Heat Pump Journey

The physics behind the machine. The refrigerant cycle in depth, every key component, refrigerant properties, and the efficiency metrics you meet daily — COP, SCOP, EER, SEER, SPF. Plus F-Gas regulation and how heat pumps compare with gas on cost and emissions.

The full design process: fabric, ventilation and infiltration losses; selecting the right size accounting for modulation and part-load; pipe sizing and pressure drop; and sizing radiators, underfloor heating, fan-coils and domestic hot water. By the end you can produce a complete design from scratch and defend it technically.

Most heat pump problems are not refrigerant problems — they are hydronic problems. Pump curves, pump sizing in single, parallel and series, Kv-values and valve sizing, system water volume, and the most misunderstood topics in the industry: hydraulic separation, buffer tanks, volumisers and expansion vessels.

A well-designed system can still fail if installation and commissioning are done badly. Site assessment, outdoor unit positioning, safe electrical connection, water quality and control wiring — then a detailed commissioning section covering filling and venting, flow rate setting, weather compensation, DHW configuration and backup heater logic.

A structured diagnostic method: whole-system analysis, reading monitoring data, identifying hydronic issues, and working through the most common real-world scenarios. The service section covers a complete annual checklist — electrical, refrigerant, mechanical, outdoor unit, indoor components and performance logging.

Where theory meets reality. Follow one complete project from initial design through indoor and outdoor installation, commissioning, balancing and final monitoring. It ties together everything from the previous five courses and shows how each step connects on a real site.