WHAT DOES AN HVAC SERVICE TECHNICIAN DO?

Published: Aug 05, 2025 - The Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Service Technician maintains, diagnoses, and repairs issues across complete HVAC systems, including electrical circuits, low-voltage wiring, and pipe connections. This role involves system startups, testing for leaks and performance, adjusting controls per manufacturer specifications, and ensuring compliance with safety procedures while maintaining a clean work area. The technician also installs auxiliary components, fabricates ductwork, performs routine maintenance, and communicates effectively with supervisors and homeowners to document and address system deficiencies.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for HVAC Service Technician

1. HVAC Service Technician Duties

  • HVAC Diagnostics: Diagnose and repair residential HVAC systems and educate customers to make informed and confident buying decisions
  • Efficient Repairs: Diagnose and repair residential HVAC systems efficiently and accurately
  • Customer Relations: Establish customer rapport to ensure the highest levels of satisfaction
  • Professionalism Knowledge: Demonstrate professionalism and knowledge to win new referrals and repeat business
  • Communication Skills: Maintain effective communication skills with co-workers and management
  • Job Site Safety: Support the team in maintaining a safe, clean, and organized job site
  • Policy Compliance: Follow company policies and procedures and accurately complete all paperwork and assignments in a timely manner
  • Inventory Management: Keep company trucks clean, organized, and maintain proper assigned inventory levels
  • Training Participation: Participate actively in all company-provided training and on-the-job training to master the trade

2. HVAC Service Technician Responsibilities

  • Service Repair: Service, repair and propose replacement of warm air furnaces, air conditioners, duct distribution systems, boilers, water heaters, related piping and electrical
  • Equipment Startup: Service and start up equipment and adjust to manufacturer and job specifications
  • Troubleshooting Skills: Troubleshoot, adapt and resolve or repair all issues that prevent equipment from functioning properly
  • Customer Communication: Communicate to consumers on proper operation and owner’s maintenance of installed equipment and answer related questions about operation, features and functions
  • Documentation Accuracy: Perform required documentation for each call, recording recommendations, repairs, accurate readings and observations, obtain client signatures on necessary paperwork and collect payments
  • Customer Service: Provide customer-oriented service
  • Product Knowledge: Maintain good working knowledge of products and services offered, requiring additional study and training both on and off-site
  • Goal Setting: Establish goals and objectives related to the position and develop a plan of action to attain or exceed set goals
  • Progress Monitoring: Regularly review and monitor progress against goals and seek assistance

3. HVAC Service Technician Accountabilities

  • Effective Communication: Communicate effectively with associates, superiors, vendors and customers
  • Customer Referrals: Ask for and obtain customer referrals and web recommendations
  • Interpersonal Skills: Possesses superior interpersonal skills
  • Blueprint Interpretation: Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings and specifications
  • Material Ordering: Accurately list and order materials and supplies
  • Time Management: Work under time constraints, budgetary limits and pressures
  • Schedule Management: Efficiently manage time and schedules
  • Client Understanding: Understand client needs and favorably influence their decisions
  • Continuous Learning: Continuously learn through training from suppliers, trade shows, seminars, independent study and other employees
  • Professional Appearance: Maintain a clean, neat and professional appearance
  • Safety Awareness: Work and drive safely and recognize and avoid dangerous situations

4. HVAC Service Technician Job Description

  • Installation Repair: Install, troubleshoot and repair heating, air conditioning and refrigeration units including chillers, boilers, rooftop units, split systems and heat pumps
  • System Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot malfunctioning heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems to determine the cause of the malfunction
  • Issue Diagnosis: Diagnose diverse service issues, obtain replacement parts, calibrate systems to manufacturer recommendations and fully explain to customers what the issue is and what is needed to correct it
  • Preventative Maintenance: Perform scheduled preventative maintenance to ensure the ongoing functioning of HVAC systems
  • Schedule Coordination: Travel to job sites in the service area and work with dispatch to ensure the schedule is maintained and delays are properly communicated to customers and dispatch
  • Technical Proficiency: Proficiently perform tasks such as troubleshooting with a digital volt meter, soldering and brazing
  • Documentation Entry: Enter call resolutions on a tablet before leaving the customer site
  • Availability Flexibility: Be available to work nights and weekends on a rotating basis to service the emergency needs of customers
  • Vehicle Maintenance: Maintain company vehicles in good working order including refueling and preventative maintenance and report any mechanical issues
  • Vehicle Cleaning: Wash vehicles on a regular basis
  • Training Participation: Participate in company and vendor-provided training opportunities
  • Safety Compliance: Follow established safety procedures and housekeeping practices

5. HVAC Service Technician Roles

  • Work Coordination: Assist in setting work priorities, training employees and coordinating work assignments to ensure quality workmanship and timely completion of jobs
  • Progress Reporting: Inform superintendents and supervisors of job progress and issues
  • Emergency Response: Respond to emergencies and complex service calls including driving to customer sites, greeting customers, troubleshooting and diagnosing or resolving problems
  • Repair Authorization: Describe options and costs, obtain approval and make repairs
  • Drain Line Inspection: Check condensation drain lines to ensure they are free of debris and draining properly
  • Service Documentation: Document services, explain guarantees and warranties, and collect, record and deliver fees to the office
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure all repairs and installations are accurate, serviceable and meet safety and regulatory standards and codes
  • Service Promotion: Promote service agreements and assist with financing of service costs
  • Technician Training: Train less-experienced technicians and act as crew leader

