Before jumping in and starting your new career in the gas technician industry with your Gas Technician 3 or Gas Technician 2 courses, it's important you know what you'll be working on while you're in the field.
We'll be highlighting some of the home appliances you'll be working with regularly once you begin your gas technician jobs in Ontario. This way, once you complete your skilled trades training, you'll feel more at ease and more prepared to take on these tasks.
Gas furnaces
The gas furnace is one of the most important appliances in a household. It keeps the household temperate, keeps the airflow circulating properly and effectively. If a furnace isn't working properly it can make an entire household uncomfortable, and will be something customers want solved quickly.
Furnaces are powered by different methods, depending on the furnace, such as electricity, wood, oil, or propane. However, a furnace using natural gas is the most cost effective option, as well as the most efficient option, which is why most homes use them.
Furnace efficiency ratings
Canadian furnaces are measured by the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) for how efficient they are. The higher the rating, the more efficient a furnace is.
A furnace in a Canadian home is required to have a minimum AFUE rating of 78 per cent to be legal. A mid-efficient furnace typically rates at 80-83 per cent. On the most efficient end, high-efficient gas furnaces rate at 98 per cent.
High efficiency furnaces are more expensive upfront, but will decrease the gas bill they will be paying over time, so in the long run it is less expensive. Because of this, and the push for more energy efficient households, as a gas technician you will see an influx of high efficiency gas furnaces being installed and maintained in homes.
Understanding the appliances you'll be working with will give you a great head start on preparing to take your Gas Technician 3 course. Check out our course and registration dates to see when the best time for you to take that next step is.
