Redesigned Website Makes It Easier to Access Continuing Professional Education
A newly redesigned website is going to make it easier for pump professionals to keep their skills up to date, earn Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits, and master new topics. Developed by Hydraulic Institute’s educational foundation, Pump Systems Matters (PSM), the website offers everything from introductory classes for newbies to in-depth focused webinars, e-learning courses, and preparation for Pump System Assessment Professional (PSAP) certification.
A newly redesigned website is going to make it easier for pump professionals to keep their skills up to date, earn Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits, and master new topics. Developed by Hydraulic Institute’s educational foundation, Pump Systems Matters (PSM), the website offers everything from introductory classes for newbies to in-depth focused webinars, e-learning courses, and preparation for Pump System Assessment Professional (PSAP) certification.
The new update makes PSM’s offering easier to access, so professionals can quickly find the courses that fit their needs and time frame. To give you a leg up, here is a brief list of what is available:
Basic training. This is a series of courses that teach industry newbies about pump systems. These videos and white papers focus on how different types of pumps, systems, and components impact system reliability and energy efficiency. Basic training courses are free to Hydraulic Institute members and partner organizations. Other organizations can subscribe to provide a base pump system training resource for their employees.
Live courses. While live training courses have taken a hit during the pandemic, there is nothing more interactive than having an expert teach you. Live courses remain an important way to learn a lot in a short period of time—and earn PDHs while doing it. Pump Systems Matter provides a full-day course on pump system fundamentals, which covers such things as pump fundamentals, pump and system curves, proper operation, how to vary the operating point, energy consumption, and the interaction of motors and variable frequency drives (VFDs). Another day-long course covers pump system optimization and assessment, while a third course prepares professionals to take the PSAP certification exam. Look for new day-long courses in 2022, including pump system optimization for commercial buildings and motor and variable frequency drive principles and interaction.
Live webinars. Live webinars take a deep dive into specific pump or system-related topics. Recent webinars have ranged from pump piping and pump power and efficiency calculations to electric motors and the fundamentals of expansion joints. Most live webinars last an hour (though some may include two or more individual sessions) and usually take place around lunch time. Professionals can earn one PDH per hour if they pass the course assessment.
On-demand webinars. These are webinars that engineers and technicians can take when they have free time. Like the live webinars, the on-demand courses last one hour. There are also some multisession courses on more complex subjects, like variable frequency drives (three hours) and variable speed pumping (four hours). Like the live webinars, on-demand webinars provide one PDH per hour session.
Free webinars. Webinars that cover regulatory issues or services offered by the Hydraulics Institute are available free of charge. These live and on-demand webinars are a great way to learn about standards, new energy efficiency regulations, energy ratings, utility incentive programs, and more.
E-learning courses. These are self-paced courses that professionals can squeeze in when they have free time. Like all interactive courses, they break their subject down into modules that students must master (by taking an assessment) before moving onto the next section. Topics include rotodynamic (centrifugal) pumps, positive displacement pumps, and pump system assessments. The courses are more introductory than instructor-led webinars on the same topic, and their interactive structure lets students move at their own pace. Students can earn five to eight PDHs, depending on the course.
Guidebooks. For those who prefer book learning, Hydraulic Institute reference books cover topics as diverse as lifecycle cost analysis, commercial building services, drivers for electric motors, variable speed pumping, and pump system optimization. The books do not offer assessments or PDH credits, but they do make excellent references that should be on every professional’s shelf.
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