Handover settings and user controls

What a heat-pump owner should be shown, which settings should be recorded and which controls should remain installer-managed.

A heat-pump handover is complete when the owner can recognise normal operation, use everyday controls safely, identify a fault and find the design and support records. A quick tour of the app is not enough.

The system should also retain a reproducible record of its commissioned settings. If an update, service visit or accidental reset changes them, the working configuration must be recoverable without guesswork.

Owner and installer controls have different jobs

Everyday controls commonly include:

room-temperature target
heating and hot-water schedules
temporary comfort override
one-off hot-water boost
holiday mode
acknowledgement of ordinary notifications

Installer settings can affect equipment limits, hydraulic safety and the design performance. They may include the weather curve, maximum flow temperature, pump control, backup-heater enable conditions, defrost-related parameters, minimum run behaviour and sensor configuration.

The owner should know what these settings do, but should not be expected to tune hidden service values. Access protection is not a substitute for recording the commissioned values.

Demonstrate the real operating sequence

The handover demonstrates the working system rather than only naming menus. Where fitted, it covers:

starting and stopping space heating
changing a normal room target
the weather or load-compensation control
a domestic hot-water call and return to heating
schedules and temporary overrides
boost, holiday and frost-protection modes
how backup or immersion operation is indicated
a safe user reset and when not to reset
fault history, alarm contact and emergency isolation
energy and heat-meter displays

Explain what normal defrost, pump overrun and hot-water priority look and sound like. This reduces unnecessary call-outs without training the owner to dismiss persistent faults.

The owner should also know which isolators must normally remain energised. Switching off a monobloc system can disable pumps, trace heating or other freeze protection.

Record the commissioned settings

A useful settings schedule captures the value and meaning of:

heating-curve endpoints, slope or curve number
design outdoor and flow temperatures
room target, setback and room influence
warm-weather cut-off
zone, thermostat and valve logic
domestic hot-water target, hysteresis and schedule
bacterial-growth control and its heat source
maximum flow temperature
supplementary-heater thresholds and permissions
pump mode, minimum flow and any bypass or buffer arrangement
date, time, location and sensor offsets

Use the manufacturer’s exact parameter names and units. Photographs or controller exports are useful, but a handwritten screenshot with no explanation is hard to interpret later.

Keep a clean baseline and record subsequent changes with date and reason. A setting should not be described as a universal “best” value when it came from this building’s design.

The handover document pack

The exact documents depend on the installation, location and contract. A complete project file should contain, where applicable:

room-by-room heat-loss calculation
emitter schedule and design flow temperature
selected heat-pump duty and performance estimate
system and control schematics
equipment model and serial numbers
commissioning results, flow rates and electrical tests
product instructions and data sheets
MCS certificate and installer details
electrical, Building Regulations and planning records
DNO notification or connection correspondence
guarantees, warranties and registration evidence
maintenance requirements and service record
water-treatment, antifreeze and refrigerant information
domestic hot-water and bacterial-control design

Documents should identify the installed equipment, not a generic range. The owner should retain them for the life of the system and pass them to a future owner.

As at 22 July 2026, the MCS Customer Commitment expects the customer to receive the relevant documentation and to follow the maintenance and support information provided at handover. MIS 3005-D and MIS 3005-I divide design, installation, commissioning and documentation duties between the certified contractors involved. The contracting arrangement should still give the customer a clear point of responsibility.

Local controls, apps and accounts

Cloud access is useful but should not be the only way to heat the building safely. Demonstrate the essential local controls and what remains possible during an internet or service outage.

Before handover:

place the system account in the customer’s name or agreed control
remove temporary installer or previous-owner access that is no longer needed
record who can change remote settings
enable appropriate account security
confirm notification email and telephone details
explain data sharing and monitoring consent
test any energy-data export the customer has been promised

An installer may need continuing diagnostic access, but that should be transparent. A shared personal password is poor account management.

If ownership changes, transfer the cloud account, local administrator access, warranty records and historical data where the service permits. A factory reset should not be the first option because it can erase commissioned settings.

Explain backup and emergency operation

The owner needs a clear distinction between:

automatic supplementary heat used by the control design
immersion heat used for hot-water hygiene
emergency heat used after a heat-pump fault
a manual hot-water boost

Each can use direct electricity, but their purposes are different. Show how the controller indicates them and whether an override expires.

Emergency instructions should identify water leaks, burning smells, electrical damage, refrigerant alarms where relevant and loss of heat in freezing conditions. They should state which isolation actions are safe and who to contact. The owner should not remove covers or repeatedly reset a protective device.

Maintenance and support

State the manufacturer’s service interval, warranty conditions and competent-person requirements. Provide contact routes for:

installation defects
routine service
product warranty
control or app support
electrical or refrigerant emergencies

Explain the safe visual checks the owner can make, including outdoor airflow, condensate drainage, visible pressure, fault messages and obvious leaks. Separate them from tasks such as opening strainers, checking refrigerant or working inside electrical enclosures.

Test the owner’s understanding

A good handover lets the owner perform a few ordinary tasks while the installer observes. Ask them to set a temporary temperature, find the hot-water schedule, identify backup operation and locate the fault contact.

Correct misunderstandings and record any accessibility needs. Controls may require larger text, a physical alternative to an app or instructions for another household member.

Leave a concise quick-reference sheet alongside the full manuals. It should describe this installation and point to the formal records rather than replacing them.

After the first heating period

Seasonal commissioning may reveal a curve, balance or schedule adjustment that could not be proven in mild weather. Agree how the customer can report evidence and who is authorised to change settings.

Any return visit should update the settings record. The final outcome is a comfortable system with an explainable configuration, not a sequence of undocumented tweaks.