Your fall chores around your Dayton area home should include heat pump maintenance, whether you own an air source heat pump or a geothermal model. This is a task best divided between you and your reliable HVAC contractor, since some of the skilled work is beyond the average homeowner’s ability. Most homeowners also do not have the special tools and equipment needed to maintain and evaluate a heat pump.
Your Part of Heat Pump Maintenance
Readying your heat pump to switch from cooling duty to heating service primarily means giving the equipment a thorough cleaning:
- Outside, cut back summer growth, including grass, shrubs and woody plants; your outside fan needs several feet of clear air space.
- Remove dead branches, twigs and yard litter from around the outside fan. Sweep away dead leaves and yard clutter.
- Replace or clean the air filter, and remember to check it once a month throughout the heating season, changing as needed.
- Use a hose to clean off the outside coil.
- Make certain the fans rotate freely.
- Check that the condensate drain line is not blocked from summertime usage.
- Inside, check your programmable thermostat to make certain it’s set for greatest energy efficiency, including times when you are away from home
Leave Some Heat Pump Maintenance to Professionals
Call your trustworthy HVAC contractor to send a technician out soon, so your heat pump is ready to reverse its summer cooling cycle and pump heat into your Dayton home through mid fall and winter. The service technician will:
- Verify safety systems by turning your heat pump off and on, checking voltage across electrical connections.
- Check and adjust refrigerant levels.
- Inspect wiring, the heat pump’s circuit board, and its capacitor.
- Evaluate system performance.
- Clean evaporator coil.
- Inspect and clean the condensate line and drain pan.
Between the professional service your HVAC contractor provides and your regular heat pump maintenance, your air source or geothermal heat pump will reward you with months of warmth, years of steady service, and energy efficiency.
For more guidance with heat pump maintenance for your Dayton area home, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock”
