The contest will feature 12 of the nation’s top HVAC apprentices in a hands-on competition that comprises six events: brazing, where contestants assemble a refrigeration circuit with components following a drawing; refrigerant recovery and identification; a written knowledge test; an opportunity to take readings on a working package unit; electrical troubleshooting; and basic electrical skills and wiring.
“The contest really set the bar for what we should know,” said 2013 winner Tyler Plueger, a field technician with Downey Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning in Downey, California. “And, while it was a bit of an eye-opener in some areas, it also helped confirm some things I already knew.”