From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 8:05 PM
To: 928
Subject: [928] Re: You know it's bad when... (any 928 GLOC monitoring
the list?)

At 05:43 PM 7/16/02, John Eifert wrote:
>If you listen to some people on the list, it's that "reasonably 
>intelligent" thing that seems to be getting in the way of me.  :-)


So far, the only thing standing in your way is self-doubt.


>How would one go about being certified via the web?

Find one of the dozen or so sites that offer certification exams. Find the 
cheapest, most reliable, best, etc., and pay them the $15 - 45.  You are 
looking for CAAA Section 609 Certification. This is for auto air 
conditioning. There are other certifications for other refrigeration systems.

Spend twenty minutes reading over the 20 pages of "training" material, 
which you can look at on-line or print off. Then take the on-line, 
open-book, multiple-choice test, getting at least 21 of 25 question 
correct. Your test will be automatically graded, and the results sent by 
email. You may immediately print out a certificate, and a printed one will 
be mailed to you.

Here are three to get you started.
http://www.epatest.com/   $19.95 - $4.95 for retest.
http://www.macsw.org/certify.html  $15 - no charge for retest.
http://www.imaca.org/condition.htm $15 - $15 for retest.


>You have to get it through the EPA right.

No.

>You have to have evacuation, recovery and containment equipment, right?

No.

>What about EPA approved training?

See above. The training will be an on-line booklet, which can be printed if 
you have Adobe Acrobat.


>For me, training will come from a booklet and what I have already seen 
>done.  I got the evacuation and charging equipment.  It appears I might be 
>missing something.

Self-confidence.

>  The only thing I intend to spend more money on is refrigerant!  ;^)

The certification is $15 well-spent.

The only purpose of the certification is to drive home the requirements and 
need to capture refrigerant, rather than blowing it into the atmosphere. 
The certification is NOT intended to teach you how to work on auto air 
conditioning.


>JE
>Close to $600.00 in the hole on A/C eqipment, this better work!

Air conditioning work is fun, reasonably easy, and reasonably clean. One of 
the biggest problems is that you will become a VERY popular man when your 
friends find that you can fix their air conditioners.

Wally