Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
10/31/2026
Start Date
2 months
Duration
100
Total Hours
6 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
ICTESS’s Pressure Booster Systems and Variable Frequency Drives Training Course provides specialized technical training in the design, selection, and maintenance of pumping systems for plumbing and domestic hot water (DHW) installations. The program covers applied hydraulics fundamentals, how variable frequency drives (VFDs) work, and professional pressure booster system sizing techniques.
You’ll learn to read pump-system curves, calculate the optimal operating point, select equipment based on NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) criteria, configure soft starters and VFDs to optimize energy use, and size auxiliary components such as pressure switches and expansion tanks. The course includes a Capstone Project where you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to the complete design of a pressure booster system for a real installation.
The Pressure Booster Systems and Variable Frequency Drives Training Course addresses the plumbing industry’s need for technicians capable of designing and maintaining efficient pumping systems. Modern installations demand professionals who can handle both hydraulic calculations and electronic control technologies, along with energy-saving strategies for pressure booster systems in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
The purpose of the course is to train professionals to analyze an installation’s pressure and flow requirements, select the right pumps while checking for cavitation risk, configure control systems using variable frequency drives, and design installations that meet applicable code while maintaining constant pressure with the lowest possible energy consumption.
The course includes hands-on work with manufacturer selection tools such as Grundfos Product Center, Wilo Select, and KSB EasySelect, and concludes with a Capstone Project where you’ll develop the complete design of a pressure booster system, applying every competency gained in the technical modules.
The program prepares you to manage complete pressure booster system projects: calculating head losses, sizing pumps based on flow demand and total dynamic head, verifying available and required NPSH, configuring variable frequency drives (VFDs) for constant-pressure control, and programming rotation and standby strategies for multi-pump systems.
You’ll also gain skills to diagnose common pump system failures, propose energy efficiency improvements for existing installations, and advise on power electronics and speed-control solutions for pumping applications. The program’s hands-on approach lets you apply your knowledge immediately to real-world projects.
Study from anywhere, with no commuting required. Balance your technical specialization with your current professional career.
Organize your study schedule around your own availability. Move through the modules at the pace that works for you and revisit topics whenever you need to.
Learn to use Grundfos, Wilo, and KSB selection software, the same tools professionals use on real projects.
Technical video lessons, up-to-date downloadable materials, forums with specialized instructors, and hands-on exercises.
With ICTESS, you’ll receive specialized technical training focused on professional practice and built to help you master the competencies the plumbing and hydraulic installations field demands. Every program is developed by industry experts and delivers a modern, practical, and flexible learning experience aligned with current market requirements, using real tools from the industry. We’re committed to academic excellence, advanced educational technology, and consistent support that drives your professional growth.
What you'll achieve
Interpret pump and hydraulic system performance curves, determining the optimal operating point and analyzing how it shifts with changes in demand or configuration.
Select centrifugal pumps applying available and required NPSH criteria to prevent cavitation, factoring in suction conditions and equipment installation.
Configure soft starters and variable frequency drives for constant-pressure control, optimizing energy consumption and extending equipment service life.
Size auxiliary pressure booster system components: pressure switches, expansion tanks, check valves, and discharge manifolds, per applicable plumbing code and technical specifications.
Diagnose common pressure booster system failures through symptom analysis and pressure and flow readings, applying systematic preventive and corrective maintenance procedures.
The plumbing and hydraulic installations sector is undergoing a significant shift driven by energy efficiency requirements under applicable building codes and DOE motor efficiency standards. Traditional across-the-line pressure booster systems are being replaced by variable frequency drive (VFD) systems, which can cut energy consumption by as much as 50% in installations with variable demand.
Shortage of technicians specialized in electronic control: The job market faces a shortage of professionals who combine classic hydraulics knowledge with power electronics and VFD competencies. Many plumbing installers master traditional techniques but aren’t familiar with how modern control systems work and are configured, limiting their ability to work on current installations.
Increasingly demanding efficiency requirements: Building code updates and building energy certification requirements are pushing toward more efficient installations. Variable-speed pressure booster systems are already a common requirement on new construction projects, and retrofitting existing installations represents a growing market for specialized professionals.
A clear competitive edge over generalist installers: Specific training in pressure booster systems and VFDs sets you apart significantly in hiring processes and opens the door to higher-value technical services, both in installation and in specialized pumping system maintenance.
