As Ireland’s leading heat pump specialist, Daikin is at the forefront of the move towards more sustainable living. Here, we look at some of the mistakes homeowners make with their heat pumps – and how you can get the most out of your system.
So, you’re up and running with your heat pump. Your journey towards lower energy bills and reduced carbon emissions is now underway – but how can you make sure you are getting the most out of this amazing technology?
Once installed, your air-to-water or air-to-air heat pump can only realise its full energy-saving potential if it is operated efficiently. Here at Daikin, we help homeowners around Ireland to run their heat pump correctly by teaching them a few basic tips and handy hints. Here’s our guide to getting your heat pump running at maximum efficiency.
1. Do not adjust your settings
Your installer will have configured your heat pump settings for maximum efficiency in your home, so there is no need to adjust them. If you think any of the settings are not right, you should:
· Call your heat pump local supplier/installer to check that altering any settings won’t increase your electricity bills; or
· Ask your authorised service engineer during your next scheduled service
You should use the time clock to change the time and the TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) and/or thermostat to control the ambient temperature. Bear in mind that the ideal temperature for a living area is 19-20°C while for a bedroom it’s 17-18°C and remember that lowering your thermostat by just 1°C will result in considerable savings.
Most importantly, do not turn off your heat pump as this may result in very high electricity bills!
2. Never cover or block air flow to your heat pump
An air-to-water or air-to-air heat pump should never be covered. Equally, nothing should be placed directly in front of the unit as a heat pump needs free air flow at all times. Anything blocking the air flow will make the heat pump less efficient, increase your running costs and reduce the life span of the system.
There should be at least 1 metre of free space in front of the outdoor unit, while there should be no barriers and nothing built around the outside unit unless specifically approved by your heat pump manufacturer/supplier.
3. Don’t turn off the immersion or back-up heater switch
Most heat pumps use the electrical immersion to complete the anti-Legionella bacteria cycle (ensuring the disease-causing bacteria Legionella can’t survive in your hot water system), so you should NOT turn off the immersion. Some heat pumps may also use the back-up heater to boost the start-up and running of the unit, and if this gets turned on/off it may bump up your electricity bills.
4. For optimum performance, set your hot water temperature to 48°C
To get the most out of your heat pump system, your domestic hot water temperature should be set to 48°C. Once a week, your heat pump will increase the hot water temperature to 60-65°C to ‘burn away’ the dangerous Legionella bacteria, ensuring a safe and clean supply of domestic hot water. After this, the hot water in your tank reverts to the standard set temperature.
5. Water around the base of your outdoor unit? Don’t worry
Because the refrigerant fluid inside your heat pump is cold, any moisture in the outdoor air will condense on the outdoor coil and drip onto the base of the unit. This can cause some staining around the outdoor unit that might look like a leak – but isn’t. In freezing weather, the unit might actually ice over – again, this is perfectly normal. The heat pump will simply defrost itself and drain away the melted water, discharging steam or white mist while doing so.
6. Stick to the terms of your warranty
Just like a regular gas boiler, your heat pump must be serviced at least once a year by a registered technician. This is hugely important or else your warranty will be void. Remember, it is your responsibility not only to contact an authorised technician and get the unit serviced, but also to keep a record of the service and maintenance work carried out. This will ensure your warranty rolls on from one year to the next, with a proper track record of all servicing and maintenance carried out.
7. Not sure about anything? Ask, ask, ask!
If you have a technical question about your air-to-air or air-to-water heat pump, you should contact the manufacturer or your local supplier/installer as soon as possible. If you are a Daikin customer, you can consult the FAQ section of our website or register your warranty in our dedicated ‘Stand By Me’ customer service portal.
Thinking about installing a heat pump for more sustainable living? Find out how a home energy grant can help reduce your energy costs and carbon emissions here.
Thank you for reading!
