Role

Heat Pump Installer Specialist

Cross-trained plumber or HVAC tech focused on residential heat pump retrofits.

11 chaptersAbout 4–5 months15–30 min a day12 skills2 projects
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Chapter 1 is free. No card needed.

Day 1 on the Heat Pump Installer Specialist path.

What a Heat Pump Installer Specialist does

Install air-source and ground-source heat pumps in homes and small commercial buildings so they heat efficiently with electricity instead of gas or oil. Demand is rising fast as governments fund boiler replacement programs to cut emissions.

  • Survey homes and run heat-loss calculations to size the right heat pump
  • Check radiators and pipes, and choose the right size of new emitters (radiators or underfloor heating)
  • Remove old gas or oil boilers and fit the outdoor and indoor units
  • Connect refrigerant lines, water pipes, hot water cylinders, and electrical supply
  • Start up and test systems (commissioning): set flow temperatures, test pressures, and tune controls
  • Handle refrigerants safely under F-gas rules (laws covering fluorinated gases)
  • Complete certification paperwork so customers qualify for government grants
  • Explain running costs, controls, and care tips to homeowners

A day in the life

  1. Review the job pack, heat-loss survey, and parts list before driving out
  2. Position the outdoor unit, mount brackets, and run pipework into the house
  3. Fit the hot water cylinder, wire the controls, and pressure test the system
  4. Remove air from the refrigerant pipes and fill them with refrigerant, then start up and check performance
  5. Walk the homeowner through the controls and log commissioning readings
  6. Update job records and order parts for the next installation

Tools you will use

Hand tools: pipe wrenches, tubing cutters, torque wrenchesRefrigerant tools: manifold gauges, vacuum pump, recovery machine, leak detectorPipe joining: press-fit tools, brazing torch, crimp toolsTest meters: multimeter, clamp meter, pressure gaugeSurvey tools: heat-loss calculation software, laser measure, thermal cameraCommissioning: flow meters, temperature probes, manufacturer setup appsDocumentation: commissioning sheets, certification scheme forms

Your plan

Chapter by chapter.

1~2 wks

See the work of a Heat pump installer specialist

StartFree
2~2 wks

Installation Craft & Tools

Skills
3~2 wks

Whole-home heating survey with heat pump sizing proposal

Proof
4~2 wks

System Design & Compliance

Skills
51–2 wks

Meet people doing the work

People
6~2 wks

Problem Solving & Adaptability

Skills
7~2 wks

Communication & Customer Work

Skills
8~2 wks

Home plumbing system map with shutoff valve audit

Proof
91–2 wks

Prepare for Heat pump installer specialist interviews

Interview
101–2 wks

Choose your route into Heat pump installer specialist work

Decide
11on your timeline

Apply for Heat pump installer specialist roles

Apply

By the last chapter

This is what you can show.

Things you've made

Whole-home heating survey with heat pump sizing proposal and Home plumbing system map with shutoff valve audit

Skills you can prove

12 skills, each rated on work you actually did.

People you've talked to

3 people who do the job, with a message ready for each.

Questions you can answer

17 interview questions and a mock interview, with feedback.

Credentials

7 credentials compared, so you can pick one, or decide you don't need one.

Ways in

There is more than one route.

Ways to study

  • Plumbing, heating, or HVAC apprenticeship, then a short heat pump course
  • Vocational or technical school diploma in heating and ventilation
  • Manufacturer training programs on specific heat pump models
  • Refrigerant handling certification (called F-gas in the UK and EU)
  • Installer certification scheme training, such as MCS (a UK quality scheme for renewable installs)

How people get their first job

  • Start as a plumbing or HVAC apprentice and learn pipework and wiring basics
  • Work as an installer's mate on heat pump jobs to learn the full process
  • Take a short low-carbon heating course offered by colleges or manufacturers
  • Earn a refrigerant handling certificate to legally work on sealed systems
  • Build a portfolio with heat-loss calculations and photos of practice pipework

Life skills on this path: Networking · Job interviews · Job search

How the work is changing

What AI is doing to this role

How AI is changing this role · one of 6 tasks we track

Survey homes and size the heat pump

Sped up a lot

What AI does

Heat-loss software turns measurements into room-by-room sizing in minutes.

Still yours

You measure the house and catch what the software cannot see.

Reviewed September 2026

In the app · Premium

The rest is in the app

  • How AI affects the other 5 tasks
  • Whether this job is growing or shrinking
  • How hard the first job is to get
  • Similar roles that are easier to get into
  • Updated every month, with sources
See it in the app →

How we rate a job →

Already working

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Plan your move to Heat Pump Installer: 9 chapters that end with a strong case for your next review.

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Questions

Questions about this path

How long does it take to become a heat pump installer specialist with Welica?

The path is 11 chapters, 4–5 months at 15 to 30 minutes a day. You can go faster or slower; the plan moves with you.

Do I need a degree?

Not always. Common routes are plumbing, heating, or HVAC apprenticeship, then a short heat pump course, vocational or technical school diploma in heating and ventilation, manufacturer training programs on specific heat pump models, refrigerant handling certification (called F-gas in the UK and EU), or installer certification scheme training, such as MCS (a UK quality scheme for renewable installs).

What is free?

Chapter 1, See the work of a Heat pump installer specialist, is free for good. Premium unlocks the rest of the path.

Start the Heat Pump Installer Specialist path.

Chapter 1 free. About 15 to 30 minutes a day.

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