Maintenance Task #1:  Replace or wash air filters

Replace or clean your heat pump's air filters in accordance with your manufacturer's recommendations.  Ensure that the filters are placed in correct direction of air flow.

Your heat pump draws air from the outside of your house which carries dust, pollen, debris, etc.  There are two reasons for replacing or washing this air filter:

• As a filter gets dirty over time, it begins to clog with dust, pollen, etc.  A dirty filter means the heat pump's fan motor has to work harder to move air through it, which means it has to consume more energy and is therefore more expensive to operate.

• The filter helps to clean the circulating air, which makes room cleaning easier and less frequent, helps improve air quality, and helps to provide relief to allergy sufferers.

 Maintenance Task #2:  Clean fins on outside condenser unit

Cleaning the outside condenser unit of your heat pump involves four activities.  Before doing any of these activities, be absolutely sure to shut off power to the unit and consult your owner's manual regarding discharging the capacitor and proper maintenance procedures for your unit.  If you have any questions about how to do this, seek professional maintenance help.

1. Remove leaves, debris, spider webs, etc. from the outside of the unit.  Be careful to push debris away from the fins, not pushing debris into the fins.  
2. Remove leaves, debris, etc. from the inside of the unit (after ensuring that power is shut off to the unit).  After you remove the cover grille, you can use a garden hose to spray the coils from the inside of the unit.
3. If any of the fins are bent, you can use a special tool called a "fin comb" to straighten and clean them.
4. The motor which drives the fan typically has ports which allow lubricating oil to be added (check your owner's manual).

The purpose of this maintenance task is to help maintain the energy efficiency of the heat exchanger unit of your heat pump.  A dirty unit is less efficient at doing its job, which means that your air conditioning unit has to work harder, which causes it to consume more energy, and shortens its service life.

 Maintenance Task #3:  Lubricate and adjust compressor motor

Extends useful life on the motor.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS from "Ask-a-Wizard":

QUESTION from Garry on 6/29/2008
I recently purchased a heat pump. I am considering building my own cover for my new heat pump. I was thinking of using 4 -4x4 PT posts and installing to the posts a plywood PT for a top cover, in the winter when it gets too cold for operation , snow, temp below 30 degrees, etc., I would close in the 4 open sides w/PT plywood for the winter. But when in operation would a permanent cover placed approx. 2 feet above the unit hinder its operation. Please advise me. I live upstate/central New York State.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 6/29/2008
Dear Garry:

Regarding building a permanent cover for your new heat pump, here’s a couple of thoughts that you should consider. 

First, since you live in a relatively cold climate (upstate/central New York), you are correct that there will be periods during the winter when the outside temperature will be below freezing, and as such, it will not be efficient to operate your heat pump. And yes, its wise to want to protect your heat pump from falling branches, ice, snow, leaves, etc. The other advantage to having a cover around your heat pump is that if your unit is in direct sunlight, then having a cover above it will provide shade which will help keep it cooler in the summer, and this will help it’s operation.

However, the problem with installing a permanent cover around your heat pump is that it could impede the flow of air around the unit, and therefore reduce the efficiency of your unit. Having adequate air flow around your unit is critical to it operating properly. It is this air flow that enables the unit to exchange the heat from inside your house and bring it outside during the summer months, and to extract the heat from the air outside your house and bring it inside when you need it during the winter months (that is, the winter months before the weather drops below freezing). So if your permanent cover reduces this air flow, then your heat pump can’t do its job properly.

So if you do install a permanent cover, then you will want to leave plenty of room around your heat pump to let it “breathe”. I suspect that just allowing 2 feet above the unit is probably not going to be enough space, depending on the size of your unit and how much natural air flow there is around where the unit is located.

Secondly, you mentioned that you were planning on using what sounded like a sheet of pressure-treated plywood as the top cover. If this is the case, then you should consider pitching this cover like a tent or roof. Because if it is left flat, then the weight of the snow and ice could become heavy enough to cause it all to come crashing down on your new heat pump.

Lastly, rather than installing a permanent structure around your heat pump, you might want to consider covering it with a tarp in the coldest months of the winter, and removing the tarp when the weather warms up. This is described in the Home-Wizard Maintenance Library for air conditioners (see Task #4): http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/airconditioning.asp You can even add a piece of plywood to go underneath the tarp, for extra protection.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________

QUESTION from tbortiz03@yahoo.com on 12/11/2009
I have heat pump for A/C in my home. The heat continuely runs and blows out hot air it will not shut off unless I shut the breaker off???? Can u help????

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 12/13/2009
Dear tbortizo3:

If your heat pump is not shutting off, the first thing that I would suggest that you check is to see if your thermostat has gone bad.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________