When it comes to home repairs, you want to make sure that the job is done right, by a contractor who’s knowledgeable of the latest in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) techniques. To help you make the right choice, you need to turn to NATE.
What’s NATE?
NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence, a nonprofit certification organization that was born in 1997 to test the knowledge of technicians through a rigorous process. In order to attain NATE certification, a technician must test his or her knowledge in at least one of the following areas:
- Air conditioning
- Air distribution
- Commercial refrigeration
- Gas heating
- Ground source heat pump loop installation
- Heat pump
- Hydronics gas
- Hydronics oil
- Light commercial refrigeration
- Oil heating
- Senior HVAC efficiency analyst
In addition to these specialty certifications, some technicians may require a core examination that focuses on general knowledge of HVAC systems, service maintenance of HVAC systems and/or repair of HVAC systems.
The Length of Certification
Once valid for a five year period, a NATE certification is now valid for two years for most contractors, as of January, 2014. Certification for ground source heat pump loop installation is valid for three years. After this time is expired, the technician will need to be re-certified by a NATE-certified testing facility.
How NATE Certification Benefits Homeowners
When you select a technician who is certified by NATE, you can be assured that your home repairs or maintenance is being performed by a professional who’s met all of the requirements necessary for certification through the only organization in North America that is owned, operated and governed by the HVACR industry. You can also be assured of:
- Efficient service for your home or business.
- Equipment that performs optimally.
- Fewer repair bills over time.
- The peace of mind that comes from knowing your HVAC system is reliable.
If you’d like to learn more about how to care for the HVAC system in your Greenville or Troy home, give the comfort professionals at Ernst Heating & Cooling a call. We’ve been providing our neighbors with the comfort they deserve for more than 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Alton, Glen Carbon, Highland, Greenville, and Troy, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about NATE certification and other HVAC topics, visit our blog.
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