Sec. 09.15.02.07. Training for HVACR Journeyman

A. Before an HVACR apprentice may be examined for a license as an HVACR journeyman, the apprentice shall complete at least 1,875 hours of training in providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration services under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR contractor. The training shall be over a period of at least 3 years, while licensed as a Maryland HVACR apprentice.

B. It is recommended that the study, instruction, training, and experience include the following areas:

(1) Installation of HVACR equipment including:

(a) Determining location of exterior and interior equipment including condensers, thermostat, humidistat, exhaust piping, and duct work;

(b) Preparing equipment foundation/base to install anchors, equipment, and vibration isolator pads;

(c) Determining type and mounting system required for equipment, layout, and routing of condensate drain;

(d) Installing air, water and evaporative cooled condensers, evaporative cooler, air-handling units, gas and oil furnaces, heat pumps, and baseboard heat;

(e) Installing humidifiers, electronic air cleaners, thermostats, and humidistats; and

(f) Installing and filling a hydronic system including a circulator pump, three-way diverter valve, automatic feeder, expansion tank, zone valves, air vent, pressure relief valve, booster fan, condensate pump, water pump, gas valve, and primary safety control;

(2) Duct systems including:

(a) Being able to provide basic design of a duct system and determine adequacy of the existing or designed duct system;

(b) Installing with accessories round metal duct, rectangular metal duct, rigid fiberglass duct, plenum, duct liner, and duct wrap;

(c) Installing manual air-flow damper, register, grill, fire damper, barometric damper, powered damper with actuator, factory-fabricated filter box, and vent damper;

(d) Being able to modify an existing plenum and existing duct; and

(e) Being able to fabricate a rectangular trunk line duct, plenum, transition, elbow, offset, sled with turning vanes, floor pan, and filter sled;

(3) Diagnostic procedures including troubleshooting:

(a) Air-conditioning system, AC system with electric heat, heat pump system, heat pump with fossil fuel heat;

(b) Gas pack, gas furnace, electric furnace, oil furnace, and hydronic system; and

(c) Cooling-tower system, chilled-water system, and evaporative cooler;

(4) Adjustment of components including gas pressure, pilot flame, pilot igniter, direct spark igniter, burner oil system, burner air on gas furnaces, and burner primary air on oil furnaces;

(5) Installation of piping and tubing including:

(a) Determination of layout and size of refrigerant tubing;

(b) Determination of the type and location of fittings and in-line components;

(c) Connection of pipe using a threaded joint and a cemented joint;

(d) Connection of tubing using a compression fitting, flare fitting, soft solder, and brazing;

(e) Pipe and tubing insulation and covering, refrigeration line solenoid valve, in-line or angle hand valve, suction line accumulator, suction/liquid line heat exchanger, liquid receiver, fixed restriction/thermostatic expansion metering device, liquid/suction line filter-dryer, sight glass, pressure-regulator valve, head pressure control valve, check valve, and access valve; and

(f) Vibration isolator in refrigerant line, precharged factory line set, tubing and pipe clamps and supports, and evaporator condensate drain line;

(6) Placement of HVACR systems in operation including:

(a) Leak test system, set belt tension if applicable, adjust condenser water-flow controls, test for gas leaks;

(b) Measuring air flow at register, measuring relative humidity, adjusting humidistat, calibrating thermostat, and setting heat anticipator;

(c) Adjusting fan speed for correct CFM output, adjusting fresh air intake, adjusting bypass damper, and adjusting relief damper;

(d) Checking safety drain in attic installation, checking humidifier water feed and drain, checking aquastat for proper setting and operation, and checking static pressure at fan discharge;

(7) Maintenance and repair of systems including replacing an HVAC timer delay relay, control switch, gas valve, pilot safety switch, glow coil assembly, thermocouple or thermopile, and flame sensing electronic sensing device.

C. The Journey examination will include questions based upon basic knowledge in the areas listed in §C of this regulation.