In MI an HVAC contractor may have many agents whom he (she) supervises. Supervision is not limited to being on site.
I don't know the verbage of your licensing but you might be able to act as an agent.

Unfortunately in MI when they tried to come up with a loop installer cert. for verticals, the mechanics didn't want to give up their territory, nor did the well drillers so certs came to fruition.

j

Joe,
The NCDENR has supposedly been working on new rulings for the Geothermal Vertical Loop Installations for the last three years. Until October 2010, we as well drillers could not even install the loop into the borehole. A Licensed HVAC contractor had to be there to install them. That has been changed. Now an IGSHPA Accredited Driller can install the loops as long as there is a written agreement between the Drilling contractor and the HVAC contractor, but pertains to the "Vertical Loop Only".

Under no circumstances are we allowed to install the header lines to the circulating pump. Every HVAC contractor I have talked to does not want to install the header lines, so this new memorandum really affects the IGSHPA Accredited Drillers. There are drillers out there, not IGSPA Accredited Installing the vertical loops and that should be addressed also, but that's a whole other matter.

Here is a link to the new ruling: http://www.nclicensing.org/_fpclass/_nosearch/Interpretations/Well%20Memo.pdf

I do not prefer to install loops myself, or headers. I "supervise" excavators or drillers.

They time honored tradition of licensing is to establish parameters that often make it difficult for someone to do work they have always done.

Plumbers were no longer able to do gas pipe around here once mechanical licensing came to pass in the '80's. They did however grandfather in working contractors and create a category (gas pipe and venting) so plumbers could continue to do work they've always done. The older plumbing law (1920's) does not offer any water side accomodations to the heat guy that wants to install a water heater.

These things become territorial. You are not fighting the guys you work with, you are fighting other mechanics statewide that don't wish for you to work on "their turf". By the same token HVAC guys that wish to do their own drilling may find that the well drillers object.
j

NC liscensing for hvac's?
Allmost all the jobs we do are a drill it, header it, run it into the building and flange it off for commercial work. For residential we allways drill, header, run to building and then do what ever the hvac or mechanical wants from there. I find it crazy to make a hvac or mechanical that does not have dirt work equipment responsible for that portion of the work. Just my .02
Eric

Waterpirate,
My thoughts are the same as your's. However, we can't install the header lines, even to the circulating pump. I'm not interested in hooking to the unit itself. The NC HVAC licensing board has implemented this new ruling and I don't think that really know anything about it.

I hope you can rally support at home, it really doesn't mater much what a PA and a MI contractor think.
j

I would ask how many hvac contractors currently have the training and the equipment to uphold the memorandum. The governing body may find that they have cut and pasted yet some more crap off the internet and re think things if you are lucky.
Eric

This is ridiculous! NC Regulators know nothing about Geothermal. I understand that the new rule was started by the owner of Coastal Geothermal in Jacksonville, NC. He's the only geothermal drilling contractor in NC that also holds a
H-2 / H-3 license. The requirement has put a lot of NC licensed geothermal drillers out of business unless they do the work illegally. I too drill geothermal loops in NC! Luckly I work for a geothermal contractor in Virginia that has a H-2 / H-3 license. It's put a stop to most of the geothermal loop drilling in NC. This is unfortunate for the drillers and the home owners and must somehow be changed.
I write a monthly article "Porky's Hole Thoughts" in the "National Driller" and in the "World Wide Geothermal Resource" (free publications). Google "Porky Cutter". My wife Bess writes "Your View" a monthly article in the "World Wide Drilling Resource" (also a free publication). She publishes stories from drillers about state regulations. She'd love to hear about the NC regulations and can be found by contacting [email protected].

We are starting a job in NC as I type.  After sifting through the crap to sit for liscensure we were told that one guy with the political clout wrote the rule in an effort to corner the market.  He then decided to not persue it so the rule stands and the entire NC geo market stands to suffer.  We hired subs with liscensure to sit on site and oversee the work to make everyone happy.  It is definately a obstacle to a allready hurting economy.
Eric

Waterpirate,
Welcome to our world! It's definitely affected our drilling operations for the installation of the loops. NC HVAC contractors aren't happy about it either and most are staying away from the geothermal units, pricing them so high thereby talking most potential geothermal customers into the new Energy Efficient Heat Pumps. It's really frustrating that we have the 35% state tax credit on top of the 30% federal tax credit and we are still not able to sell these units. Some thing has got to change. I have written the NC Govenor a letter about this problem, but have yet to hear anything back. I suggest you do the same! Maybe with enough complaints we can get this ruling REMOVED!

Here Here!!!

will do
Eric