Heat pumps have been becoming popular among homeowners as people switch to electric HVAC systems. They’re two-way systems, which means they keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
When compared to alternative systems, a heat pump can save 30 percent to 70 percent on house heating and 20 percent to 50 percent on home cooling. Heat pumps, like other heating and cooling systems, require regular maintenance to ensure optimal functioning. According to energy.gov, a neglected air pump might use anywhere from 10% to 25% more electricity.
It’s no secret that regular maintenance not only helps extend the life of your system but also helps it run more efficiently and work less to get the same results.
We wanted to go over a few tips to help your heat pump run smoothly all year long:
- Clean or replace air filters on a monthly basis. Check for obstructions in the ducts, filters, blowers, and indoor coil. Filters, coils, and fans that are dirty limit airflow, lowering system performance and potentially damaging the compressor.
- Clear snow, ice, dirt, and debris from the outdoor unit. Do not leave any water near your unit – we’ve seen quite a few people leave their pet’s water near the outside unit. This can cause problems like your dog urinating on the unit or chewing up the insulation on the refrigerant lineset. We’ve seen both happen.
- To ensure optimal airflow, leave a 2-foot gap on all sides of the outdoor unit
- Keep the registers open.
- Outdoor coils should be cleaned anytime they appear dirty.
- Before turning on the air conditioner in the summer, clean the indoor condensate pan and drain it. This one might be best left to a trained technician.
Changing your filters can be quite easy to do yourself and we recommend it, but some of these things might be better left to a trained and certified technician such as draining your condensation.
You do not want to screw something up so it ends up voiding your warranty. In fact, many home warranty companies expect that you hire a professional to do these things…and they will ask for proof to keep your warranty intact.
Not only that, the biggest benefit to having a trained technician perform your maintenance is that they can spot small problems before they become major problems that also come with a hefty repair bill. In fact, one of our techs has had his system running for 39 years now just for this reason alone.
A skilled technician should also service your heat pump at least once a year for heating and once a year for cooling. The optimum times to schedule are in the fall, before the cold weather starts, and in the spring, before the hot weather arrives in the summer.
What do our techs do during any heat pump or HVAC maintenance appointment?
We check for proper operation, clean, tune-up, make adjustments, etc:
- Check system functions, safety controls & adjust operating sequence*
- Inspect electrical components and connections and tighten*
- Ensure proper airflow and change dirty filters (supplied by customer)
- Inspect pumps, lubricate, and check flow rates*
- Clean and lubricate motors*
- Examine belts, adjust, and align*
- Inspect, clean and balance blowers*
- Clean condensate pans, condensate traps, and condensate lines to prevent obstructions*
- Clean outside coil and straighten fins for efficient operation*
- Check refrigerant levels*
- Check thermostat for proper operation*
- Clean burner assembly*
- Remove soot from fireside of burner*
- Visually check operation of humidifier*
- Visually or with remote camera, inspect heat exchanger for cracks*
- Clean heat exchanger*
- Check gas pressure*
- Inspect and clean inducer motor*
- Check flue pipe*
- Check air intake & exhaust for blockages on 90%+ furnaces*
- Adjust air/fuel ratio of burner and perform combustion analysis*
*Wherever Appropriate.
Note, we do not make any repairs during a private maintenance appointment. However, we will discuss problems and give you the best choice of solutions. Our goal is to spot little problems before they become bigger, costlier problems. Dave’s Club members receive priority repair service in addition to 15 percent off the bill!
If you have not already, check out our brochure for Dave’s Club to see preventative maintenance costs. We have several plans whether you need heat pump maintenance, furnace maintenance, ac maintenance, boiler maintenance, or more!
Your HVAC system is likely the largest source of energy consumption in your home. A cleaning and tune-up will keep your system running efficiently, reducing utility costs.
HVAC systems are not the cheapest home purchase and unexpected repairs can be an awful surprise no one wants.
Call us today and learn more about how we can help protect your investment and increase its lifespan!
