Particularly relevant to ‘newbies’ I should think but then even fully operating systems may benefit from their owners gaining more of an insight into how they work, what makes them work and how to make them work more efficiently and / or more quietly for instance. There must be lots of candidates out there gauging from the amount of presentations on YouTube. Regards, Toodles.

It may well be this is already your intention, @editor, but it feels to me as if each of the webinars could do with a fairly specific focus. The information needed by people doing their homework before a heat pump install is likely quite different from that needed by people who had a bad install and need to fix problems, and different yet again from people who already have a heat pump installed and want to optimise performance or integrate with other bits of kit.

My immediate reaction is that the webinars would be a great idea. However, I doubt I personally would join one, so it would be presumptuous of me to give a thumbs up on other people's behalf.

My first mistake, I realised at about 3.30am last night, is that I used a ridiculously dull word to describe what I want to do. So let's rephrase – these are Masterclasses. 

@majordennisbloodnok I appreciate your honest reply. I do, however, have a suspicion you probably will attend (at least one). Watch this space 🤣 

@toodles I have access to a lot of really interesting people and have been looking for a recording platform that would allow me to do what I always envisaged doing, and recently found it.  

Posted by: @editor

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these are Masterclasses

On what particular subject (s)?

Same old subjects come up on forums - this and others

Cycling - when is it ok, how many times an hour - when is not ok, how to best control it or work with the issue.

I've loads of zone and setbacks, third party controls - why it costing so much to heat my house, help

Hydraulic separation or not - how to do it well and when is it needed or not needed

@johnmo we’ll definitely hit some of the usual subjects, but also try to deal with individual cases and give specific advice which is often difficult to do in writing. I’ve also got some other ideas for conversations that should prove interesting and I’m lining up some great guests.

Great idea but I agree that they should ideally be topic focussed.  Perhaps a slew of installers should be invited, they might learn a thing or too. 

I'm looking forward to them already.

I’m going to start with a topic on buffer tanks and hydraulic separation. I’ve been at hard work getting the tech sorted out, and lining up suitable guests. 

I have a million consumer/homeowner questions… but feel free to add your questions below that I will out to the panel.

Posted by: @editor

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but feel free to add your questions below

Some of these you may already have

When to hydraulically separate and why?

Hydraulic separation, what cost in efficiency - leading to the next question 

Different ways of hydraulic separation, advantages and disadvantages PHE, 2, 3 or 4 port buffer or low loss header (LLH) or even a close coupled tee (CCT) and volumiser.

Any design and operating issues that effect efficiency of the heat pump when hydraulically separated?

@johnmo Is a 2 port buffer hydraulic separation?

Posted by: @jamespa

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@johnmo Is a 2 port buffer hydraulic separation?

It can be configured two ways

Hydraulic separation - by having oversized tees at the two ports. A pump on the secondary circuit, I think you set to constant pressure. So as zones close off the pump slows down, excess flow only goes through the buffer. Ashp control is via a thermostat on the buffer, the ashp only switches off once the buffer is satisfied. Secondary pump controlled by room thermostat(s). Buffer is kept hot during heating season, heating system gets hot water on demand.

Not hydraulically separate. Equal sized tees used, buffer is situated after diverter valve and after the last time in to return across flow and return, similar to a radiator. You have to be careful setting up as all flow can easily just go through the buffer (Kensa state this as their preferred method).

Fair enough, we need diagrams for the masterclass otherwise confusion will reign!