Ductless Heatpump Maintenance

Service Line: 250-544-6789

Do Mini Splits even need Annual Maintenance?

Mini-split systems are similar to traditional ducted forced-air systems, and both system types require annual maintenance by an HVAC professional. Regular service helps mini-splits deliver efficient comfort and extend their lifespan. Like cars and household appliances, mini-split units need consistent upkeep. Remember, both indoor and outdoor units need attention to ensure the system runs smoothly.

“Do you Just clean the Filters?”

Mini split systems can easily last for 15-20 years, but proper installation procedures, maintenance, and cleaning significantly affect the strain on a system during day-to-day operations. Just like a car, a well-maintained system is far more likely to run effectively, efficiently, and last longer than one that is not maintained.

Since no accepted standard exists for how to perform a service, here is a description of the tasks Pacific Fireplaces performs. This may vary slightly from job to job, and will especially vary on systems we have installed or visited previously compared to systems we are seeing for the first time.

Homeowners can handle certain tasks such as cleaning indoor filters, but it’s important to also perform a more thorough cleaning and inspection at regular intervals.

What We Do During a Mini Split Service:

1. Visual Inspection and Confirmation of Basic Operations:
   • The technician assesses the basic operation of the unit without tools. Many issues can be detected by simply watching or listening to a unit while it is operating.
2. Recording System Information:
   • We will record all basic system information and save it into a client file to streamline future service and repairs.
3. Cleaning Indoor Filters and Coils:
   • We will clean indoor filters and coils, reducing strain on the unit, improving efficiency, and effectiveness. Sometimes the technician will suggest a more thorough cleaning with a special mini split cleaning kit if required. This is most commonly needed on a first-time visit if the filter cleaning schedule has not been adhered to. Dirty coils and filters will affect unit performance, increase your hydro bill and can also negatively impact indoor air quality. Filters should be cleaned more frequently than just once a year however, the minimum recommendation is every six months. The appropriate time interval will vary from home to home.
4. Condensate Line Inspection and Cleaning:
   • We will Inspect & clean the condensate line to minimize any chance of future leaks.
5. Performance Testing:
   • We will hook up thermostatic probes to various points on the indoor units to test performance and compare actual performance to expected performance.
6. Outdoor Unit Cleaning:
   • e will thoroughly clean the outdoor unit coil to maximize performance and efficiency.
7. Establishing a Performance Baseline:
   • After cleaning the units, we hook up various instruments to the outdoor unit to establish a performance metric. We use this data as a baseline for future comparisons and to troubleshoot any future problems. Although we cannot guarantee detection of issues before they affect performance, our goal is to minimize the time spent tracking future problems and maximize our chances of predicting them. By comparing system performance metrics from year to year, we can detect certain issues, such as slow refrigerant leaks.

We believe the combination of thorough cleaning and maintenance paired with system measurements allows us to find any problems that occur more easily and sometimes even catch problems before they affect performance or cause damage to a unit.

Regular maintenance by Pacific Fireplaces ensures that your mini split system operates at its best, providing efficient and reliable comfort for years to come.