Are you preparing for the state of Ohio HVAC Test?

I recently took a course online through Exam Prep to prepare me for the test.  I would have gone another route if I had to do this again.  Although the exam simulates the test, the actual test is a lot more like being on the job than being in a classroom.

I think the actual test was written to test contractors on their field knowledge and experience.  The pretest that I took over and over spent a lot of time going over topics like how many float days between jobs, calculating velocities in air ducts and distances between gas, exhaust and HVAC equipment and structures.  I spent a lot of time in my International Fuel gas code book.  You will need to know where to find information in all the required books for the test. No joke, it would be hard to pass without the books in hand and the tabs.

The actual test will go beyond what you would expect in a multiple choice test.  There is a lot of thought behind the correct answers, as they put answers that seem correct at 1st glance and perhaps seem like a possibility. Be careful to read the questions slowly.   Basically, you have to think it through and go outside the box to make a good decision.  Definetly, know how to calculate R and U factors for your total heat loss and know terminology like "total degree days".  The test I took didn't spend much time on these, but more on the facts dealing with proper installation, making a good diagnostic evaluation and knowing how to run the business.  Know your I9 rules, OSHA laws and the accounting process.  It's important to know the ratio formulas in the accounting section of our Business Law and Project management book. They ask a few questions fond the appendix of the book.  These question pertain to the board rules, renewing a license and the rules for filing legality forms so you can get paid. 

The business law side of the test was by far the hardest part.  As a contractor, I know what I am doing in the field... That's how I make my living. Know body can claim to be know it all and with the changes in technology we will always being going back to school.

A good example is the way older techs install a water heater or heating system and the way a newly schooled tech will do it, considering the types of materials the prefer to do the plumbing, the connections and the brands.

There isn't a lot of testing on dealing with residential customers and everyday field repairs or installations.  I know that is what a lot of us are doing with the license and the test focuses more on the big companies that work on large projects and even joint ventures.  I guess they bring in a lot of revenue for the state and the state wants to make sure contractors making the "big bucks" are following the rules.

Hope this helps someone.  Call me if you have questions.  I chose to improve my field knowledge by taking a two year course in HVAC/R at Ashworth College in out of Daluth, Georgia.  I thought that was a hard course until I got studying for the State of Ohio test. 

The HVAC trade has many avenues to explore.

David Evans

Responding an air duct cleaning job is very rewarding! When someone calls us to their home and has confidence that I will tell them the truth about their system, it's an opportunity to make a good  impression and hopefully a friend. Not to be taken lightly.

People can adapt to all kinds of environments, including toxic ones.  When I look into an air duct return with a cameras eye, I see what that family is breathing at night as  they lie sleeping.  I look forward to hearing back from them later how the cleaning has improved the way they feel. Removing dust, mold, mildew takes a lot of skill because a lot of what causes poor air quality is hidden in your home. High concentrations of mildew for instance drop indoor air quality substancially, but is isolated in the system, so you have to know where to look to find it.

When you hire someone to clean your air duct system, you better make sure they are willing to take the time to be thorough enough to clean the plenum by hand if necessary. In some cases you might have to get the a-coil removed and replaced.

Do you run your furnace blower all the time? Is that really helping you save energy?

 

Way back in the days of the old non efficient furnace the technicians where trained to tell you to run the system all the time.  That I because so much energy was lost up the stack and when air moves through your home it kept the warm air from rising to the ceiling and forced it down along the walls and back through returns.

 

In modern homes there aren't as many drafts because houses are built better.  Furnaces are designed to balance the requirements of human comfort by distributing air at the correct times.

 

Modern HVAC systems even have the ability to control the temperature and humidity in each room. This isn't as complicated as you might imagine.  Special dampers controlled by a computer board open and close by signals sent from room thermostats.  Now your family members can be even more comfortable.  Temperature and even lighting and sound can be controlled by a computer aided system controlling many factors in your home that effect individual comfort. 

 

There is a reports on the internet about well designed home. For instance Bill Gates home built on a lake in the state of Washington has been studied and even mapped out for the world to see through virtual reality. The concepts used in Bill's home are built on the idea that computers should be able to communicate with your homes HVAC system, lighting, and sound system, etc., to bring comfort to a whole new level. Remote control systems have been available for a few decades, but not without trouble. The X-10 system allowed a hand held remote to turn on lights and turn on pool or spa motors. Computers now talk to each other using wireless technology so by wearing a special device that is recognized by a wireless connection everything in your home can become automated specifically to your desire! You just have to program a chip and you can command your homes environment automatically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Preparing for the Future".  

 

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