According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a neglected heat pump operating in your home will consume from 10-25 percent more energy than its well-maintained counterpart. Not only is more energy required to produce the same amount of heating or cooling but the system itself will have to work harder at its job, meaning a shortened lifespan.
Like any HVAC system, heat pumps require a certain amount of regular maintenance in order to operate at maximum efficiency and economy. Some of this maintenance you can perform yourself, while some is best handled by a qualified HVAC professional. Routine filter changes, cleaning of coils, air registers and fans, and maintaining an uncluttered, vegetation-free outside compressor cabinet area are all simple DIY operations. These steps will help in maintaining the all-important amount of airflow required to ensure optimum performance.
Since a heat pump does dual-duty, both heating and cooling, it runs all year around, making regularly scheduled maintenance and system tuneups even more important to optimal operation. Signing up with a reliable HVAC contractor for annual or semi-annual inspection and maintenance services is a cost-effective means of ensuring your system stays energy efficient in its operation, and that any small problems are discovered before they become something more serious (and expensive).
The peace of mind of knowing your system has been professionally tuned and will be less likely to break down at an inopportune time is one more benefit of contracting for regular maintenance. Typical maintenance procedures should include:
- Ensuring refrigerant is the right level and not leaking
- Measuring and correcting airflow
- Lubricating moving parts
- Emptying the condensate drain
- Verifying that safety controls are operable
- Checking electrical connections and tightening if necessary
- Checking the blower, coils and fuses
- Inspecting belts
- Verifying thermostat operation and calibrating if necessary
At Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal, we’ve been proudly serving clients in northwest Arkansas for 40-plus years with our full-service, 24/7 commitment to excellence. Feel free to contact us for information about our exceptional Energy Savings Club for regular heat pump maintenance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest 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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