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by Jnr12 hours ago |
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upvoteby ApolloFortyNine12 hours ago|
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In my state they require:

>160 hours of education/vocational training and 2 years’ verifiable experience in the trade

To get the license to install minisplits (two years experience generally means working an apprenticeship).

It's no wonder install costs are so much in the US. And as you've experienced, they're hardly rocket science to install. The 160 hours training would be more than enough, I'm not sure why 2 years experience gets tacked on the end.

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upvoteby psadauskas11 hours ago|
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Protection racket. They guys doing the installs now would make much less money if just anyone with some tools could start competing with them.
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upvoteby pwg4 hours ago|
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Unless your state is very unusual that is the requirement for installing them for other people as a tradesman. In most states if you are DIY for yourself all you legally need are the electrical permits for the wiring hookup (which for DIY don't require that "apprenticeship").
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upvoteby briHass1 hours ago|
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You also need an EPA 608 Type 2 license, though minisplits have been skirting around that for some time.

Easy to test for, though I'm not sure if you can do it for free like skillcat used to offer.

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upvoteby stronglikedan11 hours ago|
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Thankfully, the training is only required if you're doing the installs for/as a business.
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upvoteby ApolloFortyNine11 hours ago|
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I think in pretty much every state releasing the refrigerant 'requires' a license (if it's not a DIY model).

And in my state, I copy pasted what was required for a 'residential' HVAC license (idk if you meant commercial HVAC or just making money on installs).

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upvoteby zie11 hours ago|
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Not Montana apparently. They don't even have an HVAC contractor license anymore that I can find.
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upvoteby nxm10 hours ago|
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Exception rather than the rule
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upvoteby zie10 hours ago|
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100%.
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upvoteby orthoxerox11 hours ago|
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What will they do if they learn you installed your minisplit yourself?
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upvoteby cucumber37328428 hours ago|
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Nothing because the political optics of doing anything are bad ad the last thing they want is to create a victim that causes people to ask the question why the rules are even written how they are.

Environmental law is the same way. You're mostly (details depend on jurisdiction) not supposed to pave anything without getting permission but if they pushed the issue on everyone who put a pad under their car port the rules would get changed.

They also don't 100% enforce the speed limit either.

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upvoteby ghaff5 hours ago|
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There are people on here who live in this fantasy world where all house work is permitted and performed by licensed tradespeople which is... counterfactual.
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upvoteby lstodd11 hours ago|
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See the Brazil movie :)

Idk for Americas, but here in rural EU no one would give a fuck. Some will ask for help.

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upvoteby nxm10 hours ago|
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Nothing assumes no issues. If it catches/causes a fire, good luck with insurance
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upvoteby cucumber37328428 hours ago|
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This kind of thing is right up there with calling dig safe before a project that will be exclusively hand excavated. At some point you're basically just paying to circle jerk it with the other boot lickers in the office or at the cocktail party over how much you paid for no reason just because the rules that will never be enforced say you ought to.
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