Your Heat Pump: A Nine-Point Maintenance Checklist

If your heat pump is working properly, you will be saving money on your monthly energy consumption. A pump that has issues in one area or another can consume as much as 25 percent more energy than a more efficient one. A number of maintenance tasks can be performed by the homeowner, while a qualified contractor should be hired for a number of other key components.

Consider this nine-point maintenance checklist for keeping your heat pump in top condition:

• Inspect all areas of your HVAC system for particle buildup. This includes the ducts, the filter area, blower motor and other internal parts. Proper airflow needs to occur.
• Keep all vegetation trimmed back from your outdoor unit to encourage airflow and keep debris outside.
• Assess your ducts for any crushed or damaged areas that could be leaking air and decreasing efficiency.
• Have a professional check the overall airflow by measurement to determine if there could be a problem elsewhere in the home that is impeding air from getting to the heat pump.
• Check the refrigerant levels in your heat pump. This should be done by a knowledgeable contractor as refrigerant can be toxic if handled improperly.
• A trained technician should inspect all electrical work to make sure there are no frays or damaged wires that could create a dangerous situation.
• Inspect internal parts such as the belts and heating coils for dust accumulation, and be sure to lubricate moving motor parts. If you’re uncomfortable with this task, ask a professional for assistance.
• The electrical work should be inspected by a pro to make sure that when the cooling system is working, the heating element shuts off and vice versa.
• Confirm that the thermostat is working properly. It should turn on when the temperature falls below the thermostat setting and the fan should run on automatic.

Contact Air-Tro Inc. for more information on maintaining your heat pump so you can rely on its service to your home year round. When the weather gets cold or extremely hot in the Pasadena area, you should be able to remain in a comfortable home that you can trust.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heat pump maintenance and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Air-Tro Inc. services the greater Los Angeles area as well as the metro areas of Riverside and San Bernardino County.