Refrigeration Mechanics make, install, repair and service residential, commercial and industrial cooling and heating systems. Some work in building maintenance - for example, servicing the air conditioning systems in high-rise office buildings. Others specialize in repairing small, portable Refrigeration and freezing units. A Refrigeration Mechanic is designated under the Inter-provincial Red Seal Program as a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic. (Find out about Red Seal in the Trades Lingo section.)

What do these workers do?
(Source: BC Work Futures)

Design and install air conditioning and refrigeration systems. You will often work from engineering plans but for smaller setup and renewal jobs, you will have to design and install the best system for the purpose.

Troubleshoot compressors and motors. Refrigeration systems consist of a series of mechanical and electrical subsystems. To troubleshoot a problem, you will need to be familiar with all of them.

Consult with customers and write job quotes. Many air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics make service calls. In this position, you will be in charge of sales, diagnosing equipment problems, and fixing the problem or writing a competitively priced job quote.

Keep current on trade journals and new technology. Concern about the energy requirements of refrigeration and air conditioning has prompted lots of research into more efficient refrigeration methods. You must be able to advise customers about cost-saving and energy-saving technology.

Maintain and repair electronic controls and sensors. Newer equipment uses micro-processor-controlled temperature and air flow sensors to activate compressors and fan motors. On large warehouse-sized systems, these control circuits are complex. To install, adjust and repair these systems, you will need a good understanding of electronics.

Read the full Refrigiration and Air Conditioning Mechanic profile (61Kb pdf)

Enter your own tags for this trade below
(separate each tag with a comma).