Heat pump winter maintenance and settings
We get Christchurch heat pumps ready for winter by cleaning and checking both units. Use heat mode rather than auto, pick a steady temperature, set the fan to auto and point the louvres down. We book visits Monday to Friday, between 8am and 5pm.
Prefer to talk? Call 03 242 1023
How to prepare your heat pump for winter
Do these in autumn, while it’s still mild.
- Wash the filters. Summer dust and pollen sit in them all season.
- Run it on heat for half an hour. Find out it works before you need it.
- Check round the outdoor unit. Clear leaves and weeds from under and around it. Cut back plants so air can move.
- Look at the feet or bracket. The unit should sit off the ground. Then defrost water can drain, and the base won’t freeze into a block of ice.
- Book a check if something seems off. An autumn tune-up sorts small problems before the cold.
Heat pump winter settings that work
Use heat mode, not auto. On a mild winter afternoon, auto can flick between heating and cooling. Heat mode keeps it on one job.
Pick a steady temperature. Setting it really high won’t warm the room much faster. The unit just works hard for longer, and the room gets too hot. Pick a comfy number and leave it.
Fan on auto. The unit works out the airflow it needs. Want the room warm fast? Turn the fan up. It pushes more warm air into the room.
Louvres down. Warm air rises. Aim it at the floor and it spreads up through the room.
Use the timer. Have it come on before you wake up or get home. Starting from cold at full demand is harder on the unit than running gently.
Shut doors to rooms you aren’t heating. A heat pump sized for the living area can’t heat the whole house as well. Keep the warmth where you need it. Need more rooms heated? See multi-room installation.
Get a free quote. Installs, servicing and repairs on all major brands.
Heat pump winter maintenance for Christchurch homes
Before winter, check the things your part of Christchurch is hard on.
- Frosty flat suburbs. On the flat south-west side in Oaklands and Spreydon, cold, still mornings bring frost, and the outdoor unit sits on raised feet or a bracket. Check it’s still level, with somewhere for the defrost water to drain.
- Low ground and big trees. In Beckenham, by the river and under big old trees, clear the leaves from round the unit. It should sit up clear of soggy ground and garden beds.
- Salt on the easterly. In Avondale, a few kilometres from the coast, an easterly brings in some salt. Give the outdoor coil a gentle rinse when you clear round it in autumn.
- Heat pumps that run every evening. In Linwood, a heat pump that runs every winter evening gets dusty fast. Book the yearly service before the cold sets in.
The outdoor unit in a Canterbury winter
Over winter the outdoor unit copes with frost, meltwater, ice and the odd snowfall.
Frost and defrost. On a cold, clear night, damp in the air freezes on the outdoor coil. The unit runs backwards for a few minutes to melt it. You’ll see steam and hear a whoosh. The indoor fan stops while it does this. The room may feel a bit cooler for a moment. That’s normal.
Where the meltwater goes. Defrost water drips from the base. On a concrete path it can freeze overnight into a slippery patch. Is the unit above a path or doorway? Ask us about a drain tray or a gravel soak area.
Ice that stays. Ice getting thicker every night? Whole unit encased? Then the defrost isn’t keeping up. It could be a sensor. It could be low refrigerant. Or the unit could be sitting in a frozen puddle. Turn it off and call us. Don’t chip the ice off. The fins bend easily.
Snow. If snow settles on the unit, brush it gently off the top and away from the sides with a soft broom. Don’t use hot water.
Don’t box it in. A tight box or a tarp on a running unit blocks the air and traps defrost water. The safe kind of heat pump cover only shields the top.
Heat pump winter faults worth catching early
Call us about these before they get worse.
- Only lukewarm air from the indoor unit. It isn’t putting out the heat it should.
- The outdoor unit runs nonstop, but the room never warms up. It’s working hard and the heat isn’t reaching you.
- Ice that won’t clear. The defrost isn’t keeping up.
- Steam or water coming from inside the house, not outside. Defrost water belongs outside, so water indoors is a fault.
- A new grinding or rattling noise when it starts. Something has worn or come loose.
Some just need a clean. Some need a repair. An older unit that struggles every winter may be due for a cold climate heat pump built to heat when it’s freezing outside.
What our heat pump winter maintenance visit covers
We clean and check the indoor and outdoor units. We test the heat output. We check the defrost drainage under the outdoor unit. Then we set up the remote and timer with you. For the full list, see heat pump servicing. We book visits Monday to Friday, between 8am and 5pm.
Call 03 242 1023 to get your heat pump ready for winter, or ask for a quote.
Heat pump winter maintenance questions
What is the best setting for a heat pump in winter?
Heat mode, not auto. A steady temperature you're comfy at. Fan on auto. Louvres pointing down. Use the timer to start it before you get up or get home. Don't crank it up when you walk in.
Should I cover my outdoor unit in winter?
Not while you're using the heat pump. The outdoor unit needs open air. Defrost water needs somewhere to drain. A heat pump cover over the top only is fine, as long as the sides and front stay clear.
Is it normal for the outdoor unit to ice up?
A light frost on the coil that clears when it defrosts is normal. Thick ice that keeps building isn't. Nor is a unit encased in ice. Get it checked.
Should I leave my heat pump on all night in winter?
It depends on the house. In a well insulated home, a low overnight setting can be comfy. It also saves a cold start. In a draughty home, most of that heat is gone by morning. Try the timer and see what suits your place.
More on heat pump care through the year
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