Question:
Comments, please:
I'm close to signing up with a trade school that has a part-time course of
study for 58 weeks, 4 nights a week, 4 hours per night; it includes Commecial &
Domestic Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Major Appliance Repair
(refrigerators, room air conditioners, washers, dryers, dishwashers,
microwaves, ranges, and trash compactors). Cost: $6,120, paid weekly via
credit card.
this school has "ACCET" accredidation, supposedly a "Nationally Accredited"
school.
The price (although high for my wallet) does not seem out-of-line compared to
what I've seen elsewhere, especially for computer courses.
My thoughts are that if I learn all these other appliances, the knowledge will
generalize to AC/heaters and unforeseen problems in the field, besides adding
to my overall self-confidence and competence.
I'm I on target, out to lunch, or what?
Answer:
I assume that by this description that it is a proprietary school [for PROFIT]
and they will make you sign a contract before you start that obligates you to
the full $6120 reagardless. Find a community college if you can. The
proprietary schools can really screw the guy that gets in there and finds they
have no aptitude for the work. Also, if you sign on the dotted line and find
that their instruction sucks, you're screwed. Find a community college where
you pay as you go. And if you want to work on furnaces, by all means find a
school that teaches that.
Studying appliances might improve your electrical skills, but knowing about
trash compactors won't help you troubleshoot a malfunctioning A/C unit. IMHO,
don't waste your time and money on the appliance study unless you want to do
appliance reapair.