A heat pump is an innovative heating, ventilating, and cooling system that is installed outside your home. It functions as an air conditioner in hotter months, and a heater in colder months.
A heat pump does not produce heat itself. Instead, it transfers heat from one location to another. During the winter months, it pulls heat from the air or ground to warm your building.
Tips to maximize your heat pump usage
Here are six tips that will help you get the best out of your heat pump this winter.
Clean your filter regularly
The heat pump passes circulated air through a fine mesh filter. With time, this filter will become blocked with gunk, which will make it harder for the appliance’s heating system to heat your home.
Remedy this by cleaning your mesh filters every three months to remove the gunk. And keep the area around your heat pump unit clean. Additionally, hire a heat pump specialist to service it at least once a year, depending on how often you use it.
Install it in the right location to place it
Make the most of your heat pump by considering its capacity and the size of the room where you want to install it. Ideally, you should install a high-capacity pump in a large room and a lower-capacity pump in a small one.
A small heat pump in a large room will have to work harder to attain your desired temperature. And a large pump in a small room will reach your desired temperature faster which might necessitate that you turn it off frequently to avoid overheating.
Use different modes
Most heat pumps have two modes – Auto mode and Heating mode. The Auto mode switches the pump from heating to cooling and back to heating to maintain a certain temperature. The Heating mode, on the other hand, sets the pump to a specific temperature and does not change it until you do.
While the Auto mode is effective, it wastes energy and is, thus, an inefficient way to use your heat pump. Consequently, we recommend you use the Heating mode more.
However, you should endeavor to study your home conditions and what works best before you decide on the best mode to use.
Turn your heat pump off on occasion
Using your heat pump at full capacity every time will make it perform less efficiently until it fails. For this reason, turn it off on occasion. You can use a heat pump timer to determine the optimal time to do this.
Set the timer to start working before you wake up in the morning and before you get home in the evening.
Heat your rooms in sections
Many heat pumps can heat several rooms at once, although it will take a long time.
Instead of heating too many rooms, divide your home into sections. Then, heat each section at separate times. For example, place your bedroom and kitchen in the same group and your living room and study in another group. Then, set your heat timer to heat the first group before you wake up and the second one after the first group.
By the way, keep your windows, curtains, and doors closed at all times to keep the heat within your home.
Don’t cover your heat pump unit
Your heat pump system is designed to survive outdoor conditions. As a result, there is no need to cover it during the winter or summer months.
Covering it may cause serious issues like pest infestation or mold growth, among others.