Plumbers looking to branch out into the field of HVAC maintenance and installation need to learn specialized skills that go beyond piping and fixtures. From mastering refrigeration systems to understanding airflow dynamics, each competency will build your ability to handle heating, cooling, and ventilation challenges confidently. So, here are five essential skills that every plumber Read more
cooling
Plumbers looking to branch out into the field of HVAC maintenance and installation need to learn specialized skills that go beyond piping and fixtures.
From mastering refrigeration systems to understanding airflow dynamics, each competency will build your ability to handle heating, cooling, and ventilation challenges confidently.
So, here are five essential skills that every plumber needs for a successful HVAC career.
1. Refrigeration System Knowledge
Understanding refrigeration systems (which you can learn at specialist educational establishments like The Refrigeration School) is foundational for HVAC work.
This involves knowing how refrigerants cycle through compressors, evaporators, and condensers to create cooling effects.
You also need to grasp pressure-temperature relationships in these systems, as they’re crucial for diagnosing performance issues or leaks.
Recognizing the components of different system types – split units or packaged systems – can help you install or maintain them efficiently.
A clear knowledge base lets you troubleshoot problems accurately and ensures compliance with regulations like safe refrigerant handling standards.
2. Electrical Troubleshooting Skills
HVAC systems rely heavily on electrical components. Knowing how to test circuits, locate faulty wiring, and handle control boards is critical for maintenance or repair.
Being familiar with reading schematics and using tools like multimeters can save time when diagnosing issues in thermostats, relays, or compressors.
Also, safety is key here. So, understanding voltage ratings and proper handling is crucial for preventing accidents during troubleshooting.
A strong grasp of these skills not only resolves system problems efficiently but also builds confidence in working around complex electrical setups.
3. Thermodynamics Understanding
Knowing how heat transfers, airflow moves, and energy exchanges are critical for designing efficient systems. After all, HVAC systems revolve around the principles of thermodynamics.
Understanding concepts like heat gain or loss helps you size equipment accurately.
Comprehending phase changes in refrigerants ensures better diagnostics during cooling failures.
This knowledge connects directly to practical work – like optimizing heating efficiency or troubleshooting uneven cooling zones.
By mastering thermodynamics basics, you can provide solutions that improve comfort while minimizing energy waste in homes and businesses alike.
4. Airflow and Ventilation Basics
Proper airflow is the backbone of HVAC performance. Without balanced ventilation, systems struggle to maintain consistent temperatures or manage air quality.
Recognizing how ductwork layout affects circulation helps you identify pressure imbalances or blockages. You’ll also need to measure airflow rates with tools like anemometers to ensure they meet system specifications.
Understanding ventilation basics aids in improving efficiency, controlling humidity levels, and addressing issues like uneven heating or cooling.
Strong expertise in this area ensures systems run smoothly while maximizing occupant comfort.
5. HVAC Diagnostic Techniques
Lastly, troubleshooting HVAC issues requires sharp diagnostic skills.
Systems can fail for many reasons, from refrigerant leaks to faulty sensors or airflow blockages.
A systematic approach helps narrow down the cause.
Using tools like pressure gauges, leak detectors, and infrared thermometers speeds up problem identification.
Knowing how to interpret error codes on modern systems also saves time during repairs.
Strong diagnostics ensure you fix problems accurately the first time, preventing repeat visits and building trust with clients through reliable service.
The Butler Street office allows the area’s oldest home service company to deliver more efficient service in Brooklyn and Manhattan Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, a family-owned home service company serving Brooklyn and Manhattan since 1906, has opened a new location at 355 Butler Street in the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, New Read more
The Butler Street office allows the area’s oldest home service company to deliver more efficient service in Brooklyn and Manhattan
Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, a family-owned home service company serving Brooklyn and Manhattan since 1906, has opened a new location at 355 Butler Street in the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The new location will allow Petri to continue delivering efficient services to their customers as the company continues to grow and evolve.
Petri will also keep a location on the ground floor of the three-story walkup at 901 Bay Ridge Avenue, which has served as the company’s headquarters since it was founded in 1906.
Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning has opened a second location at 355 Butler Street in Brooklyn, New York, to more efficiently serve the company’s customers in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
“Having two locations helps us to dispatch to our clients in Brooklyn and Manhattan more efficiently,” said Michael Petri, owner of Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning. “We are excited about the new location on Butler Street and know that having both locations dispatching trucks will provide our customers with access to our trusted plumbing and HVAC services sooner.”
The company, which got its start as Brancale and D’Amico Plumbing, Tinsmithing & Hardware, was founded by Petri’s great-great uncle and great-grandfather shortly after the turn of the 20th century and offered plumbing service throughout Brooklyn. Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning has serviced several generations of customers throughout the years.
