How to Clean Heat Pumps | The Heat Pump People

Heat pumps are an excellent heating and cooling system, however, they require regular cleaning to perform at their best. A lack of cleaning can cause the heat pump filter to be blocked. When this happens, you may notice that not as much air is getting pushed into your home by the pump. In the process of sucking air from outside and blowing it inside, it also sucks in other contaminants which get caught in the filter.

You should clean your heat pump filter every 4 to 12 weeks depending on how much your use your heat pump. It’s simple to check your filters to see whether there is dust and dirt present. Cleaning the filters is a very easy job that you can do yourself. Below is a simple step by step guide.

Turn your heat pump off and then remove the cover. If your heat pump is mounted high on the wall, you may need to use a chair or step ladder. The cover can be removed by gently tugging on the hinges, which are often located on the side.

The air filters are there to capture pollutants from the outside air before pumping cool or warm air into your house. This is where dust, dirt and pollen build up. On most models you should be able to lift the filters up and out towards you using a little tab.

The best way to clean your filters is to use a vacuum cleaner to suck the dirt, dust and pollen off. If your vacuum cleaner has a special fitting for cleaning fabrics, you should use that. The filters are quite fragile and prone to ripping so it’s important to clean them gently. If you do rip them, you can usually get replacements from your manufacturer (depending on the manufacturer and age of the unit).

Lightly vacuum the coils and the inside of the heat pump behind the filters to remove any remaining contaminants inside the system. Once again, a bush fitting for your vacuum works well for this. It’s essential that you are gentle while cleaning and are careful not to knock any components around as you don’t want to damage any of the inner mechanics of the heat pump. You may also want to wipe down the fins and other plastic components with a damp cloth.

Slot your air filters back into the heat pump using the tabs. There should be grooves to help you determine whether the filters are sitting in the right position. Once that’s done, replace the front cover again, using the hinges and slots as a guide to correctly place it.

At The Heat Pump People, we install residential air conditioning systems to suit all properties throughout Christchurch as well as providing heat pump repair and maintenance services. Our team will happily provide information about providing the finest quality heating and cooling systems to our clients. Get in touch to learn more about our customised heat pumps and air conditioning solutions.

Speak with our friendly team today by calling 03 974 0752 or contact us online.