It’s that time of year in the St. Louis area when many of us are switching from using our furnaces to using our air conditioners. But if you’re a homeowner with a heat pump, you use the same system all year long. So what exactly do heat pump owners need to do during this transitional period? Find out by taking a look at the heat pump maintenance checklist we listed below!

First, schedule your professional heat pump tune-up

First and foremost, you must schedule a professional tune-up for your heat pump. This is the most important thing you can do for your system to ensure that it runs efficiently and effectively all season song. Although you might have gotten a tune-up for your heat pump in the fall, you should schedule another one this spring to clean it up and take care of any safety or operational issues that might have developed this winter.

Your DIY heat pump maintenance checklist

After scheduling your heat pump tune-up, here is a checklist of things you can do on your own to get your system ready for spring and summer:

  • Switch from “heat” to “cool” mode. If you’re new to heat pumps, you might be wondering how you can tell your system to start running in the cooling mode. This is probably easier than you think: simply switch your thermostat from the “heat” to the “cool” mode and your heat pump will take care of the rest!
  • Adjust your thermostat temperature setting. The temperature setting you use for cooling your home will likely be different than the one you use for heating your home. Review our post about optimal thermostat settings to maximize home comfort and energy savings if you’d like some help in choosing the right temperature!
  • Clear the area around your outdoor unit. Debris might have accumulated on or around your heat pump’s outdoor unit this winter, and now is the perfect time to make sure that the area around it is clear. Remove any leaves, twigs, or other debris that you notice on your unit, and remember not to plant anything within a few feet of it.
  • Rinse off your condenser unit. Although we’ll thoroughly clean your condenser unit during your tune-up, you might want to rinse it every so often throughout the spring and summer if you notice dirt building upon it. You can do this with a hose when the unit is not running, but make sure not to use high water pressure that can bend the fins.
  • Change your air filter. A clean filter will protect your heat pump from damage and keep it running efficiently. If you haven’t changed your filter in a while, do that now and check on it every month throughout the cooling season.

If you have any questions about this heat pump maintenance checklist, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis air conditioning contractor. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like St. Peters, Town and Country, and Weldon Spring.

photo credit: AJ Cann via photopin cc

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