Heat Pumps:  How They Work in Winter and 6 Tips to Prepare Them for Storms

How do heat pumps work in the winter when it’s cold outside? What can you do to ensure they work well even through harsh winter storms?

Heat pumps do not use oil or gas to provide heat in your home, making them an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable source of heat. Heat pumps move heat from outside to inside your home even on a cold winter day.

Your Daikin heat pump will extract heat from the outside air by running it through the outdoor coil to evaporate the refrigerant. The absorbed thermal energy is then moved to the indoor coil which condenses the refrigerant back into a liquid, releasing the heat evenly into your home as warm air.

Our mild winters in Nova Scotia coupled with our humid summers make heat pumps a great option for when you want a consistent temperature in your home year-round.  However, in the instance where a storm is brewing, you may wonder if there is anything special you need to do in preparation for extreme weather.

In very cold weather, your heat pump may not be able to work as efficiently, and a backup source of heat may be needed. Additionally, extreme winter weather conditions like freezing rain and blizzard conditions create snow and ice that can block the outdoor unit of your heat pump, further hindering the transfer of heat into your home or damaging your heat pump altogether if ignored.

What can you do?  Follow these 6 tips to prepare:

1.  Install Your Heat Pump in a Protected Area

When we are installing your heat pump, choose a spot that won’t bear the brunt of harsh winter storms. We can expect snow drifts and icy conditions during the storm season, but only you know your house best: where does the snow tend to accumulate most? Where does water form into ice deposits? Additionally, your heat pump should be installed off of the ground so that it drains properly during all seasons.

2.  Clear Away Snow from Your Heat Pump

Just as you would shovel your walkway or driveway, you want to ensure your heat pump is not buried under the snow. A heat pump blocked with snow will spend more energy melting the snow than heating your home. The outdoor compressor unit is mounted up off the ground, but due to possible high snow accumulation, make sure to check the outdoor unit. Do not use a shovel to clear away the snow as you could damage the unit. Instead, gently clear away using a brush or a broom.

3.  Remove Thick Ice from Your Heat Pump

It’s not uncommon to experience cycles of freeze/thaw during a winter storm, and when this happens, water can drip from the roof of your home onto the outdoor unit, creating a blockage. It is normal for frost or even a thin layer of ice to cover the heat pump, but if you notice more than that, turn off the heat pump and pour warm water over the top of it. Do not use a shovel or sharp objects to remove the ice because the refrigerant coils can be damaged in the process. If there is only a thin layer of ice, the heat pump will defrost itself. Defrost mode kicks in at 0 degrees and will continue for five to 15-minute intervals until the ice has melted. If the heat pump is not defrosting or is going into defrost mode too often, contact us. 

4.  Be Proactive—Not Reactive—with Maintenance

Heat pumps should be deep cleaned every year or two. Contact us so we can check for things like loose wiring or worn bearings—those pesky fixes you won’t want to worry about during a blizzard.

You may also want to prepare for a winter storm by changing the filter on the indoor unit, which is recommended once per month.

Here is an easy five-step process to clean the filter on your heat pump’s indoor unit:

1. Turn off the heat pump.
2. Pop off the cover on the top of the heat pump.
3. Remove the filters. (They will look similar to the lint filter in your clothes dryer.)
4. Clean the filters. You can use a vacuum, or you can put them under running water.
5. Place the filters somewhere they can dry before placing them back in the heat pump.
6. Cleaning your indoor heat pump filter will help your heat pump run more efficiently and ensure maximum heat output from your heat pump.

5.  Measure Your Heat Pump’s Efficiency

Each heat pump has a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF). HSPF is the rating used to measure how well a heat pump performs in heating mode. The higher the score, the more efficiently the heat pump works. Additionally, different heat pump units have different HSPF scores: While the minimum HSPF in Canada is 6.7.  The most popular Daikin models we sell in the market range from 10.3 to 12.5 HSPF on ductless and from 9.5 to 10.5 HSPF on ducted units.

Take stock of your heat pump’s temperature readings during the winter months so that you can plan your backup heating accordingly when a storm is on track. Knowing the full range of your heat pump’s capabilities will help you plan for a storm day when you can expect your heat pump will be working less efficiently.

6.  Plan Your Backup Heat Source

During extreme weather events, you need a backup source of heat.

If you have a ductless/mini-split heat pump, your backup will likely be electric or oil baseboard heating. Since the mini-split heat pump doesn’t require ductwork, many homeowners already have electric or oil baseboard heat in place, or have other forms of back up heat. Ducted heat pumps harness the forced air ducts in your home to spread the heat around. Homeowners with these centrally ducted systems will have electric back up heat, but other forms of back up heat maybe necessary depending on the home.

Thinking of making the switch to a heat pump? Let us help you find the right heat pump.