Your heat pump is essential to the comfort of your home.
It is surprising, therefore, that so many people are lax about maintaining their heat pump. In fact, it is common for people to have a heat pump installed and then do nothing else for years – until a problem develops, that is.
Most heat pumps should be serviced regularly, however. For domestic heat pumps, that usually means once a year. For commercial installations, it depends on the heat pump you have and how it is used, but servicing every 6-12 months is usually the best option.
Remember, however, that these timescales are not rigid. If you think your heat pump is running inefficiently or may have a problem, you should get it looked at sooner rather than later. If you leave it, additional problems can occur which will increase the cost of maintenance and repair.
Benefits of Getting Your Heat Pump ServicedThere are three main reasons to get your heat pump serviced regularly:
- Prevents breakdowns – heat pumps suffer from wear and tear, with components clogging up and deteriorating over time. Without regular maintenance, this can lead to breakdowns. As with other types of equipment, heat pumps often breakdown right when you need them most. Regular servicing and maintenance are the best ways to avoid this happening.
- Ensures the heat pump operates effectively – all heat pumps operate to a particular level of performance. If you don’t look after it, though, that performance will start to drop. This results in your heat pump having to work harder to achieve the same level of comfort in your home or business. When the heat pump works harder, it deteriorates faster and can develop additional problems. The solution is to get it serviced regularly.
- Ensures the heat pump runs efficiently – this point follows on from the last one. In other words, if the heat pump is working harder, it is using more energy so is costing you more to run.
The last point is an important one as many people choose not to get their heat pump serviced because they are concerned about the cost. This is a false economy as the cost of getting your heat pump repaired in the event of a fault is much more expensive than getting your heat pump serviced.
You also have to take into account the additional costs of running the heat pump when it is not operating efficiently. In other words, you will save money over the lifetime of the heat pump by getting it regularly serviced.
What About Cleaning the Filters?Cleaning out the filters of your heat pump is another essential maintenance task that you should do regularly. It is not the same as getting the heat pump serviced, however. A service involves a much more detailed inspection of the unit as well as cleaning various components.
Cleaning the filters is something you can do yourself, or you can get it done hassle-free by a professional. However, heat pump servicing should only be done by trained and experienced technicians.
If your heat pump hasn’t been serviced in a while, you should book a maintenance call. A small investment now will be worth it in the long-run.