6. HVAC Service Technician Additional Details

  • System Maintenance: Maintain, diagnose and correct problems throughout the entire HVAC system
  • Low Voltage Wiring: Perform all low-voltage wiring for indoor and outdoor units
  • Electrical Testing: Test electrical circuits and components for continuity using electrical test equipment
  • Furnace Startup: Start up the furnace for the first time to burn off all the manufacturer’s oil
  • System Charging: Add the proper charge to the air conditioning system once started up
  • Leak Testing: Test pipe or tubing joints and connections for leaks using a pressure gauge or soap-and-water solution
  • Control Adjustment: Adjust system controls to settings recommended by the manufacturer to balance the system using hand tools
  • Maintenance Procedures: Recommend, develop and perform general maintenance procedures such as cleaning, power-washing and vacuuming equipment, oiling parts and changing filters
  • Safety Compliance: Comply with all applicable standards, policies and procedures including safety procedures and maintain a clean work area
  • Effective Communication: Communicate effectively with supervisors and homeowners
  • Wiring Layout: Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment according to wiring diagrams using an electrician’s hand tools
  • Component Installation: Install auxiliary components to heating and cooling equipment such as expansion and discharge valves and dampers while following blueprints
  • Work Order Generation: Generate work orders that address deficiencies needing correction
  • Pipe Joining: Join pipes or tubing to equipment and to fuel, water or refrigerant sources to form complete circuits
  • Ductwork Fabrication: Fabricate, assemble and install ductwork and chassis parts using portable metal-working tools and welding equipment

7. HVAC Service Technician Essential Functions

  • Technician Support: Assist senior-level HVAC technicians
  • Basic Troubleshooting: Perform basic troubleshooting and maintenance procedures
  • Refrigerant Knowledge: Understand the basic refrigerant cycle, typical components, basic troubleshooting and typical maintenance procedures
  • Equipment Identification: Identify HVAC equipment and components including packaged, split, WSHP, chiller, tower and pump systems
  • Electro-Mechanical Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot basic electro-mechanical devices
  • Air Distribution Basics: Understand the basics of air distribution systems and how they operate
  • Customer Representation: Act as company representative to the customer
  • Customer Communication: Communicate with both internal and external customers
  • Inventory Management: Inventory parts, materials and labor per job
  • Supervisor Responsiveness: Be responsive to supervisor and dispatcher
  • Paperwork Accuracy: Complete all paperwork accurately and timely
  • Safety Practices: Abide by basic safe work practices
  • Safety Observation: Observe, report and correct unsafe work environments or behaviors

8. HVAC Service Technician General Responsibilities

  • Heating Installation: Perform heating installs, service calls, boiler installs and preventative maintenance during winter
  • Air Conditioning Installation: Perform air conditioning installs, service calls, ductless systems and preventative maintenance during summer
  • System Installation: Install new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
  • Equipment Inspection: Inspect, diagnose and perform equipment repairs and replacements
  • Preventative Maintenance: Perform routine preventative maintenance
  • Emergency Response: Respond to emergency maintenance requests
  • Safety Compliance: Adhere to all safety policies and procedures
  • Application Versatility: Perform all tasks on commercial and residential applications

9. HVAC Service Technician Roles and Details

  • System Cleaning: Clean, adjust and repair HVAC systems including air handling units, ductwork, vents and condensation drainage
  • System Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot HVAC systems and equipment to diagnose issues
  • Emergency Repairs: Perform emergency repairs promptly and efficiently
  • Standards Compliance: Ensure compliance with appliance standards and with OSHA
  • Work Tracking: Track repairs and completed work in trade software such as Service Titan
  • Customer Engagement: Engage with customers or clients to inform them of issues, solutions and outcomes
  • Product Recommendation: Recommend products and services for optimal system performance
  • Technical Proficiency: Demonstrate proficiency in commercial and industrial HVAC maintenance and repairs
  • System Diagnosis: Diagnose HVAC systems and their components
  • Professional Communication: Maintain effective working relationships and professional communication with colleagues, property managers and the general public
  • Job Commitment: Commit to a long-term position starting
  • Equipment Repair: Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair various commercial and industrial HVAC equipment
  • Routine Maintenance: Perform routine maintenance on various commercial and industrial HVAC equipment
  • Activity Coordination: Coordinate with administrative staff for daily activities

10. HVAC Service Technician Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Field Service Maintenance: Perform field service maintenance, remedial and emergency repair on telecommunication and data center process HVAC equipment
  • Equipment Servicing: Service equipment including Liebert, Marvair, Crispaire, Bard and Sun units
  • Problem Solving: Problem solve issues related to pumps, dry coolers and cooling towers
  • Schematic Reading: Read and understand schematics and apply diagnostic skills on basic refrigeration and electronic control circuits using the latest monitoring tools and dexterity to repair field problems
  • Documentation Accuracy: Provide accurate and timely documentation, reporting and commentary that accurately reflect field conditions
  • Equipment Repair: Inspect and perform equipment repairs and replacements
  • Emergency Response: Respond to emergency repair requests
  • Preventive Maintenance: Perform routine and preventive maintenance to ensure the ongoing functioning of HVAC and refrigeration systems
  • Problem Diagnosis: Diagnose problems or failures in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems to identify equipment and systems repair and replacement needs
  • Vehicle Operation: Safely operate company vehicle, maintain its appearance inside and out, ensure it is serviced for scheduled maintenance or repairs, and maintain and update an orderly parts inventory
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