Maintain Your Heat Pump with Proper Maintenance Tips

How well your heat pump functions can directly impact your comfort at home, so proper maintenance is essential for reliable operation. A neglected heat pump can consume up to 25 percent more energy, so making sure it’s well-maintained can also have a significant impact on your operating costs.

Yearly Professional Maintenance is Key for Optimal Performance

To keep your heating and cooling system in top condition, have it inspected, cleaned and tuned up at least once a year by a reputable HVAC professional. During a visit, your technician should:

• Assess your ductwork for obstructions and leaks.
• Clean your blower assembly and indoor coil.
• Check for proper system airflow.
• Measure the refrigerant level and test for leaks.
• Inspect the belts for wear and tightness and lubricate the motor.
• Verify accurate thermostat function.
• Test the electric control to ensure your system stays in the selected mode when heating or cooling.
• Examine the electric terminals and clean/tighten the connections as needed.

To help keep your equipment running properly and efficiently in between appointments, it’s vital to preserve adequate system airflow. If airflow becomes restricted, your system can overheat, and this can damage or ruin the compressor. To maintain efficiency and avert a costly component replacement:

• Leave your thermostat fan setting on “auto” unless your system has a variable-speed fan motor.
• Check your air filter monthly, and replace it whenever you see any accumulation of dust and dirt. Follow the recommendations from your owner’s manual when selecting the correct filter type and size.
• Keep grass and other vegetation at least 18 inches away from your outdoor unit, and clear away any branches, leaves and other yard debris.
• Gently hose down your outdoor coils periodically to remove any builtup dirt or grass clippings.
• Shut off power to the outdoor unit occasionally and clean the fan blades.
• Regularly dust or vacuum your supply and return registers, and make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, long drapes or area rugs.

To learn more tips for properly maintaining your heat pump, contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve been helping make life more comfortable for Northwest Arkansas homeowners since 1968.

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 heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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