The spring is the time when air conditioning systems should have their annual maintenance. Although maintenance can technically be take care of at any point during the year, spring is the best time because it gives the system prep right before the biggest period of use. (It’s also an easier time to schedule with HVAC technicians, who have more open schedules between winter and summer.)
But what about a heat pump, which works as both a heater and an air conditioner? Should you have it maintained in the fall before the heating season starts, or in the spring?
The answer is: both.
A heat pump for all seasons
It’s important, when thinking about the heat pump that keeps your home comfortable around the year, to remember that it’s a single system that uses one process to provide both heating and cooling. It isn’t a combination of an air conditioner and a furnace sharing the same cabinet and blower fan. Instead, it’s an air conditioning system that can reverse the direction of its operation so that instead of removing heat to the outside, it brings heat to the inside.
A heat pump will work all around the year, which is something that an air conditioner doesn’t—although in Southern California, you can expect an AC to do more work throughout a year than it would in other parts of the country. That is a great deal of stress put on the heat pump, and so it must have maintenance done twice annually. And even though you should never miss either the spring or the fall maintenance sessions, it is especially important to prepare the heat pump in the spring to face the long and often difficult Southern California summers.
The maintenance a professional provides for your heat pump during both seasons is the same: the technician will clean the unit, tighten electrical connections, check on refrigerant, lubricate the motors, calibrate the thermostat, clean the condensate pan and drain, and any other necessary steps to see that the heat pump can carry out heat exchange in both directions with little to no problems.
Make sure your heat pump is ready for the summer: Call JC Mechanical Inc. and ask about our maintenance program.