A proper heat pump cleaning takes the indoor head apart, washes the coil and the blower wheel, flushes the drain line and rinses the outdoor unit. A wipe of the filters is not a cleaning.
We clean ductless and ducted systems of most brands across Cape Breton, whoever installed them. The visit is booked at a set price per head, quoted before we arrive.
A heat pump should get a full cleaning once a year, and the filters should be rinsed every four to eight weeks while it runs. Homes with pets, smokers or a busy kitchen may need a cleaning every six months.
Late summer and early fall are the best times, before the heating season starts. Spring works too, before it switches over to cooling.
The filters are the one part you should look after yourself. Turn the head off, lift the front panel and slide the filters out. Rinse them under lukewarm water from the back side, so the dust pushes out the way it came in. Let them dry fully before they go back in, because a wet filter can grow mould. Never run the head without its filters, even for a day, because the dust goes straight onto the coil. Through the heating season, check them every few weeks, and more often with pets or a wood stove in the house. Clean filters are not a substitute for a full cleaning, since most of the dirt builds up on the coil and blower wheel behind them.
The most common signs are weaker airflow, a musty or sour smell when the head starts up, and black specks on the vanes or the wall below. Water dripping from the indoor head is another sign, because it usually means a blocked drain.
A dirty unit also costs more to run. Dust on the coil works like a blanket, so the system has to run longer to deliver the same heat.
A heat pump in cooling or dry mode pulls water out of the air, and that water runs across the coil and the blower wheel. In a damp Cape Breton summer, dust and moisture inside the head make a good place for mould to grow. The signs are a musty or sour smell when the head starts, and black specks on the vanes or blown onto the wall below. Wiping the vanes does not fix it, because the growth is on the blower wheel inside. A full cleaning takes the head apart, washes the coil and blower and flushes the drain. Running the fan for a while after cooling helps keep it dry between cleanings.
Every cleaning visit follows the same steps. We cover the wall and floor, take off the front panel and filters, hang a drain bag under the head and wash the coil and blower with a coil cleaner and low-pressure rinse.
Outside, we clear leaves and grass from the outdoor unit, rinse salt and dirt off the coil and check that the stand or bracket is still solid. We finish by running the system and checking the temperature of the air coming out.
A cleaning is the best time to catch small problems, because the head is already apart. While the unit is open, each head is checked for seven things: that it heats and cools properly, that the filters and coil are clear, that the head and outdoor unit are mounted solidly, that the line set cover is intact and the wall opening is sealed against mice, that the condensate drains freely, that surge protection is in place, and any other damage such as dents, cracks or oil stains. You get a short report of what was found. If something needs repair, you get a price before anything is done.
Salt in the air settles on the outdoor coil and slowly eats into the thin metal fins. Homes on Isle Madame, along the Gulf shore and close to the open coast see more of it than homes inland.
A yearly fresh-water rinse of the outdoor coil is one of the cheapest ways to make a coastal heat pump last longer. If the fins are already damaged, we tell you and show you, and our heat pump repair page covers what comes next.
The outdoor unit does its hardest work from December to March. Keep snow cleared from around it and from the top after a storm, and keep the space underneath open so defrost water can drain away. Never chip ice off the coil with a shovel or scraper, because the fins bend and puncture easily. If ice builds up thick and does not clear after a defrost cycle, switch the unit off and call for service. Keep the area free of snowbanks pushed off the driveway, and do not wrap or cover the unit while it is running. In spring, clear any leaves or grass that collected around the base.
A full cleaning is $169 for the first indoor head and $99 for each additional head, before HST. A home with two heads pays $268 plus HST, and a home with three heads pays $367 plus HST. The final price is confirmed on site, for example if a head is badly clogged or hard to reach. The outdoor unit is rinsed as part of the visit. When you book, tell us how many indoor heads you have, including any floor consoles or ceiling units, so the right amount of time is set aside.
A little preparation makes the visit quicker. Clear a path to each indoor head and move furniture, pictures or plants from directly underneath it, since a drain bag hangs below the head while it is washed. Make sure there is a power outlet nearby. Outside, clear snow or leaves from around the outdoor unit so the technician can reach it. If you have pets, keep them in another room. Have the remote handy and note any error lights, smells or noises you have noticed. It helps to know the brand and roughly how old the system is, but it is not required.
Call (902) 201-6758 or send the form and tell us how many indoor heads you have. You can see every other service on the Comfort Heat Pumps Cape Breton home page.
Yes. Most brands of ductless and ducted heat pumps are cleaned, whoever installed them.
The outdoor unit is rinsed as part of the cleaning visit.
You can and should rinse the filters. Washing the coil and blower wheel means taking the head apart and protecting the wall and electronics from water, which is best left to a technician.
Late summer and early fall, before the heating season, or spring before cooling. Booking early avoids the fall rush.
Sometimes, if the cause is a clogged coil or filter. If not, the technician will tell you what else is wrong, and repair is priced separately.
Yes. Each additional head is $99 before HST.
Every service below is available across Cape Breton Island.
A ductless heat pump heats a room or an open floor plan through a slim indoor head on the wall, with no ductwork needed. It is the most common job in Cape Breton because most older homes were never built with ducts.
Prices and details: Ductless Installation
A whole-home heat pump system runs several indoor heads from one or two outdoor units, so every main room gets its own heat. It is the right choice when one head cannot reach the bedrooms, the basement or the far end of the house.
Prices and details: Whole-Home Systems
A ducted central heat pump sends warm air through the ductwork a house already has, the same way a furnace does. It suits homes with a forced-air oil or electric furnace and ducts in good shape.
Prices and details: Ducted Central Systems
An oil to heat pump conversion replaces most or all of the heat from an oil furnace or boiler with a heat pump. It cuts the oil bill, and in many homes it ends oil deliveries altogether.
Prices and details: Switching From Oil
Heat pump repair finds out why a unit has stopped heating, is blowing cold air, is leaking water or is showing an error code, and then fixes it. Most problems come down to airflow, drainage, a sensor, a board or the refrigerant charge.
Prices and details: Repair and Service
A heat pump water heater heats your hot water by pulling warmth out of the air around the tank, instead of heating it with an electric element alone.
Prices and details: Hot Water Tanks
A heat pump keeps a cottage or seasonal home dry and above freezing through the winter, then cools it in summer. It is often the cheapest way to heat a camp that is only used on weekends.
Prices and details: Cottages and CampsCall us and talk it through before you book anything.
Tell us a little about your home and what heats it today, and we will book a free visit. Calls go to (902) 201-6758.
