It seemed that winter would last forever, but spring is finally upon us. As the weather warms and you use your heat pump less, it’s a good time to run maintenance so it doesn’t sit through the spring with dirty or failing components. Don’t wait to discover a problem in the heat of summer or the cold of the next winter when you need that heat pump working!

These heat pump maintenance items are easy. Almost anyone can handle these without professional help:

– Change your air filters. You can do this every month or every 6 months. It just depends on how quickly your air filters get dirty. Many factors come into play when deciding how often to change the filters, such as allergies, pets, and the level of traffic and air pollution around your home. A dirty filter makes your heat pump work harder and your electric bill go up. You can usually tell if you’ve waited too long to change the filter when you see above average dust accumulation on surfaces in your home.

– Give it room to breathe. Keep debris from collecting around the outside unit. Don’t let grass grow into any part of the unit where it can choke off moving parts, such as fans or restrict airflow. You should cut your grass or shrubbery back for at least a foot of clearance around the unit. In addition, keep toys, yard decorations or outdoor furniture from collecting around the unit. Your heat pump needs to breathe.

– Clean the coils. You should clean the coils and fans that are within easy access. Again, the timeline depends on how quickly they get dirty, but do this every spring, at least.

– Keep vents open. Do not block vents within your home. Keep furniture, toys, draperies and other household items clear of any vents in your floor, ceiling or walls.

You’ll need expert to inspect the vents, vent fins, fans, coils, drainage and general overall performance of your heat pump. An expert will check the refrigerant levels, electrical connections and components, the condensate drainage system and blower components. All these things are better left to a professional .

Consider a Service Contract

A service contract takes care of all the DIY maintenance items plus those issues that need a professional’s attention. Otherwise, you can manage simple maintenance yourself and simply call for an annual inspection.

Let 247 Local HVAC help you with seasonal heat pump maintenance.

Vasi have been helping Boston homeowners maintain their heating and cooling systems for over 10 years. Call us at (833) 219-8010 or use our online contact form today.