BPI Heating study plan

Diagram the three heat-transfer modes (conduction, convection, radiation) and assign one labeled building-assembly example to each.

Calculate steady-state heat loss with Q = U x A x delta-T for a six-assembly takeoff (walls, ceiling, floor, windows, doors, slab) and show every unit conversion explicitly.

Sketch the house-as-a-system model, marking the thermal envelope, the pressure boundary, and the paths of air, vapor, and heat movement across both.

Explain how air leakage, vapor diffusion, and thermal bridging each produce condensation, then rank their winter condensation risk in a cold climate and justify the ranking.

Compare cavity insulation, continuous exterior insulation, and spray foam on rated R-value versus installed performance, and state where each is typically specified.

Match at least six common envelope and installation defects (top-plate gap, recessed light penetration, unsealed sill, duct run through an unconditioned attic, missing damper, undersized return) to the thermal or pressure symptom each produces.

Identify the manufacturer-published clearance and venting requirements that govern a furnace or boiler location before any hands-on inspection.

Sequence a complete visual inspection of a forced-air furnace and a hydronic boiler from approach to shutdown, naming what is verified at each stop.

Verify vent connector slope, Category I versus Category III/IV venting differences, and combustion-air provisions against stated installation-manual criteria.

Check gas supply piping for sizing, sediment trap orientation, union and shutoff placement, and leak-test method.

Distinguish a code-minimum requirement from a manufacturer requirement from a good-practice recommendation when they conflict, and state which governs.

Describe correct setup and instrument placement for static pressure, temperature rise, combustion analysis, and draft measurement, including where probes go and what invalidates a reading.

Compute airflow from measured temperature rise and from a fan-performance table, then reconcile the two results and explain any gap.

Interpret a set of readings against manufacturer nameplate and spec values and write a pass, marginal, or fail verdict with reasoning.

Identify the measurement errors that most often mislead a technician: radiant heat on a probe, wet coil, dirty filter, uncalibrated manometer, and non-steady-state operation.

Write the balanced combustion equation for natural gas and for propane, then compute stoichiometric air and excess air from a measured O2 or CO2 reading.

Sequence a worst-case combustion appliance zone depressurization test, naming the appliances to operate, the exhaust fans to run, and the acceptance thresholds to record.

Classify carbon monoxide readings by ambient, undiluted flue, and air-free value, and state what each number does and does not tell you.

Recognize spillage, flame roll-out, and flame-lifting indicators and describe the immediate safety response for each.

Identify the main indoor-air-quality contaminants from combustion and from building materials, and state the ventilation approach that addresses each.

Explain how a thermostat call for heat travels through the control board, inducer proving switch, ignition, flame sensing, and limit circuit, in the correct order.

Read a low-voltage wiring scheme (R, W, Y, G, C and heat-pump O/B) and predict the terminal voltages present during each operating mode.

Describe how limits, rollout switches, and pressure switches act as safety devices rather than operating controls, and what a repeated lockout implies.

Draft a findings narrative that separates observation, measurement, and recommendation into distinct sections.

Size branch ducts for each room from a given room load and an assigned friction rate, then sum the terminal flows back to the equipment airflow.

Explain how balancing dampers, zoning, and static-pressure limits interact once a system is commissioned, and predict the effect of closing registers.

Calculate delivered versus rated capacity using measured airflow and temperature rise, and express the shortfall as a percentage.

Assemble a documentation package that ties each measured value to the instrument used, its calibration status, and the date.

Re-derive the load, airflow, and combustion calculations from memory without notes and check each against the earlier worksheets.

Work a timed 60-question mixed set spanning all five domains and log every miss by domain and by error type (knowledge gap, misread, calculation slip).

Rewrite the three weakest topics into one-page summaries written as if teaching them to a new technician.

Rehearse the safety response sequence for CO, spillage, and gas odor so it can be stated without hesitation.