How to Service a Heat Pump
Proper maintenance of a heat pump is required to maintain the efficiency of the pump at a peak level. It also saves energy and reduces your electric bill. Besides, if you want to ensure the durability at a good level, you really need to perform good maintenance. However, if you have found recently that your heat pump isn’t working properly, there is a huge possibility of some clogging and blockages in the filters. There are several other reasons which work behind this inefficiency, but no matters what the reason is, you need to find out. Regardless of the reasons, you must find a way to solve these annoying problems. As you are now here, let’s show you how to service a heat pump.
A poorly maintained unit can consume up to 25% more electricity. Moreover, the ignition of dirt inside the unit is the risk of your health. It can cause several types of health issues to your family members, and you will obviously not want that, will you? Whether you want to lower the rising electric bill or you want to take proper measurements for the well-being of your family members, you need to ensure proper maintenances of your heat pump. So, let’s provide you with some simple techniques for servicing your heat pump.
How to Service a Heat Pump
The maintenance of a wall-mounted pump must be performed annually by a qualified dealer. Complete maintenance includes cleaning filters and a complete inspection of the unit. During the inspection, the technician will also take the pressure reading of the refrigerant. Moreover, they will check the control circuit and verify all the electrical connections. If you can follow all these technical terms, you can do all these by yourself. Are you ready to do this, then let’s dive in!
First of all, make things clear. Do you use your heat pump all year round or use it for a particular season only? In this case, if you use your heat pump for all year round, I will recommend you to service the heat pump every year. On the other hand, if your heat pump is for seasonal use, servicing every two years will be okay. Another thing is that if you have more than one heat pump, you can choose to service all the units at the same time or separately. This is because maintenance of heat pumps is pretty much similar.
At the initial stage, you have to first clean the filters so that they aren’t clogged. You can also make this job done by using your vacuum cleaner. Vacuum the filter of the pumps in every three months and ensure clean it properly. You also have to keep in an eye on the surrounding area. The growing leaves and weeds can also hamper the efficiency level of your pump. So, you have to cut them out . But if the problem isn’t solved by doing all this, then it may be due to a fault in your pump. You have to check its parts and see whether they are functioning properly or not.
You should clean your pump regularly, and if you haven’t done it in a while, you should call for help from a service technician.
What a Technician Would Do
Okay, I have exclaimed what a technician would do with your heat pump. But now, let’s highlight them one by one.
- First and foremost, they will inspect the filters, blowers, indoor coils, and ducts. Then they will clean the dirt and every other obstruction.
- After that, they will diagnose and seal the leakage, if any.
- Next, they will identify the adequate airflow
- Measure the correct refrigerant charge
- Once they get on the refrigerant, they will identify the leaks
- Then they will check the electric terminals, and if needed, they will tighten and clean the connections.
- After accomplishing that, they will check the belts if they have worn out, and if needed, they will tighten it or apply lubricant on it.
- Ensure the electrical control correctly and check if the heating is stable when the thermostat needs refreshment and versa
- Then they will give the finishing touch by verifying the thermostat operation.
How to Maintain a Heat Pump
Those are for the experts, but the heat pump is yours, and that’s why it is your duty to maintain your heat pump properly. No matters what you do, you have to ensure pinpoint accuracy of your heat pump. So, how are you going to do that? Let’s have a look at them. Repairing the Heat Pump before it Breaks Down It is all about taking precautionary measures to avoid breakdowns.
- Check for the filters properly at least once in a month. If needed, you should clean them and replace them.
- Make sure to keep the outdoor unit clean. For this, you have to clean the top, bottom, sides, and the entire surrounding clean properly. Inspect these places properly and keep the ice, snow, and debris away from the front panel.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the coils. In case if they have a thick layer of dirt, using a heavy-duty degreaser will boost the entire process of cleaning.
- Keep the shrubs split from every side of the heat pump back at least 18 inches to ensure sufficient airflow and repair.
- Flush the indoor condensate pot when utilizing the air conditioning. This is especially necessary whether the device is above or in a completed living environment, but a skilled service technician can really do it.
- In some cases, you may have to oil the fan motors. So, oil mark those fans that are not sealed with the case permanently. Don’t try to detach any motors from the chassis.
- As always, I will recommend you to take trained service technicians help to inspect all these things. As you are not an expert, you may cause some unwanted damage to the unit, and that will cost you additional money.
Conclusion
If your house has a heat pump, it is important to know how to service it. This article will give you some tips on how to do that. First, you should turn off the power to the heat pump. Then, you should check the air filter and clean it if it is dirty. Next, you should check the coils and clean them if they are dirty. Finally, you should check the refrigerant level and add more if it is low.
