The modern way of life depends on refrigeration equipment for the preservation of food and for human comfort. Many industrial and commercial processes, such as printing, textile manufacturing, food storage, etc., are heavily dependent on the proper conditioning of air for efficient, economical operation of the necessary equipment.
The air conditioning and refrigeration field affords many opportunities to those interested in designing, selling, manufacturing, installing, and servicing its equipment. There is a heavy demand for people who are willing to become proficient in any of these areas. But in order to become proficient, the basic principles must be thoroughly understood. The air conditioning and refrigeration industry encompasses many fields, such as chemistry and physics. Mechanical ability is also of great importance in order to design, install, or service these systems. Customer relations is another important area of competence for success :n this field.
OPPORTUNITIES IN AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION
Without a doubt, the use of refrigeration and air conditioning can be dated back as far as the history of humankind. In the early stages of cooling, however, water and ice were used to lower the temperature of food and the surroundings. Only in the last century has mechanical refrigeration been developed and used on a wide-spread basis. Most fruits and vegetables are refrigerated directly after being harvested.
The sanitary handling and preservation of meats is also accomplished through adequate cooling and freezing methods. Because of the ever-expanding uses for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, there is always a growing demand for personnel to design, sell, install, service, and maintain this equipment. The Manpower Survey Report, which is published by ARI (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute), recently estimated that for every one million units of installed equipment, the following personnel would be needed:
1 graduate engineer
2 salespeople
2 technicians/master mechanics
2 technician helpers
11 refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating mechanics
7 sheet-metal mechanics
1 sheet-metal helper
The industry can generally be divided into the following categories: domestic refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, industrial refrigeration, residential air conditioning, commercial air conditioning, industrial air conditioning, and wholesale supply houses. It is common for technicians to be qualified in more than one of these areas.
The different categories overlap somewhat, but they generally include specific types of equipment: The domestic refrigeration category includes home refrigerators, freezers, and sometimes window air conditioning units; the commercial refrigeration category includes systems used in grocery stores and supermarkets, beverage 2 Fundamentals of Refrigeration coolers, water fountains, and truck refrigeration systems; the industrial refrigeration category includes equipment for packing plants, cold storage, processing plants, and ice-skating rinks; residential air conditioning generally includes air conditioning systems up to about 5 tons installed in residences and some commercial buildings; commercial air conditioning equipment includes air conditioning units used in supermarkets, office buildings, and cold storage plants; industrial air conditioning includes equipment installations in large manufacturing plants that may involve intricate treatment of the inside air; the wholesale supply house employee is involved in the selling and supplying of equipment and parts needed for the installation, service, and maintenance of the equipment.
The people who work in this industry have many responsibilities. The kind of work they perform is also varied. Design engineers, because they are responsible for designing the equipment or the plans for installation of the equipment, are required to have a good knowledge of all the different categories in the industry. They may be involved in designing a large industrial system one day, and the next day designing a small residential air conditioning installation.
Design engineers must be familiar with the different code requirements and have a good knowledge of fluid flow, heat transfer, static pressure, and so forth. The salesperson must be versatile for the same reasons. He or she must be able to sell equipment in all the categories, estimate material and labor costs, and in many installations oversee the actual installation.
Technicians are used in all phases and categories of the industry. Some technicians prefer to work in research and development; they work in a laboratory and perform many tests on the equipment. Service technicians drive service trucks and perform service operations on equipment. These people must know how several categories of equipment function, be familiar with the pricing of invoices, the material and labor costs, and so forth. They must be able to supervise service helpers and at times other service technicians. They are responsible for customer relations, the truck and its contents, and sometimes the collecting of money. The installation technician usually drives the truck to and from the installation site. This individual must know how to make solder and silver-soldered joints on copper tubing, as well as knowing how to make and install duct-work. Often, he is involved in the installation and connecting of electric wiring for the control circuits.
Because installation technicians are responsible for the work of several helpers and often that of other technicians, they should be familiar with the local code requirements in order to properly install the equipment. Service technician helpers, usually considered to be trainees, work with several service technicians. They should have a good knowledge of the basics of refrigeration and air conditioning so that advancement can be made rapidly and easily.
Most often, helpers are involved in jobs that require two people; however, they can sometimes complete less complex jobs alone. Installation technician helpers work with the installation technician during the installation of the refrigerant piping, duct fabrication, and during the installation of the duct system, equipment, and control wiring. These people are usually considered to be trainees and should have good knowledge of the soldering and silver-soldering process and be able to make less complicated duct system components and install them without the help of the installation technician. To advance to the installation technician status, they must be able to complete a duct system, install the refrigeration piping, show a basic knowledge of how to install the control wiring, and be able to install the equipment.
The supply house employees generally start out in the warehouse to learn the operations and the different types of parts that are carried by the wholesale institution. They advance to the inside sales section and get the parts needed by the technicians and their helpers. Many times advancement is made to the outside sales area. The outside sales force makes calls on the service and installation companies who purchase parts for use in their business. In some cases the outside salesperson is asked to make system designs so that his equipment will be properly sized and to help in selling the equipment to the service or installation company. The business owners in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry strive to make a profit; their employees also must make a living wage to exist.
Obviously, it is not good business to pay an employee more than he (or she) makes for the company. Thus, to advance, people must try to make more money for their employer. This task is much easier with knowledge. The more employees know and apply, the more money they will make for the company and as a result the more they will earn. Therefore, knowledge and the application of that knowledge is the key to success in this industry. It is difficult for a person to gain sufficient knowledge to satisfactorily advance through on-the-job training alone; however reading and studing make the road to advancement much easier.