“That we’ve been around Brooklyn for nearly 120 years is a testament to the unparalleled, fast and reliable service Petri has provided throughout the Great Depression, two world wars and the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy,” Petri said. “Moving to a second location is just another step on our journey and was done with our customers in mind.”
Petri said that customers should look for some special offers later this spring to celebrate the new location.
For more information about Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, visit https://www.petriplumbing.com/.
The High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric owner is one of only a handful of area business leaders named to the inaugural list of honorees Levi Torres, owner of High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, a family-owned and operated home service company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, has been selected as one Read more
The High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric owner is one of only a handful of area business leaders named to the inaugural list of honorees
Levi Torres, owner of High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, a family-owned and operated home service company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, has been selected as one of the Denver Business Journal’s 2025 Small Business Leaders.
Torres is one of 21 business owners, presidents, CEOs and managers to be included in the business magazine’s roster of honorees. Nominees were chosen through an independent editorial review that focused on their achievements and contributions to the community.
High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric co-owner Levi Torres has been selected as one of the Denver Business Journal’s 2025 Small Business Leaders.
“It’s exciting to be chosen for the Small Business Leaders awards program,” Torres said. “Denver has a rich history of entrepreneurship and small business ownership, and there are hundreds of admirable small business owners here to choose from. To earn a spot on the inaugural list is an achievement I’m proud to receive.”
Under Torres’ leadership, High 5 has received countless awards and recognitions. In 2024, they were named to Denver Business Journal’s Fast 50 for a second consecutive year. The company has also been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list three years in a row. In 2024, they were ranked 1,812 overall.
“Our company has been able to grow and flourish because of our great team and all of our clients in the Denver community,” Torres said. “They are a major part of our family. None of this success would be possible without them.”
Torres and his wife, Cassi, started High 5 Plumbing in 2012. Since that time, the Torreses have continued to expand the business by adding other home service options, such as HVAC and electrical services. Today, the company is known as High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric.
In addition to offering high-quality residential services, the company also prides itself on giving back to the community through the High 5 Cares program. Each month, the company spotlights a different nonprofit and volunteers for and donates to that company throughout the month. High 5 Cares has donated more than $100,000 to area charities and nonprofits.
Torres and the other winners will be celebrated at a cocktail reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Studio Loft event space in Denver.
To learn more about High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, or to schedule an inspection, visit http://high5homefix.com/.
Um, yeah. With Trump ready to assume the role of President for his second term, albeit not consecutively, other than the renaming the Gulf of America, how much can we “read the room” as to changes in policies, rhetoric or general feeling moving forward to things that relate to the PHVAC industry? We recently caught Read more
Um, yeah. With Trump ready to assume the role of President for his second term, albeit not consecutively, other than the renaming the Gulf of America, how much can we “read the room” as to changes in policies, rhetoric or general feeling moving forward to things that relate to the PHVAC industry? We recently caught with Mark Velentini, VP of Legislative Affairs at the PHCC-National Association, and Charles White, VP Regulatory Affairs at the PHCC-National Association—affectionately known as the “Chuck & Mark Show” by the PHCC—as they have their finger on the pulse of DC.
MH: We can kind of gauge what sort of policies/governance may come out of Trump’s term based on his first term, but how do you think the second time around will affect the plumbing industry in general?
Mark Valentini
VALENTINI: A Republican Congress and administration will bode well on energy policy as PHCC members confront bans and restrictions on natural gas connections and appliances across the country. This will also bode well for tax policy as certain provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 are set to expire which have been beneficial for many contractors, especially when considering Congress revisiting the corporate tax rate and potentially lowering it to 15% down from 21%.
MH: Does a more deregulated government mean more uphill battles for water/energy efficiency?
Charles White
WHITE: I think the previous Trump Administration showed us uphill battles when agencies were directed to create exempt categories like small cycle dishwashers and such. It is likely that the second Trump Administration will take these actions to the next level by moving to rewrite the underlying legislation. Having said that, the efficiency efforts will then move to the progressive states rather than being federal actions, we will probably not see much regression to less efficient standards and the high population states like California and New York will likely drive the industry to higher efficiency products.
MH: Do you think there may be changes to things like the Inflation Reduction Act or Infrastructure Bill or is that pretty much hands off at this point?
VALENTINI: It is rather early to tell, IIJA has been around for some time now and may be hard to change. The IRA has so many parts, that makes it hard to consider in one piece. Tax credits like Section 25c could be pretty safe but the HOMES and HEARS Acts may not be as safe since they represent almost $9 billion.
