NATE Certification: Why You Should Pursue an HVAC Contractor Who Has It

As a consumer with little or no HVAC knowledge, it can be a challenge to vet a contractor. After all, when you visit an HVAC contractor’s website, you’ll see various certifications from different governing bodies. But what do they all mean? And do they all hold equal value?

Manufacturer-specific certifications, local tech-school certifications, Angie’s List ratings—these are just some of the factors consumers can look for to help evaluate a contractor’s expertise. But wouldn’t it be nice if there was a certification that offered across-the-board standards for all the technicians it certifies? It turns out, that’s what the NATE certification is all about.

NATE Certification: Why You Should Pursue an HVAC Contractor Who Has It

North American Technician Excellence (NATE) was founded in 1997 out of a desire to unify a set of HVAC technician standards. Today, it’s the largest non-profit organization dedicated to certifying technicians who work in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry. In fact, NATE is also the only organization that’s supported by entities across the HVAC industry. Utility companies, HVAC manufacturers, contractors, and media support the organization.

Why Is NATE Unique?

For most consumers, it’s nice to know the details about how NATE was born and supported is, but what you really want to know is what it means for you. How do you benefit from the NATE certification?

The good news is, the NATE certification holds a lot of benefit for consumers. Here’s why.

Testing

NATE tests its technicians on all facets of the industry and then certifies them. That’s not true of other certifications. For example, manufacturers often certify technicians on a specific piece of equipment or a series of equipment. In this instance, the manufacturer offers an equipment-specific training session and then certifies the technicians who pass the test on this session.

NATE, however, tests technicians in a unique, proprietary way, which includes:

• Real-world knowledge. For example, technicians need to know when facing a problem during a repair or installation.
• Rigorous testing procedures. To pass a test, technicians must show proven, working knowledge, and the tests are created by industry professionals that know the ins and outs of the HVAC industry and field scenarios.
• General and specialty tests. To earn NATE certification, technicians must pass a comprehensive general test in service or installation. Technicians can also choose to earn specialty certification(s) in a wide variety of areas like air conditioning, gas/oil heating, heat pumps, hydronics, air distribution, geothermal, HVAC efficiency, or refrigeration.

Recertification

NATE certification is unique from other programs in yet another key way. While other testing programs certify once for life, NATE requires that technicians go through recertification every five years. NATE is purposefully designed in this way to ensure that technicians stay up-to-date on changes in technology and procedures in service, repair, and installation.

Special Certifications

There’s another way NATE certification benefits homeowners. If you’re investing in an air conditioner upgrade, you can choose a technician with an installation certification who specializes in air conditioning. If you need your heat pump maintained, choose a technician with a maintenance certification and a specialty in heat pumps. Ultimately, these certifications and specialty certifications benefit homeowners. You get a technician with proven expertise and working knowledge of the problems West Volusia homeowners face.

Choosing NATE

Because you invest a lot of money in your HVAC system, you want the best of the best working on it. NATE-certified technicians offer optimal installation, repair, and service that leads to lower energy bills, better home comfort, a safe-to-operate HVAC system, and a longer HVAC service life. It simply doesn’t make sense to choose an HVAC technician who doesn’t hold NATE certification. With the rigorous testing procedures and standardized testing across-the-board, NATE lets technicians showcase their industry knowledge, commitment to excellence, and service to their customers.

About Our NATE-Certified HVAC Technicians in West Volusia County

At Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning, we are proud of our NATE-certified technicians. In fact, we require that all of our technicians earn the NATE certification because we know the value that it holds for our customers. Our experts are equipped to service all brands of HVAC equipment, from Tempstar to Carrier® and everything in between.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment for maintenance, repair, or installation, contact one of our NATE-certified specialists today! We serve Astor, DeLand, DeLeon Springs, DeBary, Deltona, Lake Helen, Orange City, and Pierson, Florida.