Air Conditioning Technician Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the air conditioning technician job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they typically perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the air conditioning technician role.

What Does an Air Conditioning Technician Do?

The air conditioning technician is responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing, and servicing certain equipment and facilities, including air conditioning systems and units, water-cooling systems, and refrigerators within client’s own facilities, including those that operate all day long.

His/her job description entails repairing and maintaining building equipment as needed to ensure buildings or facilities are functioning properly.

He/she also carries out general repairs and maintenance of machinery and equipment by diagnosing and troubleshooting special service problems following all building codes, blueprints, instructions, and manuals.

The air conditioning technician’ role also involves estimating material and labor cost and determining plan and requirements for installing, fabricating, and start-up; testing, and servicing HVAC equipment.

He/she is also responsible for training and assisting less experienced co-workers, and carrying out other duties that may be assigned.

The technician’s work description may also entail driving organization or personal vehicle to various work locations.

It also involves being on-call after work hours to take on further assignments should there be emergency.

Air conditioning technicians work independently under the supervision of the facilities supervisor applying power tools, hand tools, and different testing, and precision-measuring instruments.

They are expected to complete work orders as assigned and scheduled according to established industry and company standard practices and procedures, and to prepare reports on their work activities to management.

Assignments given to air conditioning technicians may be in the form of diagrams, sketches, written instructions, or work orders; the technician may have to locate the defective parts of the equipment or find out the cause of the problem to be able to fix it effectively.

Air Conditioning Technician Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Air conditioning technicians perform various functions to see to it that air conditioning systems and related equipment and facilities work effectively and efficiently.

The tasks, duties, and responsibilities that they carry out working for various organizations may differ because of the peculiar nature of operation in different companies.

However, their job descriptions commonly consist of the following duties and responsibilities:

• Carry out repair and routine maintenance duties on equipment, building facilities and offices, building systems, grounds, and structures
• Coordinate efforts with company’s contracted HVAC vendors to ensure company HVAC systems are functioning perfectly
• Perform inspection, maintenance, repairs, and installation of air conditioning systems, including D.D.C. building control and pneumatic systems, cooling systems, refrigerators, ice machine, refrigerated water coolers, and similar equipment
• Carry out maintenance checks on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; clean evaporator drain pans, coils, and filters; lubricate fan and motor bearings; repair and change motors, electrical wiring, belts, compressors, thermostats, fans, floating elements, and defrost timers
• Place airflow controls to occupants’ preference by adjusting dampers, splitter, diffusers, and fans speeds; take away, clean, and change filters and strainer; remake, repair, and paint metal and wood cooling fans and towers; add the right amount of chemicals to water towers to prevent corrosion and rust
• Run equipment, observe its operation, and read instruments and gauges, including Volt-ohm meters; find out temperature gauges and adjust mechanisms, including valves, pumps and controls to direct levels of fluid, temperature, and pressure; charge with specified types and amount of refrigerant, and bleed contaminants from systems; inspect gauges and carry out periodic preventive maintenance checks
• Carry out overhauling and servicing of refrigeration units by repairing, changing, or reworking broken parts of compressors, condensers, and vacuum pumps; inspect Freon level in refrigeration units and fix any leak observed, and charge units as required; clean and change filters on ice machines and similar equipment; inspect heating elements and change if bad
• Perform repairs or adjustments on piping connections, valves, couplings and fittings by riveting, bolting, welding, brazing, and soldering applying hand tools, drill press, prestolite torch, and acetylene torch
• Take away pumps and motors, change bearings and shafts, repacks and perform reinstallations; perform adjustment on expansion valves; change, fix, and re-calibrate humidistats and thermostats, change hinges, gaskets, and hardware
• Provide assistance to supervisor in planning new installation and modification projects, preparation of specification, and major reconditioning and overhauling projects, applying knowledge of refrigerating systems, engineering specifications, and blueprints
• Order for replacement of equipment parts as required, perform repairs as ordered, and keep record of servicing on equipment
• Provide assistance to colleagues in the department to effectively maintain, and repair equipment, buildings, and municipal properties
• Carry out minor electrical maintenance work, such as repair or replacement of fixtures, including wall switches and outlets, ballast, incandescent and fluorescent tubes and bulbs, fuses, sockets, etc., by applying the right tools
• Carry out minor plumbing maintenance work, including change or repair of leaks in faucets and drains, trenching and laying of new lines, unclogging of drains, etc.
• Carry out minor masonry, painting, and carpentry work
• Carry out restructuring, installation, positioning, and re-mounting of modular offices and space, including furniture, work surfaces, wall panels, lighting, file cabinets, storage bins, etc. to maximize office space and meet user needs
• Provide support after work hour if required in situations like emergency, workshop, commission meetings, and other company functions
• Perform related duties that may be assigned.

Download job description template.

Requirements – Abilities, Knowledge, and Skills – for Air Conditioning Technician Role

If you are looking for a job as an air conditioning technician, here are major requirements, including skills, knowledge, experience, and educational qualifications, that most employers may ask for:

• Possess high school/vocational school diploma or G.E.D or technical training in HVAC systems
• Working experience maintaining and repairing heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and other related systems such as electrical systems, DX units, heat pumps, and chillers
• Possess certification in refrigerant transition and recovery
• Possess county air conditioning mechanic license or its equivalent
• Possess valid driver’s license
• Ability to perform physical activities such as climbing, bending, balancing, stooping, kneeling, squatting, crawling, reaching, crouching, push/pull objects, etc.
• Ability to work with manual or power tools and operate motorized vehicles
• Ability to sit, walk, and stand for extended period of time
• Ability to work outdoors in difficult conditions, including adverse weather conditions
• Strong knowledge of the methods, practices, test instruments, tools, and materials typically applied in repairing and servicing various refrigeration and air conditioning systems, and other similar equipment
• Strong knowledge of the hazards involved in the occupation, and the safety precautions to take
• Strong knowledge of the repair characteristics and mechanical operation of various types of air conditioning and refrigerating equipment
• Strong knowledge and use of computer software and equipment
• Ability to effectively file work orders and write reports
• Strong ability and skill to quickly and correctly diagnose, locate, and fix defects in refrigeration and air conditioning systems/units and similar equipment
• Strong ability to understand complex written and verbal instructions, as well as simple sketches and diagrams, and carry them out accurately
• Strong knowledge of the practices and principles for effective preventive maintenance of HVAC systems
• Strong ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with customers, colleagues, and supervisors.

Conclusion

If you are an employer hiring and needing to make a description for the air conditioning technician position in your organization, the sample work description provided in this post can help you get it done quickly.

You are sure to be able to make a great description for the air conditioning technician job for your company that captures all the duties and responsibilities you want them to perform.

This post is also helpful to individuals looking to become an air conditioning technician; they will learn more about the career and the expectation from employers.