The cooling season is looming, and if you schedule heat pump maintenance early, you’ll rest easy knowing that it will run as efficiently as possible. Neglecting maintenance will increase the cost of cooling your home and can hasten the breakdown of this appliance. The Department of Energy estimates that running the system without regular maintenance increases your energy bills by as much as 25 percent.
When HVAC contractors maintain heat pumps, they go through the entire system, cleaning and adjusting the parts. This service appointment typically includes:
- Checking the airflow at the air handler and the ducts, and looking for leaking segments of the ductwork
- Changing the air filter for the air handler
- Lubricating the motors and checking the belt for wear and proper tension
- Cleaning the evaporator coil inside the air handler
- Clearing the drainpipe and the drain pan
- Inspecting the outdoor condenser and cleaning the condenser coils and fins
- Measuring the pressure of the refrigerant and looking for leaks if it’s low
- Tightening the electrical connections and cleaning and lubricating them
- Calibrating the thermostat and verifying that the reversing valve works properly
Preventing breakdowns is another benefit you get when you schedule heat pump maintenance. The annual service call may turn up problems with the heat pump that are easier and less expensive to fix when they’re small. When you take preventive measures to keep your system running, you’re not as likely to experience equipment breakdown when you most need the heat pump.
Between the annual maintenance visits, you should check the air filter monthly and change it when it gets dirty. Nothing decreases the energy efficiency and causes more problems with a heat pump than a dirty filter. You can also clear the vegetation away from the outdoor condenser and keep the coils and fins clean by using a mild spray of water with a hose.
If you’d like to schedule heat pump maintenance, contact Roth Heating & Cooling. We’ve provided HVAC services for the Portland region since 1976.
