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- Work on air quality and cooling systems in buildings and transport
- You'll need good practical skills & the ability to follow technical instructions
- Become a refrigeration engineer or move into building services or plumbing
As a air-conditioning engineer you'll install, service and repair temperature and air quality control systems in office buildings, supermarkets, schools, hospitals and factories. You could also work on refrigerated transport.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Surveying sites where cooling systems are to be fitted
- Planning the layout of pipework, ducts and control panels
- Installing components
- Carrying out quality checks to make sure systems are working properly and safely
- Carrying out scheduled maintenance
- Finding and fixing faults
- Advising customers on ways to reduce their energy use
- You'll also work to improve the efficiency of cooling systems using renewable energy technology
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You may be on a rota for out-of-hours emergency work which could include evenings and weekends. You may need your own transport as you'll travel between jobs. If working for a big national company, you may have to work away from home at times. Depending on your specialism, you might also be working on dusty and cold construction sites and in cramped and uncomfortable conditions.
You'll need
This role could be ideal for someone with good practical skills, the ability to follow technical instructions, and an understanding of safe working practices for the industry.
You may be able to take a college course, to give you some of the knowledge and skills needed to help find a job as a trainee. Courses include a Level 1 Certificate in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Level 2 Diploma in Access to Building Services Engineering, Level 2 Diploma in Installing and Maintaining Refrigeration Systems and Level 3 Diploma in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Systems.
You could train for this job through an intermediate building services engineering installer apprenticeship, or an advanced refrigeration air conditioning and heat pump engineering technician apprenticeship. Generally, training takes between 2 and 4 years to complete, depending on the apprenticeship programme.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could become a refrigeration engineer, designing cooling systems, or move into building services or plumbing. You could also set up your own business.