Home Improvement

6 Tips On How To Prepare Your Heat Pump For Winter

Winter is upon us. Although winter has its benefits, one needs to do everything they can to keep themselves warm. Coffee and hot cocoa will become the norm and sitting by the fireplace with your loved ones is going to be even more relaxing. However, winters get a lot of hate for several reasons as well. First of all, when it snows, you are almost not able to leave the house. Since keeping yourself warm is now more important than ever, heating service repair becomes a necessity. Therefore, let us share some tips regarding how to prepare your heat pump for winter.

Clean The Area Surrounding The Heat Pump

Since the heat pump has been laying around idle during the summer season, chances are that debris, leaves, and branches have accumulated around the heat pump, which might cause issues related to airflow. Clean the area surrounding the heat pump and make sure that nothing that could potentially interfere with the airflow is present. The heat pump needs to have sufficient airflow in order to run efficiently.

Schedule Periodic Maintenance

Even if the heat pump is not being used during the summer season, make sure it is scheduled to receive periodic maintenance. One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make with such things is ignoring regular maintenance. Since the machine is not being used does not mean that it does not require maintenance. Furthermore, it is advised that such machines be turned on for a few minutes even if the weather is not favorable to keep them in running condition. Therefore, you should get heat pump maintenance twice a year.

Change The Air Filter

Changing the air filter is as necessary as its periodic maintenance. The purpose of an air filter is to filter the air. The air pulled from the outside is filtered before entering into the heat pump, preventing any type of damage. Furthermore, a dirty air filter will block the airflow of your heat pump. As a result, it will have to put in more effort to breathe and will use more power, ultimately increasing your electricity bill. Therefore, make sure that your air filter is changed when it is due.

Thermostat Settings

Typically, heat pumps consist of three settings: cool, heat, and emergency heat. When it is time to finally turn on the heat pump, make sure that you put it in heat mode rather than switching to emergency heat mode. For regular usage, the simple heat mode should be turned on and the emergency heat option is only used if the heat pump is either iced up or not working. Furthermore, the emergency heat option utilizes more energy versus regular heat, therefore, increasing the heating bill again.

Consider The Location

Your heat pump should be located somewhere where it is not vulnerable to damage. During the winter season, ice tends to fall from the roof and if it were to land directly onto the heat pump, it could cause serious damage. Heat pumps are not cheap to repair either, therefore, while you have the chance, place it at a safe location and if necessary install a cover above it. Furthermore, make sure that its airflow is free and nothing obstructs it.

Additional Things To Consider

Winter seasons could get rough sometimes. Hail could give a tough time to your heat pump and while it is basically snow sticking to the air ducts, it will comprise of dirt as well. If you ignore it for long, the snow will accumulate and enter places where it would be difficult for you to reach. Therefore, instead of waiting for scheduled maintenance, keep an eye out for extreme weather conditions as well that might affect your heat pump one way or the other.

Concluding, this blog aimed to inform you about how to prepare your heat pump for winters. Preparing your heat pump should not be a daunting task if you were to follow the tips mentioned above. Since the only thing keeping you warm during the winter season is the heat pump, you better look after it. If the heat pump is not working, call in a heat pump repair service huntington before the extreme winter days begin. Good luck!

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