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Heating systems are an important part of creating comfortable interior environments for residential and commercial structures. Because these systems consist of complex equipment and materials, the professionals tasked with installing, maintaining, and repairing them must be skilled tradespeople.

In the state of Connecticut, skilled trades require licensing by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. What types of licenses are available if you want to work in the field of limited heating, hot water, and steam? How can you go about obtaining a suitable license to operate legally?

Types of Licenses

There are two types of licenses available for limited heating, hot water, and steam work: S-5 Contractor and S-6 Journeyperson. The scope of work covered by these licenses pertains to hot water or steam heating systems specifically. Activities like installing and servicing oil burners of any size are excluded from these licensing classifications.

There are also restrictions on the volume of systems that may be worked on. Steam pressure cannot exceed 15 pounds, the total heating load cannot surpass 500,000 BTUs, and these systems may not service buildings over three stories high.

Within these parameters, an S-6 Journeyperson can install and service approved systems. However, this position requires you to be under the supervision/employment of a licensed S-5 Contractor. An S-5 Contractor may independently perform all the same tasks and can also supervise/employ professionals with journeyperson licenses.

Licensing Requirements

In order to qualify for an S-6 Limited Heating Journeyperson license, you must complete an apprenticeship with the Connecticut Department of Labor or submit proof of equivalent training and instruction. This includes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of classroom instruction.

To become an S-5 Limited Heating Contractor, you have to complete a minimum of two years of experience under a journeyperson license. If you currently hold a Heating & Cooling Contractor license from out of state, you may be eligible to apply for an S-5 Contractor license, but you’ll have to submit proof.

Additionally, you must pass a trade exam before you can obtain licensure. These exams cover topics like:

• Insulation
• General knowledge
• Controls
• Equipment
• Piping
• Maintenance and testing

Both the S-6 Limited Heating, Hot Water, and Steam Journeyperson exam and the S-5 Limited Steam, Hot Water, and Steam Contractor exam are 90-minute, open-book tests that contain 40 questions (although the content varies). In both cases, you need to answer 70% of the questions correctly to pass.

The Benefits of Exam Prep Courses

Exam prep courses from an approved and reputable program are the best way to ensure that you pass your test the first time. If you’re a working professional, convenient online courses that offer 24/7 access from anywhere are ideal, and you can’t go wrong with materials created by industry experts and educators.

RocketCert has the resources you need to pass your exam and obtain a Limited Heating, Hot Water, and Steam license in Connecticut. Contact us today to take the next step in your career path.