PHCC 2022 National Apprentice Contest Winners Announced
The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association’s Educational Foundation has announced the winners of the national plumbing and HVAC apprentice contests. The contests were held Oct. 5-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina on the tradeshow floor during the PHCC—National Association’s CONNECT 2022 event. A total of 18 plumbing and 10 HVAC apprentices from across the nation took part in the contests.
Plumbing Apprentice Contest Winners
- First place: Jake Elsbecker, from Midwestern Mechanical in Spencer, Iowa. He was sponsored by Zoeller.
- Second place: Scott Hicks, Jr. from TD Industries in Houston, Texas. He was sponsored by the International Code Council.
- Third place: Alex Estevez from B Wagner Contracting in Allentown, New Jersey. He was sponsored by the Copper Development Association.
The plumbing apprentices were required rough-in a bathroom system. The setup includes a toilet, sink and shower, complete with supply, waste and vent lines, plus cleanouts and extra features designed to test the contestants’ knowledge and skills. The test setup includes a variety of pipe materials — cast iron, copper and PVC and corresponding joining methods.
HVAC Apprentice Contest Winners
- First Place: Sebastian Uhde, from Magnolia Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Washington, D.C. He was sponsored by the PHCC National Auxiliary.
- Second place: Harrison Bosler, from Howe Inc. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was sponsored by NIBCO, INC.
- Third Place: Sean Reed, from Reddick and Sons in Manassas, Virginia. He was sponsored by RIDGID.
The HVAC competitors were required to complete a written test, demonstrate proper brazing techniques and perform a hands-on diagnostic on an HVAC package unit, with system errors created by the foundation’s contractor volunteers for the competition. The competitors also had to perform a pressure and leak test, demonstrate proper refrigerant recovery procedures and the ability to accurately take a variety of instrument readings.
For more details, visit phccfoundation.org.
