HVAC Training in St. Louis - American Trade School

If you're looking for a career where you can work with your hands, while solving problems with your mind, consider becoming an HVAC/R technician.

Our HVAC training program gives students the technical knowledge and hands-on experience needed to begin a rewarding career in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration. Specifically, you'll receive practical training in installation, maintenance, and service, all under the close supervision of experienced instructors who are dedicated to your success.

At American Trade School, our students are mechanical thinkers who enjoy learning new concepts and immediately applying them in the shop. Whether you’re starting fresh or changing careers, our HVAC classes prepare you to enter the workforce with confidence and real-world skills.

Our graduates are in demand by residential, commercial and refrigeration employers.

Refrigeration & Electricity

The term focuses on swaging, brazing, flaring, the refrigeration cycle, recovery, refrigerants, evacuations, and charging systems as it applies to the industry. The 10 week electricity term focuses on safety, hand tools, energy sources, meter use, circuits, Ohm's law, transformers, single & three phase electricity, wiring diagrams, and troubleshooting.

Air Conditioning

This 10 week term focuses on indoor air comfort, air conditioning controls, and the refrigeration cycle. Within this term you will learn, controls, typical operating conditions, diagnoses & repair of air conditioning equipment, troubleshooting of the electrical side, air side & mechanical side of the equipment, preventative maintenance, and air-to-air heat-pumps & geothermal heat-pumps.

Residential Installation

This 10 week term teaches the fundamental skills necessary to become an HVAC installer. Students learn load calculations, flue pipe & gas line sizing, sheet metal fabrication, installation of refrigerant lines, high & low voltage, gas lines and the duct system. Also, HVAC start-up procedures and indoor air quality products are covered.

Boilers and Piping

This 10 week term focuses on the boilers' main components, circulation pumps, system design, terminal units, pipe sizing, sizing fittings, system friction, sizing the circulator pump, electrical & mechanical controls, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting. You will learn the proper procedure of joining copper & black iron pipes together for both the water and gas.

Heating

This term offers both theory and hands-on lab projects to help students understand the sequence of operation for two types of heating systems (gas & electric). The course focuses on ignition systems, natural & induced draft furnaces, condensing furnaces, and preventive maintenance. Also, students will troubleshoot the electrical, air, and mechanical components. Finally, they will […]

HVAC101 - Intro to Refrigeration and Electricity Systems (16 Weeks)

HVAC102 - Air Conditioning & Heating (16 Weeks)

HVAC103 – Residential Installation (8 Weeks)

HVAC104 – Boilers and Piping (8 Weeks)

HVAC101 - Intro to Refrigeration and Electricity Systems (CORE TERM-16 Weeks)

HVAC102 - Air Conditioning & Heating (ADVANCED TERM-16 Weeks)

HVAC101 - Intro to Refrigeration & Electricity Systems

CORE FUNDAMENTALS: 16 Weeks
The OSHA 10 and the EPA Section 608 certification tests are administered during this term.

Introduction to Refrigeration:
This term thoroughly covers the refrigeration cycle and its components, which form the backbone of all air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Students dive into the theory and hands-on lab projects of refrigeration including safety, hand tools, recovery, flaring, swaging, and brazing. Also, they learn the theory behind temperature, matter and energy, the refrigeration cycle, refrigerants, evacuations, and charging systems.

Electricity:
Electricity is found in every unit with which the HVAC/R servicer/installer will come in contact and is a fundamental concept that must be understood thoroughly, even for entry-level positions. The focus is on safety, hand-tools, energy sources, meter use, circuits, Ohm’s law, magnetic theory, transformers, single and three-phase electricity, wiring diagrams and troubleshooting.

HVAC102 - Air Conditioning & Heating

ADVANCED TERM: 16 Weeks
Prerequisite: HVAC101

Air Conditioning:
Providing a comfortable environment in hot weather is the job of the HVAC technician. During this advanced term, the focus is on indoor air comfort, and the refrigeration cycle. Also taught is, installation, controls, typical operating condition, maintenance of air conditioning systems, and air-to-air heat-pumps. The sequence of operation is stressed and how to troubleshoot the system.

Heating:
This advanced term provides the theory and hands-on lab projects to understand the sequence of operation between different types of heating units (gas, low to high efficiency furnaces and electric heating systems). Students will learn ignition systems, natural & induced draft furnaces, condensing furnaces, and preventive maintenance. There will be troubleshooting the electrical, air & mechanical side, and the diagnosis/repair of each system.

HVAC103 – Residential Installation (ELECTIVE TERM-8 Weeks)

HVAC104 – Boilers and Piping (ELECTIVE TERM-8 Weeks)

HVAC104 - Boilers and Piping

ELECTIVE ADVANCED COURSE: 8 Weeks

Prerequisite: HVAC101 & HVAC102

Many contractors specialize in the installation of heating and air conditioning units. This course provides theory and hands-on lab projects to give students the fundamental skills necessary to be an HVAC installer. The focus is on flue pipe and gas line sizing, sheet metal fabrication, installation, and start-up procedures of HVAC equipment, as well as the operation and installation of indoor air quality products.

HVAC104 - Boilers and Piping

ELECTIVE ADVANCED COURSE: 8 Weeks

Prerequisite: HVAC101 & HVAC102

Boiler systems are a prominent heat source in almost every region in the United States. Technicians install and maintain residential and light commercial hydronic systems. This course provides the theory and hands-on projects necessary to expose the student to common practices in the area of boilers and piping. The focus is on the boiler’s main components, circulation pumps, system design, terminal units, pipe sizing, sizing fittings, system friction, sizing the circulator pump, accessories, controls, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting.

HVAC PROGRAM

Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

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