An air source heat pump commissioning record has to survive an MCS audit, a Boiler Upgrade Scheme claim and a homeowner whose bills depend on the system running as designed. It ties the heat loss design, the flow temperatures, the system balancing and the controls setup into a handover pack. So the real question about commissioning software is not which app has the most features. It is which tool gets the checklist written while the installer is still on site with the system running.
Guide · Renewables
Air source heat pump commissioning checklist software, UK.
A practical guide to capturing ASHP commissioning and handover on site, from paper packs and generic audit apps to a WhatsApp workflow your installers already know. Built around MCS 020, the installation standards and Boiler Upgrade Scheme evidence.
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The point
Software does not make an install MCS compliant.
The MCS-certified installer does. Software makes the commissioning checklist easier to complete correctly on site, harder to forget a flow temperature or a design figure, and faster to turn into a handover pack. A good tool means nobody rebuilds the commissioning data from memory in the van on the way home.
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The friction
Most commissioning apps never get used on site.
An installer balancing an emitter circuit is not opening a bespoke app with a fresh login to log flow temperatures. They use it for a week, then quietly go back to paper and fill it in later. The commissioning record you complete at the point of test beats the one you rebuild that evening, every time.
Run commissioning on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Installers use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or photo. The handover report generates itself. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- An MCS air source heat pump install must meet the MCS installation standards and the relevant product standard, with design and commissioning to those requirements.
- MCS 020 covers the noise assessment for the outdoor unit siting, part of the design evidence.
- Commissioning captures the heat loss design assumptions, flow and return temperatures, system balancing, refrigerant and electrical checks, and the controls and weather compensation setup.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants in England and Wales rely on an MCS-certified install and its evidence.
- Software captures the checklist and generates the report. It does not replace MCS certification, a competent installer, or the required test instruments and F-Gas handling.
The point
What heat pump commissioning software is actually for
An air source heat pump installed under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme must meet the MCS installation standards and the associated product and design requirements. The design has to be right first: a room-by-room heat loss calculation, emitters sized for a low flow temperature, and the outdoor unit sited and noise-assessed under MCS 020. Commissioning then confirms the installed system matches the design and runs efficiently.
Software does not make any of that valid. The MCS-certified installer does, working to the standards. What software does is make the commissioning checklist easier to complete correctly on site, harder to forget a flow temperature or a design figure, and faster to deliver as a clean handover pack. The tool's only job is to make on-site completion the path of least resistance.
Design first
Heat loss, flow temperature and MCS 020
A heat pump only performs if the design is right. The record should carry the heat loss calculation basis, the design flow temperature the emitters were sized for, and the outdoor unit siting with its MCS 020 noise assessment. Getting the flow temperature low is what keeps the seasonal performance and the running cost sensible, so it is not a detail to reconstruct later.
Quickler prompts the installer to confirm the design assumptions and photograph the outdoor unit location, the emitters and the cylinder, at the point of install. It does not perform the heat loss calculation or the noise assessment for you; the competent designer does. Check the current MCS installation standards and MCS 020, as they change over time. This is guidance, not regulatory advice.
On site
The commissioning checks that go in the record
Commissioning an ASHP means recording the flow and return temperatures at the design condition, the system balancing across the emitter circuits, the primary flow rate and pump settings, the refrigerant circuit checks, the electrical connection and its protection, and the controls: weather compensation, room and cylinder set points, and any hot water and legionella cycle settings. It confirms the system heats as intended and the antifreeze and system water treatment are in place.
Quickler prompts for each of these as the installer works and attaches the readings and photos at the point of commissioning, not sorted out that evening. The office sees the commissioning status on a dashboard without chasing. It records the values the installer reads off their instruments; it is not the instrument, and refrigerant work still needs the appropriate F-Gas competence.
Handover
From the checklist to the BUS evidence pack
The homeowner should leave with a handover pack: the MCS certificate, the commissioning results, the heat loss and design summary, the controls guidance, the warranties and the maintenance schedule. Where the customer is claiming a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales, the claim relies on the MCS-certified install and its evidence, so the pack has to hold together.
Quickler pulls the commissioning checklist and photos into one report the moment the job is signed off, so the handover and any BUS evidence are not a week of chasing paperwork. It complements the MCS certificate; it does not replace it. For the electrical connection, see the EICR and electrical reporting guide. Check the current BUS rules before you rely on any template.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most commissioning and audit apps charge per seat. For a heat pump firm that is the wrong shape: the office manager who reads one commissioning report a month pays the same as the installer who files four a week, and every subcontractor you add costs more.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Add as many installers, subcontractors, managers and admins as you like; you pay for the reports you file, not the people who could file them. Pricing is approximate and shifts, so check the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
What is an air source heat pump commissioning checklist?
It is the record made when an ASHP is commissioned: the design flow temperature and heat loss basis, the flow and return temperatures achieved, the system balancing, the refrigerant and electrical checks, and the controls and weather compensation setup, with photos of the outdoor unit, emitters and cylinder. It forms part of the handover pack alongside the MCS certificate.
What is MCS 020?
MCS 020 is the MCS planning standard for the noise assessment of air source heat pumps, used to check that the outdoor unit siting meets the permitted development noise conditions. It is part of the design evidence for an MCS install. Check the current version of MCS 020, as it is revised over time.
Does a heat pump install need to be MCS certified?
MCS is not compulsory for every install, but a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales relies on an MCS-certified installation, and most homeowners expect one. An MCS install must meet the MCS installation standards and the associated design and product requirements. Check the current MCS scheme and BUS rules, as they change.
Can I run heat pump commissioning over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's commissioning workflow runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The installer receives each question in their existing WhatsApp chat, replies with the reading, a voice note or a photo, and the handover report generates automatically. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf. It records the values the installer reads off their instruments; it is not the instrument, and refrigerant work still needs the appropriate F-Gas competence.