“Did these guys say that correctly? Maybe one of them wasn’t paying attention when they wrote this blog. How could your HVAC system need maintenance twice a year?”
If you’re asking yourself those questions, then you’re not alone. Year after year we’re called by homeowners asking about maintenance for their heat pump, only to be surprised when we reveal that heat pumps require maintenance twice a year.
The reasoning isn’t complicated, but the message is not spread as clearly and effectively as it should be from the HVAC industry. Today, we’re going to attempt to change that by being completely transparent with you. When it comes to heat pump services in Sarasota, FL, maintenance is required twice a year. Let’s spend this blog post discussing why that might be the case, and what could happen when you ignore the needs of your system.
The Point of Maintenance
First, for the uninitiated, we need to talk about maintenance in general. Most homeowners already invest in maintenance twice a year, but it’s for two separate systems. Your air conditioner needs to be maintained, preferably in the springtime before the cooling season comes in full force. And your furnace needs to be maintained, preferably in the fall before the heating season strikes us. These services are necessary for the following few reasons:
- Extend the lifespan of the system. Maintenance is going to be the key that gets your system to the 10-15 year lifespan that was promised. Without it, heaters and air conditioners can end up lasting half as long.
- Mitigate repairs before they become problems. During maintenance, we can provide minor repairs on the system that target budding problems. This helps stave off repairs in the future and keep your budget intact.
- Improve efficiency levels and system performance. If you want your heating system to keep you warm at peak performance every winter, then maintenance is a major component of that. It also keeps efficiency levels high so your system doesn’t drain too much fuel or energy.
Why Heat Pumps Are Different
All that being said, why should you invest in maintenance twice as much for a heat pump? Well, the simple answer is that your heat pump works as both an air conditioner and a heater. This means that it’s essentially doing the job of two systems.
Don’t worry, it’s absolutely designed to undergo this amount of pressure. It’s just going to need twice as much attention from professionals than a normal heater or air conditioner would.
What Can Go Wrong?
Heat pumps are designed with two ideas in mind: efficiency and convenience. If you skip maintenance once or twice a year, you might see a huge problem in either of those categories.
- Your system could lose efficiency, up to 5% efficiency loss per maintenance visit skipped. This can drastically increase your energy bills over the next few years if you’re not careful.
- You could see a wide array of problems develop that turn what is supposed to be a convenient piece of high-tech equipment into a broken device that’s frustrating to use.
Contact Jim McDonald & Sons Heating & Cooling Inc. to invest in heat pump maintenance today!