WHITE: Most of HOMES and HEARS programs have yet to roll out which could make them a prime target but since they have a low- and moderate-income focus, there may be an optics issue to remove those acts. The issues are complicated, but PHCC has been cautiously supportive of the IRA since much of that program flows to plumbing and HVAC contractors.
MH: What is the climate from your constituency? In other words, what are you hearing about this new election cycle—positivity, negativity or a wait and see approach?
VALENTINI: Positivity but also wait and see. PHCC must be vigilant on workforce policy as the new government may reconsider industry-recognized apprenticeships which risk watering-down training by compartmentalizing it into credentialing—contractors need skilled workers with a holistic skillset, not workers who are certified in a handful of specific tasks.
MH: How do interest rates come into play here?
VALENTINI: Lower interest rates bode well for real estate, which in turn bodes well for new construction, service, and remodeling work.
MH: From what I recall, Trump’s 1st term was pro-trades? Do you have any indication this will continue?
WHITE: While President Trump’s first term had support from the trade’s rank and file, the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Rule received more negative public comments than perhaps any other rule. Those negative comments came overwhelmingly from those same rank and file workers. Polling data throughout the election shows that the President-elect enjoyed substantial support from skilled blue-collar workers, but his future actions must support their jobs in the workforce.
MH: Does anything change on the union front?
VALENTINI: That’s a sensitive question. I would venture to say that Teamsters and other labor groups that withheld endorsements are reading the room when it comes to their rank-and-file.
MH: Please give examples of any changes/addendums/eliminations to specific policies moving forward, if applicable. (i.e. Clean Water Act)
VALENTINI: We can expect to see legislation on tax reform and energy in the new Congress. Tight margins particularly in the House will require all Republicans to be on board to pass anything.
WHITE: It is possible that the new administration will review regulations that are currently in litigation, like the residential gas furnace rule, and perhaps decide to pull back those rules for revisions. This could also affect decisions on whether to appeal adverse court rulings such as the recent ruling against the DOL Overtime Rule.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s largest residential plumbing, HVAC, and electrical provider, is proud to partner with Toys for Tots to share the joy of Christmas with others. For the past five holiday seasons, Hiller has donated to toys to Toys for Tots with the purchase of each new tankless water Read more
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s largest residential plumbing, HVAC, and electrical provider, is proud to partner with Toys for Tots to share the joy of Christmas with others. For the past five holiday seasons, Hiller has donated to toys to Toys for Tots with the purchase of each new tankless water heater. Since 2019, Hiller has purchased over $50,000 in toys to donate to underserved families in our community.
During this special promotion, available from November 1st through the end of the year, Hiller contributes $50 from each tankless water heater sold to purchase toys. And, as a special incentive to homeowners, Hiller offers a $250 Visa gift card with every purchase. In addition to funds raised, the company contributes with an additional monetary gift each year.
Toys for Tots is a non-profit organization launched by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947. The organization is dedicated to providing new Christmas gifts to children and young adults who may otherwise not receive presents during the holidays. To date, Toys for Tots has supported over 301 million children with over 677 million toys and gifts.
Every December, Hiller’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Hiller, and members of the Hiller family gather to shop for a truck’s worth of toys to donate hand-selecting various toys, games, and gifts that resonate with their own families. This shopping spree has quickly become one of the grandkid’s most anticipated Christmas events.
“One of my family’s most cherished holiday traditions has become our Toys for Tots shopping trip”, remarked Jimmy Hiller. “The holidays can be stressful and challenging for a lot of families, particularly in recent years. Through this promotion, we’re able to make sure that parents can create Christmas magic for their children. We feel so blessed to have had the support of our community for so many years”, he continued, “And we want to give back to our neighborhoods that have been so good to us.”
On Thursday, December 19th, the Hiller family met at a Nashville-area Walmart to shop together, hand-selecting new gifts, toys, and electronics for other children to enjoy on Christmas morning. This year’s selections, totaling over $12,000, filled more than 18 shopping carts. This donation, made possible by the community’s support, raises the 5-year total to more than $50,000 in toy contributions since the tradition began.
Hiller was founded in 1990 by Jimmy Hiller, the company’s single employee. Today, the organization includes over 600 “Happy Face” trucks and 880 associates across 18 locations in 7 states.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, provides residential and commercial service and repair throughout Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northeastern Mississippi, Southeastern Arkansas, Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia, and Northwest Florida. As the homeowner’s premier provider of choice with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, Hiller is Tennessee’s largest residential and commercial plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical services provider. Hiller, a 12-time honoree to the Inc. 5000 List, employs more than 800 associates, boasts a fleet of 600 “Happy Face” trucks across 18 locations, and has responded to over 1.8 million service calls in 7 states. For more information about Hiller, visit http://www.happyhiller.com or e-mail press@happyhiller.com.