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John Parr, Director of Parr Air Conditioning, answers some key questions on getting the most out of your heat pump.
Why do I need to check my heat pump?
A heat pump requires a certain level of care and maintenance to ensure you get the most out of it, just like any appliance around the home. Jason says: "Quite simply, it's like driving a car with the radiator blocked. Air doesn't come in or out, which the engine doesn't like, and eventually it will stop working."
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How often do I need a service?
Jason recommends a maximum of two years between services, but an annual check up is ideal. The best time for a service is in the three months before winter, or at the beginning of autumn.
"It's more critical if it's a ducted system," points out Jason. "The volume of air being moved is much, much greater and everything is hidden out of the way so people do tend to forget about it."
Jason also offers some important advice for newly installed ducted systems. "We recommend checking the filter fortnightly, and then monthly if it doesn't need it fortnightly. People tend to forget that there's quite often a lot of lint flying around, particularly if there's new carpet, or if there's hair and fur from pets."
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What's the life expectancy of a heat pump?
"The rule of thumb can be anywhere between 8 and 15 years," says Jason. Like any appliance, the better it is looked after, the longer it stays in good working order.
"The thing to remember is that a home unit can be working for up to 16 or 18 hours a day. Mind you, we've got machines that we installed in 1979 that are still going, which is pretty impressive."
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Example: what can go wrong?
Like any technician, Jason has seen the best and, occasionally, the worst of things that can go wrong.
"Lack of maintenance, especially with filters, can easily halve the life of a system. It won't work that well, either.
"There was a commercial ceiling unit in a shop and the filters were absolutely filthy. I've never seen filters that bad. I'd started pulling it out and by the end I'd filled the whole shop with dust!"
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More information
To find out more, contact Parr Air Conditioning on 6273 1577.
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