Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic

Department of Veterans Affairs•Houston, TX

33d•Onsite

About The Position

The Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic, is located within the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) shop of the Maintenance and Operations section of the Facilities Management Service Line within Michael E. DeBakey VAMC. The purpose is to provide critical HVAC and refrigeration support, service, and repair to the Veterans, visitors and staff within the Medical Center and outer campus buildings. The general duties of an Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic are to maintain and operate all heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems through the medical center and outer campus buildings. This includes general repair, maintenance, modifications, dismantling and reassembling ice machines, freezers, walk-in coolers, refrigerators, food and nutrition modules, air conditioning roof top units, medical unit refrigerators, cooling towers, chillers, heating and cooling pumps, Liebert Units (air handling units), morgue refrigeration units, kitchen refrigeration, and all heating and ventilation systems. The work in this position involves installing and recognizing the cause of faulty equipment. The Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic also makes repairs to large industrial types of air conditioning equipment by modifying the equipment (if necessary). The repair process can include relocation of equipment such as nutrition freezers, pharmacy refrigerators, laboratory refrigerators and other various special purpose air conditioning units and/or systems that provide specific climate conditions, from patient care areas, patient units, and research areas. The work also includes all related valves, piping, electronic and pneumatic controls, pumps, cooling towers, converters, fans, centrifuges, computers and computer associated controls, variable frequency drives (VFD's), air compressors, and chemical water treatment stations. Duties also include: Performing air balancing, modifying various elements of the system, air quality surveys, and isolation of HVAC control and maintenance systems. The Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic will consult with the respective engineer and inspect newly constructed areas. The Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic is able to perform his/her duties at the journeyman level, read blue prints and diagrams to troubleshoot equipment. Incumbent performs maintenance and repair to several hundred stand-alone expansion units, ice makers, drinking fountains, walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Incumbent assumes duties of an operator for the Energy Control Center as needed. He/she performs general repairs, maintenance, modifications, along with dismantling and reassembling major centrifugal A/C units. He/she must have the skill and knowledge to size, alter, modify or substitute components and elements in order to provide specific and climatic conditions. He/she must have the skill and highly technical knowledge of air balancing in order to maintain the testing and balancing of isolation areas in accordance with Infection Control, Safety, Life Safety, and Engineering requirements. He/she must be able to meet specified pressure and temperature characteristics within environmental growth chambers, controlled temperature rooms and existing ultra-cold systems within this medical center. He/she must be able to work directly with project engineers, contractors, and VA staff when planning and modifying a system in order to meet specific conditions which are required by technical personnel, researchers, staff and physicians.

Requirements

able to perform his/her duties at the journeyman level
read blue prints and diagrams to troubleshoot equipment
skill and knowledge to size, alter, modify or substitute components and elements in order to provide specific and climatic conditions
skill and highly technical knowledge of air balancing

Responsibilities

maintain and operate all heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems
general repair, maintenance, modifications, dismantling and reassembling ice machines, freezers, walk-in coolers, refrigerators, food and nutrition modules, air conditioning roof top units, medical unit refrigerators, cooling towers, chillers, heating and cooling pumps, Liebert Units (air handling units), morgue refrigeration units, kitchen refrigeration, and all heating and ventilation systems
installing and recognizing the cause of faulty equipment
makes repairs to large industrial types of air conditioning equipment by modifying the equipment (if necessary)
relocation of equipment such as nutrition freezers, pharmacy refrigerators, laboratory refrigerators and other various special purpose air conditioning units and/or systems that provide specific climate conditions, from patient care areas, patient units, and research areas
work also includes all related valves, piping, electronic and pneumatic controls, pumps, cooling towers, converters, fans, centrifuges, computers and computer associated controls, variable frequency drives (VFD's), air compressors, and chemical water treatment stations
Performing air balancing, modifying various elements of the system, air quality surveys, and isolation of HVAC control and maintenance systems
consult with the respective engineer and inspect newly constructed areas
perform his/her duties at the journeyman level, read blue prints and diagrams to troubleshoot equipment
maintenance and repair to several hundred stand-alone expansion units, ice makers, drinking fountains, walk-in refrigerators and freezers
assumes duties of an operator for the Energy Control Center as needed
performs general repairs, maintenance, modifications, along with dismantling and reassembling major centrifugal A/C units
size, alter, modify or substitute components and elements in order to provide specific and climatic conditions
skill and highly technical knowledge of air balancing in order to maintain the testing and balancing of isolation areas in accordance with Infection Control, Safety, Life Safety, and Engineering requirements
meet specified pressure and temperature characteristics within environmental growth chambers, controlled temperature rooms and existing ultra-cold systems within this medical center
work directly with project engineers, contractors, and VA staff when planning and modifying a system in order to meet specific conditions which are required by technical personnel, researchers, staff and physicians