If you want to maintain comfortable temperatures in your home all year round, installing a heat pump as your cooling and heating system is an excellent way to start. However, if it starts acting up, it might just need to be cleaned. Here’s how heat pump technicians will clean your system, and why you shouldn’t do it yourself.
Step 1: The Cover Is Removed
Working with electrical appliances can be hazardous, especially if you have no prior experience in repairing or servicing them. Before your technician does anything, they will make sure that there’s no electrical current running through the heating system. They can do that by turning it off or unplugging it from its power source. From there, they will remove the cover to see what the internal components look like.
Step 2: The Filters Are Removed
If the heat pump needs to be cleaned, it will be plain to see. The air filters inside the appliance collect dust and fine particles that can contaminate the air, and decrease your air quality. If they haven’t been cleaned for a while, the dirt can even spread amongst the rest of the heat pump, which could make cleaning it more challenging. If you have no experience of working with heating systems, you shouldn’t fiddle with the internal components. They might get damaged, which would cost a lot to repair or replace them.
Step 3: Cleaning The Air Filters
Air filters are made from a spun fibreglass material, pleated paper, or very fine cloth, sealed in a plastic or cardboard frame, which means they’re fragile. They need to be removed and cleaned carefully, or they’ll get damaged. Your technician will use a special vacuum cleaner with the correct attachments to remove all the dirt gathered inside.
Step 4: Cleaning The Inside Of The Unit
As mentioned, if a heating system’s air filters have not been cleaned in a while, the dirt can spread to the rest of the machine. Your technician will carefully clean the rest of the heat pump so that it doesn’t block your clean filters as soon as you turn the machine on again. If you do this job yourself, you might bump the inner components, leaving them damaged.
Technically, your heat pump heating system should be cleaned at least every three months, when each season comes to an end. However, if you want to save money, it’s not recommended that you do this task yourself; you might cause damage that will cost more to repair!