Joey Henderson, a member of the iConnect Training tech team, discusses the various lessons instructors can teach their students using the TU-701 Residential Table Top Heat Pump Training Unit.
(You can watch the video of this lesson on YouTube)
Lesson #1: The Components of a Heat Pump Training Unit
First, he suggests walking students through the unit and all of its components including:
- Hermetic compressor
- Accumulator
- Installed gauges to see operating pressure
- Reversing valve
- Liquid line filter-drier
- Capillary tubes for each coil with the check valve in place
- Heat coils show how to reverse flow of refrigerant through the system
- Clear sight glasses to see the condition of refrigerant as it flows through
Let the students get a good visual of the refrigeration cycle’s four basic components and how refrigerant flows throughout the system, referencing the heat pump training diagram located on the unit itself.
Lesson #2: Flow of Refrigerant
To simulate the flow of refrigerant, turn on the unit using the power switch and look through the sight glass to see the flow of refrigerant immediately. This gives students a perfect visual of the refrigerant’s condition in the system. They’ll even see it in the traditional sight glasses as it fills up as well as the drain pan catching any condensate.
Students can actually feel the air as it changes temperature. Hot air is being rejected off the condenser and the cold air is being blown off the evaporator coil. Next, students should actually check out the reversing valve and line temperatures.
Lesson #3: Reverse Flow of Refrigerant in Real-Time
Do students know what will happen when the refrigerant reverse flows through the system? Ask them, let them guess and share their thoughts. Then, flip the switch to immediately start seeing the refrigerant cycle reverse. Students can actually hear the reversal valve shift, see the transition of the refrigerant flowing through the tubes and feel the difference.
Lesson #4: Hands-On
A more hands-on lesson lets students check voltages on the solenoid itself and all the line temperatures as they change. Continue to walk them through the entire refrigerant cycle stopping throughout to ask questions like determining which line is which by feeling the temperatures on the lines themselves.
Lesson #5: Troubleshooting
Simulate a blockage by putting a piece of paper on the back which will block the airflow coming off the coils. Students can watch it slowly change the air flow and affect the pressures on the system. This is a great scenario that would be useful when out in the field.
Lesson #6: Customized Training
Instructors and students have access to the system including suction access port and discharge line access port. This allows them to actually get into the system and add more training to it.
At the end of the day, the only limitation with the TU-701 Table Top Heat Pump Training Unit is an instructor’s imagination.
Request a Quote for the TU-701 Table Top Heat Pump Training Unit
Want to give students hands-on experience with the refrigeration cycle in a heat pump? Give us a call today at 716-699-2031 or request a quote https://iconnecttraining.com/contact/.