Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Installer
Refrigeration and air conditioning installers fit, service and repair cooling equipment in buildings, storage facilities and refrigerated vehicles. The role is also known as air-con engineer. You could travel between customer sites, work in confined or cold spaces and take turns being on call.
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- Work out where pipes, ducts and control panels should go
- Fit and connect cooling system components
- Carry out routine servicing, diagnose faults and make repairs
- Test equipment to check that it runs safely and correctly
- Upgrade existing systems in buildings to meet environmental standards
- Install or remove cooling equipment on refrigerated vehicles
- Show customers how to cut their energy use
Skills & knowledge
You'll need:
- Practical skills for fitting equipment
- The ability to diagnose problems and repair machinery
- Attention to detail when fitting and testing equipment
- Initiative and the ability to keep going when a fault is difficult to find
- Maths skills
- The ability to work well with others
- Confidence using computers and common software
Industry Qualifications
Training routes include college courses in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems, or a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in building services engineering.
F-gas certification is relevant if your work involves fluorinated greenhouse gases. An ACRIB Skillcard can help you show employers which industry qualifications you hold.
For more information on training and career routes, visit the Institute of Refrigeration or the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board.