West Virginia maintains an average annual temperature of 55.7°F and has fairly warm summers but extremely cold winters. Summer temperatures tend to rise as high as the mid-80s but drop all the way down to 20s and lower during the months of winter. Professionals with a West Virginia HVAC license are needed to maintain cool buildings during the warmer parts of the year but are in the highest demand throughout the months of November through March to ensure adequate heating for all building types.
West Virginia HVAC Certification and Education
All HVAC professionals working in West Virginia are required to have an HVAC Technician Certification and HVAC professionals which perform jobs worth $2,500 or more are required to obtain a West Virginia HVAC Contractor License.
Individuals in West Virginia that have recently graduated from HVAC certification programs are not required to be licensed in order to work on HVAC systems and equipment. However, they are only able to perform on HVAC systems while under the supervision of HVAC technicians that possess certification.
West Virginia HVAC Training
The State of West Virginia offers a wide range of HVAC training available in the form of certificate or college degree programs. Programs which offer this training include Ben Franklin Career Center, Cabell County Career Technology Center, Carver Career Center, Putnam Career and Technical Center, and West Virginia Northern Community College. Both Ben Franklin Career Center and Carver Career Center have Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA). Programs found at these school generally provide on-the-job training within a lab setting which prepares students for the everyday work of HVAC professionals.
West Virginia HVAC Exam
West Virginia HVAC contractors are required to pass both the business and law exam as well as the trade exam. The trade exam is 3 hours long and contains 80 questions. A score of 70% is needed to pass and the exam costs $42. The trade exam covers topics including general knowledge of HVAC equipment and processes as well as safety and regulations. The business and law exam has 50 questions which must be answered within 3 hours. A score of 70% is required to pass the exam and the fee is $42. This exam covers topics such as business management, finance and insurance.
West Virginia HVAC EPA Certification Requirements
West Virginia HVAC technicians or contractors are also are required to be certified by the EPA if they want to work on a project involving refrigerants. This is referred to as the EPA Section 608 certification. This is mandatory across the USA and is apart from the licensure that is being obtained for the state.
The exam has 80 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 3 hours. A score of 70% is required to pass the exam and the exam fee is $120.
The three different EPA certification types that HVAC technicians can acquire are Type I, II and III. Type I limits HVAC technicians to working on appliances which contain no more than five pounds of refrigerant. Type II permits HVAC technicians to perform work on high pressure appliances. Type III limits HVAC technicians to working on low-pressure appliances. This certification is transferable among all states and does not expire.
West Virginia HVAC Salary
The average salary of professionals with a West Virginia HVAC license is $34,000 with the top 10% earning over $58,000 a year. HVAC professionals in West Virginia tend to earn higher salaries within cities such as Wheeling and Morgantown and those in Beckley earn on average greater than $61,000 per year.