Springtime is typically when we encourage homeowners to schedule annual maintenance for their air conditioners. This is a season when HVAC technicians usually have less crowded schedules since they’re responding to fewer emergency calls for broken down heaters or air conditioners, and therefore it’s easier to schedule this HVAC service in Bergen County, NJ.
During maintenance, our professionals do a thorough cleaning, make adjustments, and check for repair needs, to make sure your air conditioner is ready for the season ahead. But… what if you have a heat pump that you use for heating and cooling? It was just maintained back in fall, do you really need a tune-up again?
Well, yes.
Your Heat Pump Has Two Jobs and Needs Two Tune-Ups!
Try to think of maintenance not so much as “heating system maintenance” or “air conditioning maintenance,” but rather as “HVAC system maintenance.” You need to prep your HVAC system to handle the rigors of the season ahead. So for homes that use a furnace separately from a central air conditioner, technicians need to come in the fall for maintenance and in the spring again.
It’s no different for a heat pump—you need prep work done for both heating season and cooling season. Sure, a number of the jobs are the same, such as checking the air handler and tightening electrical connections. But since a heat pump works twice as hard, it needs twice the care.
Strain on the Components
It’s important to remember that a heat pump system is not two separate units packages together. Heat pumps use the same components to operate, whether they are running in heating or cooling mode. The compressor runs no matter what, circulating refrigerant through two sets of coils, indoors and outdoors, and the blower fan sends the cooled air into the ventilation system. The only difference between the two modes is the direction the refrigerant moves, which changes the direction the heat pump moves heat.
So, understandably, a winter full of work for your heat pump places immense stress on the components, especially the compressor. This component requires special attention before winter and summer to ensure it isn’t wearing down too fast. If the compressor fails, it often means the entire heat pump must be changed out. Missing out on either one of your maintenance tune-ups for the year can mean a compressor that dies years before its time.
Having the interior of your heat pump thoroughly cleaned is important, too, and absolutely needs to be done twice a year. Lots of dust, dirt, and other debris can build up over the winter, and this is actually the leading reason for a heat pump to start performing inefficiently. Spring cleaning of coils, motors, and other components is important for proper operation this spring and summer.
DB Heating & Cooling, Inc serves the heating and cooling needs of customers throughout Rockland County, NY as well as Bergen County, NJ and surrounding communities. You can count on us for expert services. Contact us today!