Completing the Pressure Booster Systems and Variable Frequency Drives Training Course positions you as a specialist in a high-demand technical area within the plumbing and building maintenance sector. Growing energy efficiency requirements for hydraulic installations are driving steady demand for technicians qualified in electronically controlled pumping systems.
A distinguishing technical specialization: You’ll master specific competencies many professionals in the field lack, such as NPSH calculations, VFD configuration, and pump-system curve analysis. This specialization sets you apart in a market full of generalist installers but short on technicians with advanced hydraulics knowledge.
Stronger problem-solving skills: You’ll gain a systematic methodology for diagnosing and resolving pressure booster system failures, cutting response times and boosting customer satisfaction. The ability to quickly identify the cause of a malfunction is highly valued by maintenance companies.
Access to larger-scale projects: Knowledge of VFDs and control systems lets you take part in more technically complex commercial and industrial installations, with bigger budgets and greater professional responsibility than basic residential work.
Recognized professional certificate: ICTESS’s professional certificate validates your technical specialization in pressure booster systems and VFDs, strengthening your position in the job market and confirming your competencies to companies in the plumbing and installations sector.
This course is designed for professionals and technicians seeking to specialize in the design, selection, and maintenance of pumping systems for plumbing and DHW installations. Recommended candidates include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culminating stage of the course and represents the practical integration of every technical competency developed throughout the program. It consists of developing a complete, real-world pressure booster system project, from analyzing the installation’s demand through the technical specification of every component, applying the professional methodologies and selection tools used in the industry.
The project includes calculating head losses in the hydraulic circuit, determining the required flow rate and total dynamic head, and plotting the system curve. You’ll select the right pumps while verifying available and required NPSH, specify the variable frequency drive with its configuration parameters for constant-pressure control, and size auxiliary components: pressure switches, expansion tanks, check valves, and the discharge manifold per applicable plumbing code.
The project also includes preparing hydraulic schematics for the installation, complete technical specifications for the equipment with commercial reference numbers, a materials budget, and a preventive maintenance plan with service intervals. The final documentation must meet the technical level and professional format expected of plumbing installation projects, demonstrating your ability to produce complete technical documentation suitable for presentation to clients or inclusion in a construction project.
ICTESS’s Pressure Booster Systems and Variable Frequency Drives Training Course includes hands-on training with the online selection tools professionals use in the field: Grundfos Product Center for pump sizing with lifecycle and energy efficiency analysis, Wilo Select for configuring complete pressure booster systems, and KSB EasySelect for technical selection based on hydraulic parameters. You’ll learn to enter flow, head, and installation data to generate optimized equipment proposals. These platforms produce professional technical documentation, including performance curves, estimated energy consumption, and specifications for quotes, which makes sizing work on real projects far easier.
Basic electrical knowledge is recommended to get the most out of the content on variable frequency drives and soft starters, although you don’t need to be a licensed electrician. The course is designed for plumbing installers looking to expand their skills, building maintenance technicians, and professionals with technical training in related fields. The VFD modules cover the necessary fundamentals in an accessible way, starting from basic electric motor concepts and building up to specific configuration parameters. If you have hands-on plumbing installation experience and can read technical schematics, you’ll be able to follow the program without difficulty even with elementary electrical knowledge.
ICTESS’s Professional Certificate validates your technical specialization in pressure booster systems and VFDs and is recognized by industry employers as high-level supplementary training. While it doesn’t replace the state plumbing contractor license required to perform installation work, the certificate documents specific, in-demand technical competencies: pressure booster system sizing, VFD configuration, NPSH calculations, and systematic failure diagnosis. Many installation and maintenance companies particularly value this practical technical training as a complement to a base license, since it demonstrates familiarity with electronic control technologies and proficiency with professional selection tools.
This Pressure Booster Systems and Variable Frequency Drives Training Course stands apart through its specialized focus on electronically controlled pumping systems and its technical depth in hydraulic calculations. While general plumbing courses barely touch on pressure booster systems, and pump courses tend to focus on sales aspects, this program covers in depth pump-system curve analysis, NPSH calculations to prevent cavitation, VFD configuration with its specific parameters, and the technical sizing of every auxiliary component. It also includes hands-on training with leading manufacturers’ selection tools and a systematic failure diagnosis methodology, competencies not typically covered in general courses in the field.
