2007-07-03 14:51:10 · 7 answers · asked by kevin k 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
By what parameters are you judging? pay, demand, job satisfaction, ability to work?
An HVAC tech is a combination of electrician, plumber, mechanic and welder.
An electrician needs to know how to look up code information and preform mathematical calculations.
An HVAC tech needs to be able to understand a complete refrigeration system's parts; electrical, mechanical, physical properties of refrigerants, plumbing, and find solutions to problems under stress.
An electrician will work with extreme high voltage and can get severe burns or electrocution.
An HVAC technician may get frostbite burns, welding burns, and can get hit with high voltage.
An HVAC tech will get called to visit a home on Christmas eve at 2am to fix a furnace that needed to have a filter changed. S/he will get called away during his daughter's birthday to fix an air conditioner that can't be fixed, but has to be running to keep medical equipment cold, and can't leave until it is working properly.
An HVAC tech will interact with corporate CEO's who want their offices at 72* exactly, and with retirees who are living on cat food and ramen noodles but will need a complete new system but can't afford it.
I used to be a graphic designer earning more than I deserved, but when the economy collapsed, couldn't find a job making signs reading "will work for food." After 9 months of HVAC-R coursework, I can get a job to feed my family anywhere in the US or abroad.
An electrician needs to have a specific license for the area in which s/he is working, and a thorough knowledge of the codes for that area as well as the current NEC.
I prefer HVAC, but an electrician will tell you to go Electric. If you really want to know, contact local companies and ask if you can spend a week with an electrician and an HVAC tech.
2007-07-03 15:41:57 · answer #1 · answered by OrakTheBold 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Electrician is better.
I know. Trust me.
You can always do both.
States like Arkansas have a separate license for heating and air electrician.
I am an industrial electrician and it pays damn well.
Miketyson26
2007-07-03 15:01:32 · answer #2 · answered by miketyson26 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
both are good but, HVAC Mech. is more of a narrow field than an Electrician. Electrician would have a broader field to choose form.
2007-07-03 15:21:23 · answer #3 · answered by jack s 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
an electrician can only work on a hvac unit if he has the license to do so...he may be able to troubleshoot the electrical problem but isnot allowed to do any work on the unit itself...some hvac techs are good hvac men but are not very good electricians....so to say one is better than the other is tough, it depends on what he is licensed to do
2007-07-03 15:00:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are both two different fields,electricians work on wiring, ac mechanics work on ac units and are trained different than electricians,apples and oranges,
2007-07-03 15:06:29 · answer #5 · answered by luka 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In New York it would be the union electrician.
2016-05-17 21:33:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you are trying to fix. If you want to fix major appliances, -http://appliancequickfix.com/
2007-07-03 15:37:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