Plumbing and Refrigeration - AOS Degree

The Field

Plumbers install and repair the water, waste disposal, drainage, and gas systems in homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Plumbers also install plumbing fixtures—bathtubs, showers, sinks, and toilets—and appliances such as dishwashers and water heaters. Pipefitters install and repair both high-pressure and low-pressure pipe systems used in manufacturing. Plumbers must be able to follow building plans or blueprints and instructions from supervisors, lay out the job, and work efficiently with the materials and tools of their trade.

Air-conditioning and refrigeration systems consist of many mechanical, electrical, and electronic components, such as motors, compressors, pumps, fans, ducts, pipes, thermostats, and switches. Technicians must be able to maintain, diagnose, and correct problems throughout the entire system. To do this, they adjust system controls to recommended settings and test the performance of the system using special tools and test equipment. Technicians often specialize in either installation or maintenance and repair. They also may specialize in doing heating work or air-conditioning or refrigeration work.

The Instructional Program

The two-year Plumbing and Refrigeration program consists of the courses from the one-year certificate program in Plumbing, Heating, and Pipefitting and the one-year certificate program in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.  New students are accepted for the fall semester only and can choose to begin their studies with either Plumbing, Heating, and Pipefitting (Curriculum Code 0921) or Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Curriculum Code 0957).

Distinctive Features

Each year, Delhi's skilled-trades students build a unique house design for a customer, with Plumbing and Heating students working alongside Carpentry and Electrical students on the project.

SUNY Delhi uses Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) training manuals in all its Refrigeration courses. Membership in the RSES Student Chapter is included in the textbook cost, and students take the RSES certification exam as a part of their program.

SUNY Delhi's Plumbing, Heating, and Pipefitting and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning faculty are veteran instructors and experienced tradesmen who remain active in their field.

Career Options

Job opportunities are expected to be very good, as demand for skilled plumbers and pipefitters is expected to outpace the supply of well-trained workers in this field. Workers with welding experience should have especially good opportunities. For those who would like to advance, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish in order to relay instructions and safety precautions to workers with limited understanding of English.

Curriculum

SUNY Curriculum Code:  1159

Note: The courses listed below for the first and second semesters may be reversed with the courses listed for the third and fourth semesters.

First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

Degree Requirement: 64 credit hours

Notes

*MATH 102 Mathematics for Applied Technology is the minimum exit-level requirement for this program.

Admissions Requirements

High school graduate with a minimum 73% overall average or a minimum 2500 GED test score, and 70% or higher on the Math A Regents exam.

Program Objectives

A graduate of the Plumbing and Refrigeration A.O.S. degree program should be able to:

1. Understand and apply the International Plumbing Code and New York State Code.
2. Demonstrate basic knowledge of plumbing materials, tools, and equipment.
3. Display the ability to measure, cut, and join steel pipe, copper tubing, plastic and cast iron soil pipe; demonstrate knowledge of fittings as well as basic fabrication of sheet-metal principles and layout techniques.
4. Exhibit basic drafting techniques as they relate to the plumbing, heating, and pipefitting field through the completion of various drawings such as piping isometrics, plumbing floor plans, and riser diagrams.
5. Install residential hydronic and steam heating systems, and indirect and direct domestic warm-water heaters.
6. Design and install warm-air heating systems and the various types of warm-water heating systems for residential and light commercial buildings.
7. Design and install potable water, sanitary waste, and vent systems in residential and light commercial buildings.
8. Correctly and safely wire oil and gas boilers and warm-air heating systems.
9. Display an understanding of building energy requirements and demonstrate the ability to perform residential heat-loss calculations.
10. Recognize and respond to emergencies by making appropriate decisions regarding first-aid care.
11. Understand and discuss fundamental refrigeration principles, including trade tools, gas laws, pressure/temperature relationship, heat transfer, refrigerants, compression cycle, compressors, condensers, evaporators, metering devices, refrigeration oils, desiccants and driers, evacuation, and safe handling of refrigerants.
12. Demonstrate a hands-on knowledge of the refrigeration system including skills in servicing, analyzing, problem solving, and pertinent safety practices.
13. Understand the basic electricity knowledge necessary to HVAC mechanics.
14. Demonstrate an understanding of the equipment and specific topics associated with commercial refrigeration systems.
15. Demonstrate a knowledge of air-conditioning principles and air-conditioning systems, including room air conditioners, air-conditioning systems, heat pumps, low-voltage thermostats, and hydronics.
16. Apply the knowledge necessary to accurately troubleshoot air-conditioning systems. 
17. Demonstrate hands-on skills in the installation and servicing of a wide variety of air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment and systems in a safe manner.
18. Understand and apply the fundamentals of gas and arc welding as they apply to the refrigeration and air-conditioning field. 
19. Recognize and respond to emergencies by making appropriate decisions regarding first-aid care.