Realistic Heat Pump Service Schedule

[Heimhenge]

I've got a 2-year-old Trane XL19i (top-o-da-line) heat pump, and was wondering, other than for filter replacement, how many checkups a year I should be getting.  Most of the companies around here (Phoenix) push the 2/year deals, but I'm thinking that with technology this new, 1/year (at half the cost) should do.

Am I being overly-optimistic?  Or overly cautious?

Thanks.

[applianceman18007260692]

On that guy I would try and get as many extended warranty's on it as I could get(over time). The better warranty's include a preventative maintenence plan along with the policy.

[edwardh1]

My bet is if you sent 10 techs in to "test the freon" they all would do something different- add a little, bleed a little.

people do not PM refrigerators.

if the coils are clean, it cools, and your bills are same as before why touch it?

[dkpd1581]

You have a heat pump unit which by virtue of its design and purpose serves double duty.  It runs in the harshest of temperatures in the summer and the winter.  There is no rest for the weary on the expectations and service demanded of your unit.

I would reccomend AS A MINIMUM 2 visits per year; ideally 3 or 4.

Changing your filter on a regular basis is critical to keeping your machine operating for the years you expect it to and and the highest efficiencies that it  promises.  How often?  That depends on your environment - do you have pets in the house, are there smokers in the house, do you vacuum alot (do you even clean the bag on the vacuum before it bursts at the seams).  The rule of thumb is a filter flip every 3 months.  If any of the afore mentioned are in your house, then change it more often.

Do not use the $0.50 flat blue cheap throw away.  Get the pleated or accordion style. It offers more surface area due to the pleats and more particle arrestence (it stops more stuff).

For a heat pump to work, the coils need to be clean indoor and out.  The outdoor coil, however, does not have a nice filter to help it out. It has to suffer leaf blowers, lawn mowers, tree sap, smog, car and industrial emmisions. etc.  How many times have you washed your car in the morning only to find it with a film of crap on the paint job by lunch? How about by bed time, the next day.  What about 1 year later.

Your heat pump coils ideally need to be cleaned before the cooling and heating season.  Remember, for every 1 ton of cooling, your machine must move 400 cubic feet of air through the coil face EVERY MINUTE.  Lets say that you have a 3 ton unit, multiply that times 400 (forgive me I went to Government schools) and you get 1,200 cubic feet of air across that coil EVERY MINUTE.  Look closely at your coil, if it isnt the Trane high efficiency coil that looks like a porcupine, there is only 1/32 or 1/64 of an inch between each coil fin.  Not much space is left after 1200 cubic feet of air, dirt, and debris gets rammed through there every minute.

2 visits per year will at least clean the coil and prepare it for service in the upcoming season.  The chemicals we use in the industry cannot be typically purchased by a non contractor/professional.  If you can get them, can you use them correctly without ripping your coil face apart, tearing up the finish on the coil face, or sending yourself to the hospital with 2nd or 3rd degree chemical burns to your feet, hands, eyes or lungs.

The number one killer of compressors according to the manufacturer is loose, poor, or defective electrical connections.  How do I know this, because I have changed out enough of them since 1999 and read the warranty return tags and replacement literature from Copeland, Bristo, Techumseh, as well as speaking to manufacturer reps.  The first paragraph of all the literature states this very fact.

1 visit per year will not address wiring issues that need to be caught (tightening, re-terminating, changing burned/pitted contactors).  1 visit per year will not catch bearing damage, excessive end play, or cracked blades in the early stages for fan and blower motors.  1 visit per year will not check capacitors out of tolerance, swelling, leaking, exploding, drain lines blocking up, condensate pumps failing.

Your unit is not a refrigerator.  Your unit was not manufactured and permanently (hermetically) sealed at the producer's plant in strict and controlled environments.  It does not sit in a dry, shaded, climate controlled atmosphere.  It is stuck in an attic, under a crawl space, above a ceiling tile, or in the back yard.  It is a split system requiring assemble of two parts (not a unitary - 1 piece) device, in an uncertain environment, by unknown personel, to unknown stanards of workmanship.  This is a mechanical device that is a product of human effort  and as such it is prone to defect and failure.

Given this fact, prepare to have it looked after properly.  I make no commission whatsoever from my employer for repair, replacement, sales, or issuances of planned service agreements for any machine (commercial or residential application).  I am a commercial tech by trade and spend the MAJORITY of my day repairing defects from poor, or insufficient care (maintenance) of machines.

My personal and professional advice to you is do not be overly optimistic, plan for at least 2 visits per year.