How you clean your heat pump
As for heat pumps for ground, geothermal, and lake heat, no specific maintenance is required partly because half of the system is "hidden" in the ground, underground, or in the lake, and the other half is indoors. For air heat pumps, including air/air, air/water, and exhaust air heat pumps, there are filters or outdoor units that can and should be cleaned regularly to maintain high efficiency. Below, we describe how to clean your heat pump - remember to always turn off the power before you begin. More thorough cleaning of the heat pump should generally be carried out once a year. However, cleaning or replacement of filters is required every 2-3 months to ensure proper airflow and high efficiency of your heat pump.
Cleaning of air/air and air/water heat pumps:
1. Inspect the outdoor unit, remove leaves and other debris.
2. Clean the fins of the outdoor unit (also in the indoor unit for air/air heat pumps).
3. Clean or replace the air filters in the indoor unit (applies to air/air heat pumps).
4. Wipe the unit(s) externally.
5. Check the safety valve and pressure gauge for hot water (applies to air/water heat pumps).
Both air/air heat pumps and air/water heat pumps have an outdoor unit that should be inspected regularly. Start by clearing leaves and visible dirt on top of and under the module. Anything that might get stuck or clog should always be removed to avoid affecting the airflow. This also applies to the back of the outdoor unit, where pollen and dirt particles carried by the air can easily get caught in the heat pump's fan elements. To clean the fins, you can spray them with a mild mixture of soap and water, then rinse gently with lukewarm water. Then wipe the module externally with a damp cloth - never clean inside the outdoor unit without consulting your installer and cutting off the main power to your heat pump.
The indoor unit of the air/air heat pump also needs to be cleaned. To clean the indoor unit, gently remove the protective cover. Take out the coarse filters and vacuum or wash them in water if you don't want to replace them with new ones. Use the same mixture as for the outdoor unit to clean the fins in the indoor unit (condenser), or use a cleaning spray for this purpose. Let it work and rinse the fins thoroughly with lukewarm water. Water supply in the indoor unit exits through the condensate tray.
Cleaning of exhaust air heat pumps:
1. Clean the air filter.
2. Clean the house's wall and/or ceiling vents.
3. Clean the hose and wastewater cup.
4. Check the safety valve and pressure gauge for hot water.
Exhaust air heat pumps, like the pumps mentioned above, have a filter that requires regular cleaning. After turning off the power, remove the front panel and take out the air filter. Clean the filter with lukewarm water and a mild soap and water mixture, then rinse thoroughly or vacuum the filters properly. The ventilation system connected to the heat pump includes ceiling and/or wall vents that should also be cleaned once a year. This is easily done by gently removing the vents and cleaning them with mild soapy water. A tip is to take them one by one to avoid mixing up which vent belongs to which setting. Be careful not to touch and change the settings on the valve, as they have been preset to the correct temperature since the start. After the valve has dried, replace it and move on to the next one. While cleaning the ceiling and wall vents, it may be a good idea to check the hose and wastewater cup under the exhaust air heat pump. Wash the hose and cup with a bactericidal agent to remove dirt and algae and rinse off.
When cleaning your exhaust air heat pump, you should also check the safety valve and pressure gauge. Turn the knob of the safety valve to ensure that it is not clogged, and water should drip. The pressure gauge for hot water should be at 0.5-1.5 bar. If it is lower than 0.5, simply open the filling valve and add water until it reaches about 1.0 bar.