If you’ve recently purchased a heat pump or have been considering installing one, you might be wondering: what exactly goes into operating and maintaining a heat pump? It’s a good question because it’s super important to understand what you need to do to truly benefit from the efficiency of this heating system. It doesn’t require much effort on your part, you just need to make sure you operate it according to the instructions and have it maintained properly.
Proper Operation of Your Heat Pump
When you run your heat pump properly, you maximize your energy savings. Here are some tips on how to use your heat pump most effectively:
- Avoid using a setback temperature as it reduces efficiency because the heat pump will work extra hard to get back up to temperature.
- Setting back the temperature on a heat pump can cause your backup heat to kick in, which can be more expensive to operate.
- Set your fan to “Auto” on the thermostat, as continuous indoor fan operation is hard on heat pumps.
- If you have a heat pump with a high-efficiency, variable-speed fan motor, the fan running continuously won’t be as hard on the system.
- Have an HVAC professional install a programmable thermostat with multistage functions that are suitable for a heat pump.
Get Maintenance for Your Heat Pump Every Year
Annual maintenance is crucial to sustaining the efficiency and effectiveness of your heat pump. A well-maintained heat pump and a poorly-maintained one will work very differently. In fact, a neglected heat pump can be 10-25% less efficient.
There is some maintenance you need to do in addition to having an HVAC technician conduct annual maintenance on your system. To ensure the smooth and efficient operation of your heat pump, perform the following maintenance:
- Clean or change filters once a month or as needed.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintenance.
- Clean the outdoor coils when they appear dirty.
- Occasionally, turn off power to the fan and clean it.
- Remove vegetation and clutter from around the outdoor unit.
- Clean the supply and return registers in your home.
- Straighten the fins of the registers if they are bent.
- Remember to always schedule annual preventative maintenance.
What does a heat pump technician do during your annual appointment?
At your annual heat pump maintenance appointment, your certified technician should do the following:
- Inspect ducts, filters, blower, and indoor coil
- Measure and verify adequate airflow
- Measure and verify correct refrigerant charge
- Check for refrigerant leaks
- Diagnose and seal duct leaks
- Lubricate motors and inspect belts
- Check correct electric control
- Confirm cooling locked out when set to heating
- Confirm thermostat is functioning properly
- Inspect electric terminals
- Clean and tighten connections if necessary
- Apply non-conductive coating if necessary
Schedule Annual Preventative Maintenance
When you carry out these light maintenance duties and stay on top of annual maintenance, you will keep your heat pump operating at its best and extend its lifespan.
If you haven’t already had or scheduled your annual preventive maintenance for your heat pump, contact Delta today.
Delta Air Systems Ltd. has been proudly serving the HVAC needs of the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph regions since the 1950s. We strive to provide our clients with reliable service and cost-effective solutions.
Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram for more HVAC tips and our latest promotions.