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Heat Pump Maintenance in Snow Storms
With all the recent snow fall, collapsing shrubs and broken tree branches, there has been a major maintenance issue with heat pumps.
After we had 18 inches of snow the second weekend of February, it seemed like my heat pump was running too long and sounding a little strained. I peaked outside and was alarmed. A shrub that I normally keep trimmed back 4′ from the compressor had collapsed under the weight of the snow and covered the unit.
These units require free air movement from all sides and above. Air is drawn in from the sides by the fan and expelled through the top. Any hindrances will reduce the efficiency of the system and can cause damage to the fan motor. It took me thirty minutes of branch cutting and shoveling snow to clear the unit. The picture I took above shows my work – and a properly cleared compressor unit. When finished I could hear a noticeable difference and it ran far less than it did before.
If you have a heat pump, be sure there is adequate clearance on all sides. These units will not operate if blocked and if operated under this strain can wear out more quickly and be damaged. This picture is from an inspection later in the Snow-meggedon week… this compressor was operated in this condition.
