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Air-Con & Refrigeration Technician

Skilled Trades

Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Electrical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
  2. 2Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
  3. 3Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
  4. 4Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
  5. 5Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
  6. 6Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.
  7. 7Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.
  8. 8Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
  9. 9Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.
  10. 10Install or repair self-contained ground source heat pumps or hybrid ground or air source heat pumps to minimize carbon-based energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
  11. 11Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.
  12. 12Install auxiliary components to heating or cooling equipment, such as expansion or discharge valves, air ducts, pipes, blowers, dampers, flues, or stokers.
  13. 13Braze or solder parts to repair defective joints and leaks.
  14. 14Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.
  15. 15Perform mechanical overhauls and refrigerant reclaiming.
  16. 16Install expansion and control valves, using acetylene torches and wrenches.
  17. 17Measure, cut, thread, or bend pipe or tubing, using pipe fitter's tools.
  18. 18Mount compressor, condenser, and other components in specified locations on frames, using hand tools and acetylene welding equipment.
  19. 19Install dehumidifiers or related equipment for spaces that require cool, dry air to operate efficiently, such as computer rooms.
  20. 20Record and report time, materials, faults, deficiencies, or other unusual occurrences on work orders.
  21. 21Keep records of repairs and replacements made and causes of malfunctions.
  22. 22Cut or drill holes in floors, walls, or roof to install equipment, using power saws or drills.
  23. 23Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.
  24. 24Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.
  25. 25Supervise and instruct assistants.
  26. 26Lay out reference points for installation of structural and functional components, using measuring instruments.
  27. 27Lift and align components into position, using hoist or block and tackle.
  28. 28Install or repair air purification systems, such as specialized filters or ultraviolet (UV) light purification systems.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • A/C Tech
  • Mechanic
  • HVAC Tech
  • Installer
  • A/C Mechanic
  • Cooling Tech
  • Duct Cleaner
  • Gas Adjuster
  • Heating Tech
  • Service Tech

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationPost-secondary certificate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mechanical93%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Building and Construction84%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Customer and Personal Service81%
  • Engineering and Technology70%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Computers and Electronics66%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • English Language65%

    English

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentOften
  • Time spent sittingA little

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

7%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org