Our team · Brier, WA

Learn from instructors who have done the work.

Real field experience. Real equipment. Real HVAC training in Brier, WA since 1989.

View courses Talk to admissions · (425) 778-2510
23024 Brier Road, Brier, WA 98036
Meet the instructors

These are the real people teaching you.

A small, field-seasoned staff of engineers, lead techs, and working HVAC professionals who still run calls and proctor EPA exams on site.

Ben Engelking, Headmaster and lead instructor of HVAC School
Lead Instructor

Headmaster · Lead instructor

Ben Engelking, P.E., C.M.

Known for: Equipment-first teaching and the national Instructor of the Year (ACHR News, 2000).

Professional engineer and former HVAC contractor. 38 years teaching the trade, Washington State certified Vo-Tec instructor, and registered EPA 608 proctor. Built the school’s hands-on curriculum from the ground up in 1989.

Crawford Engelking instructing at an electrical troubleshooting board in the HVAC School lab
Lead Instructor

Instructor · AC & heat pump tech

Crawford Engelking

Known for: Bringing current mini-split and heat pump field experience into the classroom.

Active HVAC technician with 10+ years in residential troubleshooting, system upgrades, and mini-split service and installation. Son of Ben and the next-generation leader of the school.

Troy Sprague, HVAC School instructor

Associate instructor · Commercial / electrical

Troy Sprague

Known for: Practical electrical troubleshooting on large-facility systems.

AC Lead Technician at Microsoft’s Redmond campus, managing HVAC maintenance crews across multiple buildings. 25+ years in the field and 20+ years teaching.

David Benson, HVAC School instructor and retired Boeing HVAC Lead

Associate instructor · Industrial systems

David Benson

Known for: Making hard concepts easy for first-time HVAC students.

Retired Boeing Facilities HVAC Lead Technician with broad industrial refrigeration, cooling, and heating experience. Patient, clear teaching style that works especially well for career changers.

Associate instructor · Former student

Liam Baxter

Known for: Walking students through hands-on drills from a recent-grad perspective.

HVAC School graduate turned associate instructor. Supports bench labs, helps students work through troubleshooting exercises, and represents the path many of our students take, from first-day career changer to working technician.

Our story

A family-run trade school, still doing it the old way.

Founded in a converted Brier garage in 1989, HVAC School has trained more than 6,000 technicians without ever walking away from the equipment-first teaching model.

  1. School founded in a converted garage

    Ben Engelking turned about 1,400 sq. ft. behind his Brier home into a hands-on HVAC/R training shop, capped at 24 students per session from day one.

    From the archive
    Original B.R. Engelking Co. letterhead from the school's founding era, with the same Brier address and phone number still in use today
    Original B.R. Engelking Co. letterhead, same address and same phone as today.
    From the archive · early years
    Vintage HVAC School flyer advertising hands-on evening training in air conditioning and refrigeration
    Original hands-on class flyer from the same founding period.

  2. National competency study

    An independent ARI competency review reported refrigeration students averaged 93.75% vs. a 59.56% national average, cementing the program’s Pacific Northwest reputation.

    From the archive · 1990s
    Scanned print from the 1990s showing a tabletop electrical training board in the original Brier shop
    Inside the original Brier shop, same training boards and same teaching style.
    From the archive · press
    Front page of ACHR News featuring HVAC School in the mid-1990s
    Trade-press coverage that followed the benchmark era.

  3. ACHR News Instructor of the Year

    Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News named Ben Engelking the publication’s first national HVAC/R Instructor of the Year.

    Read ACHR News story
    Updated photo · same award
    Best HVAC Instructor of the Year award on the workbench with inset portrait of Ben Engelking
    Updated shot of the same award using the newest provided image.

  4. Expanded instructor roster

    Crawford Engelking, Troy Sprague, and David Benson joined the teaching staff, blending residential service depth with large-facility industrial experience.

    From the archive · 2010s
    Crawford Engelking instructing students at an HVAC electrical troubleshooting board in the Brier lab
    Crawford leading electrical board instruction as the next-generation instructor team expanded.

  5. Licensed, small, and bench-driven

    12 workbench stations, 24 students max, Pass / No Pass grading on hands-on tasks, licensed under Chapter 28C.10 RCW. It is the same format the school has used for 35+ years.

    Today · In the shop
    Current HVAC School class with students actively troubleshooting equipment at a workbench station
    A recent class running live-equipment bench work. The format hasn’t changed.
See awards & press highlights ↓
Awards, press & media

Decades in the trade press, and still on the mic.

A short sample of the recognition and media the school has picked up along the way. The full archive of scans, flyers, and press clippings lives on the legacy page.

Best HVAC Instructor of the Year award from 2000 staged on the HVAC School workbench
September 2000

Best HVAC Instructor in the USA

First national HVAC/R Instructor of the Year from ACHR News.

Front page of The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News dated March 18, 1996
March 18, 1996

Trade-press feature

Front-page coverage in ACHR News, one of several 1990s features on the program.

Period training flyer reading Air Conditioning - Refrigeration Hands-On Training with class schedule and the B.R. Engelking Co. phone number
Early years

“Hands-On Training” flyer

Original night-school flyer, same small-class and equipment-first pitch the school still runs on.

Featured on the HVACR Podcast

Ben Engelking on HVACR Podcast

A conversation on the HVACR podcast about equipment-first HVAC instruction, how the Brier shop runs, and where the trade is heading.

Watch on YouTube →
Questions about school history? Contact admissions →
Student questions

What people ask before they enroll.

Short answers to the things admissions hears most. Anything not covered here, call (425) 778-2510.

Is the training really hands-on?
Yes. Classes run on twelve workbench training stations in the Brier shop with real furnaces, heat pumps, controls, and refrigeration components. Students troubleshoot live equipment rather than sit through lectures, and class size is capped around 24 so every student gets bench time.
Do you prep EPA 608 certification here?
Yes. Headmaster Ben Engelking is a registered Ferris State / ESCO refrigerant-handling proctor, so EPA 608 prep and testing run on site in Brier. You take the exam in the same shop where you trained.
Who actually teaches the classes?
A small, field-seasoned staff led by two head instructors: Ben Engelking, P.E. (founder and lead instructor) and Crawford Engelking (AC / heat pump / mini-split technician). They are supported by three associate instructors: Troy Sprague (AC lead at Microsoft Redmond), David Benson (retired Boeing Facilities HVAC lead), and Liam Baxter (HVAC School graduate turned associate instructor). Full bios are higher up on this page.
Where is the school located?
HVAC School is at 23024 Brier Road, Brier, WA 98036, serving the greater Seattle metro. Phone (425) 778-2510.
What does a class cost and how do I enroll?
Pricing varies by program, from short EPA 608 seminars up to the 8-week ACHP flagship. Current pricing is on each course page and the enrollment page, and admissions can confirm seat availability by phone.
Is the school licensed in Washington?
Yes. HVAC School operates as a licensed private vocational school under Chapter 28C.10 RCW. Licensing questions may be directed to the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board in Olympia, WA: (360) 753-5673.

What to do next

Review enrollment requirements, fees, and tools, check the current class schedule, or read our school policies.

Next step

Train with instructors who know the field.

See upcoming classes or start your enrollment. Admissions can confirm seats by phone.

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Or call (425) 778-2510