Central air conditioner sales nationally
Year Sold
2011 3,744,691
2010 3,419,290
2009 3,515,648
2008 3,968,044
2007 4,507,692
2006 4,950,827
2005 6,470,976
Source: Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
HVAC mechanics and installers
2010 employment: 267,800
Projected 2020 employment: 358,100
Percent change, 2010-20: 34
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The summer’s significant stretch of hot weather has increased the workload for air conditioning technicians and installers who are part of an industry expected to grow 34 percent between 2010 and 2o20, according to experts and businesses.
Technician and installer jobs in the heating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry (HVAC) were estimated at 267,800 nationally in 2010 and are expected to grow to 358,100 in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current and newer workers are entering an environment in which households and businesses are trying to keep units longer, evidenced by a 42 percent drop in central air conditioner sales nationally from 2005 to 2011.
To meet the job demand, schools are turning more attention to personal skills to help employees pair technical knowledge with customer service. Local and statewide industry officials said they are regularly looking for new employees, especially when they anticipate extremely hot weather.
“Right now, breakdowns are common, and the old, inefficient systems just can’t handle the capacity of the heat we’ve been experiencing,” said Amanda Kinsella, marketing director for Logan A/C and Heat Services, which has offices in Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. “If you let air conditioners go, the heat is very hard on those systems.”
Industry experts cite numerous areas of growth potential, especially in air conditioner installation for new homes or businesses as well as those who want to replace units with more energy efficient and environmentally friendly updates. There are also many existing homes without central air conditioning. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 69.7 million of 113.6 million (61.3 percent) U.S. homes used central air conditioning in 2009. That includes 4.3 million of 7.0 million (61.4 percent) homes in Ohio and Indiana.
Business operators said the mixture of future installation with repairs of current systems that residents and businesses try to maintain longer make for a promising future for their industry.
“People are staying in homes longer, keeping what they have, and now you have hot weather. Then the phone starts ringing,” said Roger Gundlach, president of the Ohio chapter of Air Conditioning Contractors of America and a business owner in Sandusky and Port Clinton.
To fill those needs, schools are hoping to provide qualified students who are increasingly knowledgeable and experienced in relating to customers as well as working with systems. At Kaplan College Dayton, the 12-month curriculum includes workshops on making positive first impressions with homeowners or businesses as well as wearing a uniform to classes four out of five days to familiarize students with being seen as workers.
“These are the employees representing their companies to the customers, and industry companies have reiterated the need for that professionalism,” said Karen Larson-Reuter, president of Kaplan College Dayton. “The skills of our program are pretty standardized. Something that can be a difference is the set of personal skills.”
Technicians and installers are facing a variety of technologies in the field, which increases the need for apprenticeships and relationships between schools and businesses, said Thomas Tebbe, national programs director for HVAC Excellence, a national non-profit focused on improvements in the technical education process. Knowing the number of systems can also help HVAC employees inform residents on hazards or age or wear, officials said. An average of 2,364 fires occurred nationally each year between 2006 and 2010 because of air conditioners, mostly caused by failures of old electrical equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
“In some places, the peak temperatures have never been seen before,” said John Hall, division director of fire analysis and research for the NFPA. “That’s straining your system, which can be dangerous.”
That, in turn, has led to more service calls, according to businesses. With schools noting increases in HVAC interest and area utility companies offering incentives to buy new air conditioning units, the industry has remained strong in this region, officials said.
“What I tell my people is you have to understand that heating and air conditioning and refrigeration will not disappear,” Gundlach said. “This is part of our economy and part of our lives.”
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