A day in the life with our Heat Pump Engineer, Paul Bailey
We’re stepping into the shoes of Paul Bailey, a heat pump engineer at Baxi, to discover what a day in his life looks like, from when his alarm goes off at 6:30am in Doncaster to the last thing he does at night.
Paul’s day is filled with the intricacies of heat pump commissioning. This task involves ensuring each installation is up to scratch according to the manufacturer’s instructions and optimised for the system’s design and customer needs.
Through Paul’s eyes, we delve into the technical, challenging, and rewarding aspects of working with renewable heating systems, from troubleshooting common faults to the satisfaction of educating customers and installers alike on the benefits of efficient heat emitters.
It’s a glimpse into the world of renewable energy through the lens of those helping to shape a more sustainable future, one heat pump at a time.
My alarm goes off at…
6:30am every morning. The first thing I do is put my contact lenses in, and then I make a cup of tea.
My typical day…
My typical day working on heat pumps would probably be a commissioning job which, depending on location, could fill my whole day, including the travel.
When commissioning, my main objectives are to ensure the installation meets our manufacturer’s instructions and to optimise the settings to complement the system design and customer requirements.
ASHPs are usually very reliable appliances, so when something goes wrong or doesn’t perform as expected, it’s usually due to an issue with the wider system.
The most common faults tend to be down to system design, installation, or incorrect settings, which is forgivable when the product remains relatively new to many. This is one of the reasons we offer an assisted commission on the first installation to ensure that any errors are caught and corrected. It’s also an opportunity to educate customers on heat pump operation so that they receive all the benefits of an effective renewable heating system.
As part of the commissioning process, I like to walk through the installation with the installer. We work using a checklist to ensure every installation is of a standard and quality that we can all be happy with. The checklist follows a full start-to-finish format. At the beginning, we’d be looking for things like a solid base, condensate drainage, minimum clearances around the appliance and ending with scheduling domestic hot water times and temperatures for the customer. Issues identified during the commissioning can usually be rectified as we go along and tend to stick as a good reminder for future projects.
The best part of my job…
Has got to be meeting installers and talking about their latest renewable projects. This could be their first or just the latest of many installations. As all are slightly different in execution, no two jobs are ever quite the same. Because of these intricacies, these conversations usually end up being the most interesting and informative, certainly for me.
Another aspect of my role involves talking with the end-user and listening to the different reasons they’ve chosen a renewable energy solution. This conversation often includes my electric van, which they’ve spotted, and they seem pleased that we’re also being energy conscious with the vehicles we use.
My most memorable work moment…
A recent commissioning job was pretty memorable. The customer had just had a pavilion built in his back garden, nicely positioned between the tennis courts and swimming pool.
With the property being off-grid and having a large freestanding PV array at the bottom of the garden, it made sense to use a heat pump to do the heating load. It was also minus 1°C outside, so I guess that’s another reason I remember it!
The most challenging part of my job…
Has got to be educating people on the benefits of more efficient heat emitters, designed at lower flow temperatures. Building Regulations stipulate that a wet heating system should be sized for a maximum flow temperature of 55°C or lower.
However, when installing heat pumps, a reduced flow temperature of 45°C or even 35°C maximises the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP).
For example, on a Baxi ASHP 7kW, if we drop our design temperature from 55°C to 45°C, the SCOP improves from 3.23 to 4.11, with an increased efficiency uplift to 5.03 if the design temperature is lowered to 35°C.
I relax after work by…
Walking and cycling, which fills a lot of my spare time. Over the summer, I hope to do Hadrian’s Wall as a 4- or 5-day trek, so training for that is underway.
The last thing I do each day is…
I have a final cup of tea, check my van’s charging, and take out my contact lenses.