How to Take Care of Ductless Maintenance in Your Arkansas Home

If you recently had a ductless heat pump or A/C system installed in your home or are considering getting one, you’ll want to know the ductless maintenance regimen. Just like with any other mechanical system, proper, regular maintenance for a ductless mini split can give you a system that runs smoothly without wasting energy or requiring frequent repairs.

But first, here’s a quick explanation of how ductless systems work. Either a heat pump that heats and cools or just an A/C, a ductless mini split comes with an outside compressor unit that contains a refrigerant coil. It’s connected to one or more inside air-handling units by a conduit that contains a refrigerant line, electrical wiring and a condensate drain line. The air-handling units—usually from one to four of them—are each installed in a room or small area and deliver warm or cool air directly to that area with independent temperature control. No ductwork is required.

Ductless Maintenance Steps

A ductless mini split should have regular homeowner maintenance, along with annual or semi-annual professional maintenance. The homeowner can do the following:

• Inspect and change air filters. Once a month, remove air filters and change or clean them if they look dirty. Clogged filters will force the compressor and fans to work harder than necessary, leading to freeze-ups and breakdowns.
• Use a garden hose to clean the outside compressor several times a year, turning off power to the system beforehand. If the compressor isn’t kept clean, it runs the risk of overheating, which can damage the system.
• Leave the cleaning of evaporator and condenser coils to a professional.
• Check the condensate drain to make sure it’s draining properly in a safe place.
• Make sure no yard debris, such as leaves, grass cuttings or brush, is blocking airflow to the compressor unit.

If you complete these relatively simple ductless maintenance steps, along with scheduling regular professional maintenance, your ductless mini split will likely give you 12-15 years of efficient, effective service.

For information on scheduling a ductless maintenance tune-up for your northwest Arkansas home, please contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductless maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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