Fall Maintenance for Your Heat Pump

All HVAC systems require regular maintenance to keep them in prime working condition and to promote longer lifespans. Your heat pump is no different. It needs both fall and spring maintenance when you use it as both your heating and cooling source. (Of course, if you utilize it for solely one or the other, you should only need once-a-year maintenance.)

And now is the perfect time to schedule your appointment for fall maintenance––before the temperatures drop here in Florence, SC. Our Quality Service Company team is ready and prepped to come out to your home and get your heat pump in shape to keep you warm during the upcoming cooler weather.

Benefits

You have heard it’s good for your heat pump to have fall maintenance, but does it really make that much of a difference? Absolutely! When you stay up to date with your heat-pump care, you can realize several benefits. One such advantage is lower energy costs. When your heat pump is cleaned and checked, all system parts run how they are designed to run, without undue stress, so your heat pump is not working harder. When it works harder, it uses more energy, costing you more.

Another benefit is less unexpected costly repairs. When one of our professional technicians is regularly checking your system, any parts that are wearing or in need of repair will be noted at your appointment. They can be replaced in a timely and scheduled manner, avoiding your heat pump breaking down and you paying after-hour costs to fix it.

A long-term perk that comes along with regularly maintained equipment is a longer lifespan. When your heat pump is well taken care of, just like anything else, it will last you longer. This means replacing it will come later rather than sooner, saving you money yet again.

What You Can Do on Your Own

While we strongly recommend having a professional perform your fall maintenance, there are some tasks you can do on your own throughout the year to help. These are pretty straightforward jobs, but if you would like some guidance from us or would simply prefer us to do them, do not hesitate to contact us:

• Change or clean your filters regularly (we recommend monthly)
• Dust and clean your supply and return registers regularly
• Remove all foliage, debris, and any other obstructions from around the outdoor unit, keeping everything at a minimum 18-inch distance from it
• Clean outdoor coils whenever dirty

What We Do

Our professional technicians will do a top-to-bottom inspection and cleaning of all your heat pump components. This can alert you to any parts that may be wearing or if anything seems amiss, helping to prevent those costly unexpected weekend or holiday breakdowns.

According to Energy Saver (LINK: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool/heat-pump-systems/operating-and-maintaining-your-heat-pump), a consumer resource of the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), here is what you should expect during a maintenance/tune-up appointment, and you will receive from our technicians:

• Inspection of ducts, filters, blower, and indoor coil for dirt and other obstructions
• Verification of adequate airflow via measurement
• Verification of correct refrigerant charge via measurement
• Checking of refrigerant leaks
• Inspection of electric terminals, and, if necessary, cleaning and tightening of connections, and application of nonconductive coating
• Lubrication of motors, and inspection of belts for tightness and wear
• Verification of correct electric control, being sure heating is locked out when the thermostat calls for cooling and vice versa
• Verification of correct thermostat operation

Having regularly scheduled maintenance on your home’s heat pump, especially at the beginning of change of seasons like summer to fall, is one of the wisest decisions to make. You will receive benefits far outweighing the cost of the appointment. Call us at Quality Service Company today at 843-773-2550 to schedule your fall maintenance appointment.