Graduate Provides Unique Training to PCC Students

WINTERVILLE�Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration students at Pitt Community College received one-of-a-kind training this month from a graduate of their program and several of his C.C. Dickson Company co-workers.

Louis Ochoa, a 2004 PCC grad, teamed with Scott Moye, Lloyd Jackson and Dwight Cauley on Sept. 17 to provide students with a condensed version of specialized commercial compressor training that Ochoa and Moye received earlier this year.

As part of their unique instruction, the PCC students were able to completely break down commercial compressors and see their inner workings before rebuilding them. Along the way, they learned what to look for in diagnosing problems, typical causes for breakdowns and steps for making repairs.

�They got training today that most (technicians) never see,� Ochoa said, adding that he would like to make the training an annual event at Pitt.

Commercial compressors are used to cool and heat large structures, such as supermarkets and school buildings and are costly to replace.

Ochoa, who works in outside sales for C.C. Dickson, said that by knowing how to properly diagnose problems with commercial compressors, students would have valuable skills to offer potential employers.

According to AC, Heating and Refrigeration Instructor Keith Drury, students in his program typically work on residential compressors in class that are much smaller and less complex than the commercial units they trained with Thursday.

Normally, the training PCC students received this week would cost hundreds of dollars as part of a three-day Compressor Operation and Service Seminar (C.O.S.S.). Ochoa and his colleagues provided the instruction free of charge.

09/22/2009