📚 Best Books & Study Resources for HVAC Certifications
If you’re serious about moving up in HVAC—whether you’re prepping for NATE, becoming a better troubleshooter, or aiming to start your own company—these books and study tools are trusted by real techs, schools, and union programs.
🔧 GENERAL HVAC FUNDAMENTALS
📘 Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
- 🔹 Author: Althouse / Turnquist / Bracciano
- 🔹 Why It’s Great: Considered the HVAC bible. Covers residential and commercial systems, wiring, psychrometrics, refrigerants, air distribution, and more.
- 🔹 Best For: Beginners to advanced techs. Great reference forever.
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781635638776
📘 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology
- 🔹 Authors: Whitman, Johnson, Tomczyk, Silberstein
- 🔹 Why It’s Great: School-level textbook with deep theory and illustrations. Extremely thorough.
- 🔹 Best For: Students, NATE prep, trade school study.
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781337399128
🧪 EPA 608 CERTIFICATION (Core, I, II, III)
📘 ESCO Institute – EPA 608 Certification Exam Preparatory Manual
- 🔹 Official study guide used by most HVAC schools.
- 🔹 Includes Core, Type I, II, III + practice questions.
- 🔹 Also available as a digital eBook on ESCOgroup.org
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781930044295
🧠 Tip: You can also use free EPA practice tests at:
www.epatest.com or www.hvacpracticetests.com
🛠️ NATE CERTIFICATION (Core, AC, HP, Gas, More)
📘 RSES – Preparing for the NATE Exam: Air Conditioning & Heat Pump
- 🔹 Why It’s Great: Simple layout, review questions, and aligned with NATE test structure.
- 🔹 Comes in separate books for each specialty.
- 🔹 Great for field techs who hate boring textbooks.
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781930044394
📘 ESCO Institute – HVAC/R Technician Certification Exam Guide
- 🔹 Includes both NATE and HVAC Excellence topics
- 🔹 Practice exams and reference tables
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781930044219
🎓 HVAC EXCELLENCE / ADVANCED THEORY
📘 HVAC Excellence – Master Specialist / Professional Technician Study Guides
- 🔹 Specific books for AC, Gas Heat, Heat Pump, Electrical, etc.
- 🔹 Includes real test question formats
- 🔹 Ideal for techs with 2+ years experience
- 🔹 Available via: www.escogroup.org
📘 Delmar’s Standard Textbook of Electricity (For Electrical Mastery)
- 🔹 Great for controls and in-depth electrical theory
- 🔹 Explains Ohm’s Law, ladder diagrams, motors, circuits
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781337900349
🧊 COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION
📘 Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians
- 🔹 Author: Dick Wirz
- 🔹 Why It’s Great: Focused on walk-ins, reach-ins, ice machines, supermarket systems.
- 🔹 Great for jumping from resi to commercial
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781305506435
📘 Troubleshooting and Servicing Modern Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems
- 🔹 Author: John Tomczyk
- 🔹 Deep dive into troubleshooting real-world systems.
- 🔹 ISBN: 9781305506435
⚡️ BUILDING AUTOMATION / CONTROLS
📘 Building Automation: Control Devices and Applications
- 🔹 Author: Ingram
- 🔹 Covers DDC systems, protocols, sensors, control strategies
- 🔹 Great primer for BAS entry-level techs
- 🔹 ISBN: 9780826912268
📘 Practical Controls: A Guide to Mechanical Systems
- 🔹 Author: Larry Bush
- 🔹 Excellent intro to logic, sequences, and BAS wiring
- 🔹 ISBN: 9780881736531
💼 BUSINESS & LICENSING (CA C-20, Startup, Estimating)
📘 California HVAC Contractor License Exam Prep
- 🔹 Publisher: Builders Book
- 🔹 Covers CA C-20 license requirements, law, and business
- 🔹 Updated for 2023/2024 license exams
- 🔹 Available at: www.contractorresource.com
📘 HVAC Spells Wealth by Ron Smith
- 🔹 Legendary book for techs looking to start or grow their own business
- 🔹 Covers pricing, dispatch, customer service, branding
- 🔹 ISBN: 9780976951106
🔗 Additional Resources & Websites
| Resource Name | What It Offers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ESCO Group | Certs, eBooks, and online proctoring | escogroup.org |
| HVAC Know It All | Tech blog, YouTube, tool reviews | hvacknowitall.com |
| NATE | Certification info + test centers | natex.org |
| hvacrschool.com | Articles, podcasts, manuals, tech guides | hvacrschool.com |
| YouTube Channels | Word of Advice TV, HVACR Videos, AC Service Tech, HVAC Shop Talk | – |
📘 Want us to create study checklists or a full learning path for each cert?
Let us know and we’ll build out downloadable guides, flashcards, and quiz decks.