Keep Your Heat Pump in Top Form With Spring Maintenance

Summer can bring a lot of hard work for both your heat pump and HVAC professionals. This makes spring the ideal time to schedule a maintenance visit to get your heat pump ready for the hard work ahead. During the maintenance visit, an HVAC professional will check and tune up the components of your heat pump to ensure small problems don’t become bigger problems during the heavy use of the summer season. It also should save you money on your energy bills; the difference in energy consumption between well-maintained heat pumps and neglected ones can be as high as 25 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. During the maintenance visit an HVAC professional will:

• Ensure the refrigerant system is well sealed and contains the correct amount of refrigerant.
• Check for proper connectivity in the electrical connections and clean or tighten those that need it.
• Ensure the electrical controls operate in the correct order and that they block the heating system from running while in cooling mode.
• Make sure moving mechanical parts are lubricated and don’t have excessive wear.
• Examine ductwork for air leakage.
• Check the accuracy of the thermostat and its operation.

They will also ensure the more routine maintenance tasks have been done. You can complete these yourself before the maintenance visit if desired, and should occasionally repeat them throughout the cooling and heating seasons to ensure continued efficiency:

• Replace the air filter when it gets dirty. This may be necessary as often as once a month, especially during high-use seasons. When air filters are dirty, they can reduce system airflow, forcing heat pump components to work harder than necessary, both wasting energy and stressing components.
• Clean components such as fans and coils when they get dirty. This goes for both the indoor and outdoor units. Turn off fans before cleaning.
• Ensure good airflow by keeping dead grass, leaves, vegetation and other obstructions away from the outdoor unit. Also be sure indoor registers aren’t blocked by furniture, rugs or drapes.

For further information on spring maintenance for your heat pump, contact the experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve been providing professional HVAC services to northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.

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 pump maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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