Jobs › 3M

Maintenance HVAC Technician

3M · Prairie du Chien, WI · $30.64–$36.62 an hour · Full time

Posted Sep 15, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time a temperature or humidity problem affected work in a building. How did you fix it?

What they are checking: Whether they can trace a comfort or process complaint back to its mechanical cause.

Tell me about a repair that took you longer than expected. What slowed you down?

What they are checking: Whether they reflect honestly and plan better for parts, tools and access next time.

How do you work with mechanical and electrical techs when an HVAC problem crosses trades?

What they are checking: Whether they collaborate across crafts to solve problems faster.

What would you do

A production area loses cooling in the middle of summer. How do you decide what to do first?

What they are checking: Whether they stabilize the situation, communicate impact and then find the root cause.

How do you stay safe working on condensers and evaporators at height or on rooftops?

What they are checking: Whether they use fall protection and plan rooftop work instead of taking shortcuts.

About the work

Tell me about the HVAC equipment you've maintained. Have you worked on centrifugal and reciprocating chillers, heat exchangers and steam traps?

What they are checking: Whether their experience matches industrial HVAC rather than only residential units.

How do you test whether a steam trap is working, and what happens if it fails open or closed?

What they are checking: Whether they understand steam trap diagnosis and the energy and equipment costs of failures.

A refrigeration system has high head pressure. Walk me through your troubleshooting.

What they are checking: Whether they consider condenser fouling, airflow, overcharge and non-condensables systematically.

Do you hold EPA refrigerant certification, and how do you handle refrigerant recovery on the job?

What they are checking: Whether they follow refrigerant handling rules that carry legal and environmental consequences.

How do you plan preventive maintenance on HVAC equipment that supports production areas?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that HVAC failures can affect product quality and plan PMs around that.

How do you clean and maintain a heat exchanger to keep efficiency up?

What they are checking: Whether they understand fouling, scaling and the impact on system performance.

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The full job description

As published by 3M.

Job Description: Plant Engineering HVAC Technician Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers. This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. The Impact You’ll Make in this Role As an HVAC Technician in our Plant Engineering department, you will be maintaining HVAC equipment and facilities through quality workmanship, performed in a safe, timely and effective manner under the current policies and guidelines of 3M Prairie du Chien. This position will work an 8 hr day shift schedule. As an HVAC Technician, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. Here, you will make an impact by: • Performing preventive and repair-type maintenance on HVAC and support equipment including but not limited to pumps steam traps, heat exchangers, refrigeration systems, compressors, condensers, evaporators, centrifugal and reciprocation water chillers, cooling towers, water treatments, air handling units humidifiers, heating and cooling coils, compressed Air Dryers. • Working with pneumatic, electric and direct digital controls (DDC) associated with HVAC equipment (Automated Logic System). • Handling a variety of refrigerants and obtaining the necessary state and federal certifications to handle CFC refrigerants. • This position can require working: Overtime, Weekend work, Holidays, short notice shift coverage as needed. Your Skills and Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications: Applicants must be 18 years of age or older to be considered for this 3M Production role, in compliance with U.S. labor and safety laws. • Must possess a High School Diploma/GED or higher (completed and verified prior to start) • Currently possess or in the last seven (7) months of obtaining a technical degree in an HVACR field or a minimum of five (5) years of industrial maintenance experience as an HVACR / Facility equipment technician Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include: • Possess an Associate’s degree in a technical discipline AND a minimum of three (3) to four (4) years HVACR industrial experience • Strong communication and interpersonal skills to interact with people at all levels of the organization • Experience working with Windows-based computer systems • Experience with Facility controls systems or Building Management systems • Possession of a Universal EPA 608 Certification Pay & Benefits: • The starting rate of pay for this position is $30.64 - $36.62/hour . This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences, and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/ Travel: May include up to [5%][domestic/international] Relocation Assistance: May be authorized Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status). Supporting Your Well-being 3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope. Chat with Max For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting assistant on 3M.com/careers. #INDPROD Applicable to US Applicants Only:The starting rate of pay for this position is $30.64, with the potential to reach $33.64 . This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/. All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M. Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties. Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement. Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/ 3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly. 3M Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at 3M are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms. Please click on the following links and select the country where you are applying for employment to review the applicable Terms of Use (link here) and Privacy Policy (link here) . Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.

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