NATE certification carries the mark of excellence that Charlie’s customers deserve

If the light fixtures in your home are flickering and your outlets are hot to the touch, you probably will call a licensed electrician – not a handyman – to fix your faltering electrical system.

If your upstairs bathtub is leaking through the floor below it, you probably will call a licensed plumber – not a “jack of all trades” – to make a plumbing repair.

And when you need an air conditioner repair, you should turn to Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning because Charlie’s appreciates the value of NATE – and you should, too.

NATE stands tall

NATE isn’t a person; NATE is an acronym that stands for North American Technician Excellence. It is the largest non-profit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians in the United States. It also enjoys another distinction: NATE is the only technician certification organization owned, operated, developed and governed by the heating-ventilation-air conditioning industry.

Like the license that the most skilled electricians and plumbers hold, NATE certification separates the experts from the amateurs. Trane – one of the country’s largest manufacturers of air conditioners – puts it this way: “NATE certification verifies that the technicians who pass are the best in the trade when it comes to knowledge and experience installing or servicing your home heating or cooling system.”

Since Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning is dedicated to providing our customers with exemplary air conditioning service and repairs, we encourage all of our technicians to pursue this certification.

Rigorous training makes NATE great

Like most professional certifications, NATE requires a rigorous course of study before a candidate sits for the exam. On-the-job training isn’t required to take the exam, but it definitely gives test-takers an advantage. In the absence of formal training provided by an employer like Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning , the NATE board recommends that candidates graduate from a technical school or other institution of higher learning first.

An educational credential is meant to place candidates in the best stead possible because they must pass both a core exam and a specialty exam to become certified.

The core exam covers a candidate’s general knowledge, construction knowledge and heating, ventilation and air conditioning-specific knowledge. The specialty certification is in either installation or service. As such, it recommends:

• One year of experience for the installation technician test
• Two years of experience for the service technician test
• Five years of experience for the senior level technician test

Like many exams, the exam “is not easy, and not all technicians pass it the first time,” Trane says.

NATE translates to customer satisfaction

The Charlie’s team believes it’s worthwhile to persevere because NATE certification appeals to many groups of people, including:

• Manufacturers like Trane, which know that the certification increases the likelihood that their products will be expertly installed and serviced.
• Utility companies, which appreciate that expert installation and service saves energy.
• Air conditioner companies such as Charlie’s, which know that NATE-certified air conditioner technicians demonstrate greater skill and proficiency and require fewer callbacks than non-certified technicians.

Since Charlie’s customers are discerning about the quality and professionalism of the contractors they invite into their homes, Charlie’s encourages all of our air conditioner technicians to study hard and pursue NATE certification. We regard it as the mark of excellence our customers deserve.