheet metal.

Tubing and piping also needs to be cut to exact measurements during HVAC installation or repair, so find yourself a tubing cutter. This unique device can be adjusted to the diameter of the tube, and slowly splits it while spinning around.

A tubing cutter being used on copper piping

Problems are Easier to Diagnose with a Powerful Flashlight

Nobody wants an unnecessarily large HVAC system installed in their house, so manufacturers make sure that the inner components fit snugly in place. However, this can make repairs a bit trickier, especially if it’s difficult to see into some smaller crevasses. Make sure you have a reliable, sturdy and portable flashlight for repair jobs to make it easier to diagnose these problems. It may not be a dedicated HVAC tool, but it certainly makes life much easier.

Enroll in HVAC training at a dedicated trade school.

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Solar Energy Technician

Canada: An Untapped Market Crying out for Solar Technician Training Graduates

September 18, 2018

On some level, the majority of the population is aware of what solar energy is, but not quite aware of its potential. A dynamic and completely sustainable power source, the use solar energy has been growing over the past number of years as an alternative to non-renewable fuels.

Its simplistic equipment make its installation process simple and efficient and it’s renewable, environment-friendly capability has made Canada intrigued about implementing solar energy technology on a wider scale in the future.

Are you intrigued by the solar energy industry? Keep reading to find out how it could open up new career possibilities for you.

How Does Solar Energy Work and What are Some of its Benefits?

Solar power is generated from the energy that radiates from the sun in the form of both heat and light. This can be done in two ways. The first is through solar thermal panels, which use the sun’s rays to heat water or air. This system is commonly used to generate heat for swimming pools and ventilation systems in buildings, among other things.

Solar panels are relatively simple to install

Alternatively, solar power can be generated by using solar photovoltaic technology, which allows the panel to convert sunlight directly into electricity with the use of solar cells. Students in solar technician training acquire basic knowledge of both of these technologies and how common systems are designed, installed, and maintained.

Renewable Sources May Overtake Coal in the Future

As outlined by The National Energy Board in December 2017, sources of non-hydroelectric renewable energy such as wind, solar, and biomass jumped from 1.5 percent to 7.2 percent from 2005 to 2016 in terms of total electricity generation in Canada.

During this same period, coal suffered a drop in usage as it fell from 16 percent to 9.3 percent. Perhaps even more importantly, the Canadian government has announced that it is seeking to phase out the use of traditional coal-fired electricity by the year 2030. With solar energy likely play a huge part in achieving this goal, professionals trained in the area can expect to see exponential growth in the industry in the coming years.

Solar Energy Technician Diploma Graduates Will be in High Demand

Graduates who have earned a solar energy technician diplomacan immediately enter the field working with solar energy companies on both domestic and industrial projects. They will have gained an aptitude in common tasks and responsibilities ranging from assemblage, to maintenance, to design, to sales, and will have the necessary knowledge to establish long-term success within these environments.

An increase in solar panel installation means an increase in the labour force

Even as it continues to grow, it is important to note that the prevalence of solar technology is likely to differ across different parts of the country. Ontario, for instance, is ideally located for solar power generation, and accounts for the majority of Canada’s current production.

However, coastal areas which experience high levels of cloud cover have less potential for solar energy generation than more central locations.  Nonetheless, even with these limitations, the government estimates that nearly 50% of the country’s residential electricity needs could be met by solar power alone in the future.

Work towards a brighter future in solar energy technician college.

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