Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling
This online engineering PDH course provides fundamental knowledge of heat pumps so that you can make more informed decisions in choosing the correct system. The course covers the fundamentals, components, applications, installation of air source and geothermal heat pumps. Prior knowledge and a basic background in refrigeration and air conditioning will be helpful.
A heat pump is an electric device, which extracts heat from the air, ground or water and transfers it into the building. It is one of the most effective ways of heating water and indoor air while at the same time providing cooling (e.g. air conditioning), making them ideal for use in places where both air conditioning and heating are required.
A heat pump uses the principles of vapor compression refrigeration cycle to transfer heat from one place to another exactly in the same way as an air conditioner does. The beauty of these pumps is that they use the same refrigeration cycle for heating and cooling. Using a reversing valve, they change the coil serving as the condenser and the one serving as the evaporator. In cooler climates, people often purchase these pumps for use only as heaters. These units draw the heat from the ground or air and are often used commercially to heat offices and large apartment communities.
Their reputation started to grow since 2008, when heat pump sales in the United States and the Scandinavian countries have risen 40%. In some European countries heat pumps have already taken a significant proportion of the market for heating appliances and this is likely to be a long-term trend.
This 6 PDH online course is intended primarily for mechanical interested in gaining an understanding of heat pump application for heating and cooling.
This P.Eng. continuing education course is intended to provide you with the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Understanding the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioning unit
- Understanding the basic principles of refrigeration and the heat pump cycle
- Learning about the operation of the heat pump reversing valve
- Identifying the reversed cycle in the heating mode and cooling mode
- Learning about the various types and classifications of heat pump systems
- Learning about air source heat pump in space heating and water heating applications
- Understanding the principles of geothermal heat pumps including ground source and water source applications
- Learning about the thermal balance point and knowing when to apply auxiliary heat and defrost
- Learning about the principal parts, components, controls and accessories of heat pumps
In this professional engineering CEU course, you need to review the course document titled, “Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling”.
Once you complete your course review, you need to take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of thirty (30) questions to earn 6 PDH credits. The quiz will be based on this course document.
Upon successful completion of the quiz, print your Certificate of Completion instantly. (Note: if you are paying by check or money order, you will be able to print it after we receive your payment.) For your convenience, we will also email it to you. Please note that you can log in to your account at any time to access and print your Certificate of Completion.