Servicing of a heat pump is something that is often overlooked by many home owners, yet it is an integral part of maintaining your heat pump and preventing problems from occurring. Most people just have the heat pump installed and forget about it, but this is far from a winning strategy to a reliable home heating system.
So what does servicing involve?
The first step is cleaning the filter, which should be done regularly and is a job every home owner is capable of doing themselves. This should be done every 2 weeks, is done by removing the front panel ofthe heat pump to access the filter, which can be removed and cleaning with either a small brush, a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner, or rinsed with hot water.
The next step will involve a professional. This part of the service usually includes:
- Cleaning the heat pump system including filters, grills, vanes and covers
- Checking of fan blades or scrolls and cleaning as required
- Test and check of condensation line and drainage
- Checking all electrical wiring including terminals, voltage and current draw
- Testing start and stop sequence and heating to cooling changeover
- Checking both indoor and outdoor units to ensure that they are level, the mounts are in good condition and if there are any unusual sounds or vibrations
- Testing for leaks around joints and flare fittings
- Checking and cleaning both evaporator and condenser coils
- Test run to ensure all works as required and air on and off temperatures are correct.
What happens if you don’t service your heat pump?
When a heat pump is not cleaned and serviced on a regular basis, dust, allergens, mould and mildew will begin to build up. Aside from just being unsightly, this can cause poor performance from your heat pump, loss in efficiency and even worse, health risks for everyone in the home.
With residential units, we recommend servicing annually. This is usually best done in spring or autumn, so you can enjoy your heat pump problem free in summer and winter. There are some instances where some more work may be needed, which is usually accompanied by larger power bills, inadequate performance or other odd behavior from the unit such as odd smells. Regular maintenance, however, will minimise the chance of this happening.
If it’s time for you to get your heat pump serviced, call us today!
