Heat Pump Maintenance Tasks You Can Confidently Tackle

Blog

Unless you start feeling cold while the heat is turned on, it's easy to forget that your heat pump requires routine maintenance to work reliably year-round. While you should arrange to have a professional come to your home to undertake routine maintenance on your heating equipment, there are many heating maintenance tasks you can safely DIY in between maintenance visits.

Carry out the following maintenance tasks yourself to minimize the risk of heat pump failure and reduce your heating bill.

Clean Or Replace The Air Filter

As it's designed to remove dust and other airborne contaminants from the cold air that gets pulled into your heat pump via the return air duct, the air filter is bound to become dirty over time. When this happens, it'll need to be cleaned or replaced, depending on what type of product it is.

Failure to clean or replace your air filter as recommended by your equipment manufacturer or a heating professional can result in a host of heating problems, including:

  • Restricted airflow
  • Poor indoor air quality
  • Increased heating bills
  • Noisy heat pump operation

All air filters used in heating systems fall into one of two main categories — washable or disposable. Washable filters can be cleaned and reused while disposable versions need to be changed after a single use. That explains why reusable filters generally cost more to buy than their disposable cousins. 

Clean The Supply And Return Air Registers

Heat pumps rely on a network of air ducts to deliver warm air where you want it. Because the air ducts are often hidden behind walls, in crawl spaces, and in the ceilings of your house, they can easily be neglected.

Over time, neglected air ducts can become clogged with dirt and this will affect the quantity and quality of air streaming into your home via the supply air registers. As a result, your home may feel hotter and stuffier. 

While cleaning of air ducts is a demanding task that requires specialized knowledge, tools, and equipment to do properly and safely, you can increase system performance and efficiency by cleaning the supply and return registers located in the walls, floors, or ceilings of the rooms in your house. Also, make sure all vents are unobstructed to ensure efficient distribution of warm air throughout the home. 

The vast majority of American homes are still heated with either boilers or furnaces, but heat pumps are growing in popularity as the technology of choice for heating in many newly built houses. This is primarily because they're generally more efficient and less carbon-heavy than furnaces and boilers. Plus, they can be used to cool houses, too, meaning they're ultimate in home heating and cooling. For more information on how to keep your heat pump in working condition, contact a heating contractor near you.

Share

20 December 2021

Keeping up With Maintenance Between HVAC Inspections

Working with HVAC contractors is an important part of being a homeowner. Not only do your contractors ensure that a new system you buy is properly installed, but they also ensure optimal performance throughout the years through a series of regular inspections, maintenance services, and repairs. But there are lots of things you can do in between your contractor's visits to ensure that your HVAC investment is always in tip top condition, aside from cleaning out the air filters. After working with my dad for more than a decade in the HVAC business, I've put together a few methods homeowners can use to maintain a well working system, and I have published those tips and tricks right here on this blog. I hope some of the information you find here helps you on your journey as a homeowner!