General tips for Heat Pump Maintenance

Performing maintenance of your air conditioner is essential to ensure your system remains energy efficient, to extend operational performance, and save money on unforeseen repairs, as well as to avoid potential health risks caused by dust and grime. So that you are aware of the types of maintenance that your equipment can undergo, we take a look at them below, highlighting the benefits of each one and when they should be done.

 

 

Preventive maintenance


Preventative air conditioning maintenance is intended to safeguard your air conditioner or to catch minor issues that might manifest themselves and impact the performance of your unit. Preventive maintenance is intended to safeguard your air conditioner or to catch minor issues that might manifest themselves and impact the performance of your unit.

Think of your computer: it's much easier to check how the system is working and “clean” it periodically rather than waiting for it to stop functioning, leaving you with a bigger problem. The same principle applies to your air conditioning unit and its maintenance.

 

The advantage of preventive maintenance is that it can be planned, so you can find the ideal time of year to do it. Ideally, it would be when the seasons are changing, indicating increased usage of the unit.

 

Preventive maintenance of an air conditioning unit is also linked to its periodic cleaning as well. Together, they ensure that the unit performs as expected, helps maintain healthy indoor air quality, and keeps your space comfortable.

 

Periodic cleaning of your air conditioner unit

 

Cleaning your air conditioning filter is very important for a variety of reasons. Among them are maintaining the desired temperature, energy efficiency, device longevity and, of course, taking care of your loved ones' health.

 

When the filter is dirty, it prevents the constant flow of clean air, so the heating and cooling functions of the system become inconsistent. When this happens, your unit will use excess energy to push air through the system, which leads to an overworked appliance and higher energy bills. What’s more, is that if this is left untreated, it can lead to your air conditioner breaking down and requiring extra maintenance.

 

The lack of proper cleaning of the air conditioner filter will also result in lower indoor air quality, and nowadays, as we become more conscious of the impact of fresh and clean indoor air on our health, we want to avoid this. Cleaning plays a very important role in promoting healthy indoor environments for those who live and work near units daily. Even if you have a specialised filter, you still need to clean them, as dust and debris in the air can lead to allergies and other respiratory problems.

 

 

 

Predictive maintenance


Generally speaking, this is a variation of preventive maintenance, where components are exchanged or checked before they become defective. It is done based on studies that determine the MTBF, an English term that is an abbreviation of Maximum Time Between Failures.

 

Back to the example of the computer, there are studies carried out by tech companies that determine the time (marked in months or years) during which certain tasks must be carried out, such as changing the hard drive, the memory or even a system update. If these are not carried out, the computer might experience performance issues.

 

The same idea applies to air conditioners. Let's say an air conditioner manufacturer has determined that the filter life of their product is six months. Performing predictive maintenance means changing the filter before this time expires, even if it appears to be okay, to reduce any possible issues.

 

 

Corrective maintenance

Corrective maintenance is only needed when the equipment wears out, breaks down or fails to function as expected by the owner. This procedure consists of a set of methods aimed at correcting, restoring, and recovering the capacity of the damaged product.

 

The main problem with this type of maintenance is that it might shorten your air conditioner’s life. Besides that, by not performing preventative or periodic checks, you may also find yourself without a functioning air conditioner during periods when the system is most used - and no one wants a broken air conditioner during summer.

 

That's why, ideally, corrective maintenance should only happen on rare occasions. And how to achieve this? By investing in preventive and predictive equipment maintenance.

 

Corrective maintenance of your home air conditioner for cleaner air

 

 

Cleaning your Air Conditioning Unit


Cleaning your air conditioner is essential to prevent the accumulation of dirt, mould, bacteria, and other microorganisms that can cause unpleasant smells and trigger allergic reactions. In addition to health risks, the lack of cleaning impairs the AC’s function — like poorer cooling, even increasing the level of noise emitted, and the consumption of electricity.

 

There are a series of checks that can be performed easily and that can keep any issues at bay.

 

Before attempting any of these, always consult the equipment's manual before doing any checks or cleaning your unit. If you don't have access to the manual, refer to our Resources section to download it or contact us to request it.

 

This article uses a standard wall-mounted system as an example.

 

 

Air Conditioner Filters

Cleaning your air conditioner filter guarantees improved performance from your unit, saving you money and maintaining good air quality. You should be cleaning the filters every 3 - 6 months, depending on your location and frequency of use. Households that include smokers, pets or people susceptible to allergies might need to clean the filter more often or even change the filter completely.

 

How to clean your filter:

●      Disconnect your unit from the power source

●      Gently open the front panel using both hands

●      Remove the filters by pulling them out of the unit towards you

●      Wash them using room temperature water. Do not use any cleaning products as they might cause filter deterioration.

●      Leave the filters to dry in a shaded place away from direct sun. Make sure that they are completely dry before putting them back on.

●      Once they are completely dry, put them back into place, ensuring that the 'FRONT' sign is facing the front of the unit.

●      Close the panel, and your air conditioner is ready to be turned on again.

 

 

Indoor Unit Fins

There are two types of fins on your unit: condenser fins, situated in the outdoor unit, and evaporator fins, located inside the indoor unit. Both are very important and need to be kept clean so add them to your preventative tasks and periodic cleaning. In this article, we focus on the fins located inside the indoor unit. If you want to learn more about your outdoor unit or need to clean it, contact your local technical support team, which you can find just below.

 

These fins can be very delicate, so be careful while cleaning them. Our recommendation is, once the filter has been removed, to use a vacuum to gently remove the dust that has settled on the fins to further safeguard the unit’s performance.

 

Outdoor unit

If your outdoor air conditioning unit is attached to an external wall, we advise you to contact your local technical support team to check and do any preventive maintenance. But if your unit is located on ground level or a balcony, make sure that there is no debris, dirt, leaves or sticks clogging it. However, no matter its location, always be extra careful while cleaning your outdoor unit

 

If you need any extra assistance, please contact your local technical support team using our Contact Us form. Depending on what system you might have, you will need different requirements for its maintenance, so please check and get in touch with us if you need support.

by Hitachi