Under Pressure: HVAC Students Study Atmospheric Pressure to Work with Coolants

To understand how atmospheric pressure works, the students in Rob Foley’s Introduction to HVAC class at Islip Career Center stepped into large plastics bags and used a shop vacuum to remove the air from inside the bags and observe what happens when pressure goes from high to low.

The removal of air resulted in lower pressure inside the bag, creating a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag. The higher outside pressure then exerted more force on the plastic and compressed it around the students.

This is an important lesson for those who plan to work with refrigerants. The pressure within refrigeration systems must be carefully managed so that coolants evaporate and condense at the correct temperature. The pressure within these systems is often higher than the surrounding atmospheric temperatures.

The class is currently studying for the EPA 608 certification exam, which is for HVAC technicians who work with refrigerants. Said Foley, “This certification ensures that technicians can safely handle, recover, recycle, and ship refrigerants; that their procedures comply with federal regulations; and that their actions will minimize the release of refrigerants. Earning this certification while in high school makes students that much more marketable before entering the workforce.”

Islip Career Center is an Eastern Suffolk BOCES school that provides skills training to students with special education needs. This training may enable them to obtain entry-level employment in certain industries.