Useful Information for Consumers

CCCANZ Advice to Consumers

CCCANZ is committed to companies taking a responsible approach to sales and servicing heat pumps and other air conditioning equipment. The advice below is designed to help consumers make good decisions about when to get equipment serviced or replaced. We recommend reading the IRHACE Industry Journal which is a FREE publication provided by the industry associations of IRHACE, CCCANZ and RLNZ.


Keeping Your Heat Pump Working Efficiently

  • There are some simple things that most people can do to keep their heat pumps running efficiently and economically.
  • These are things the non-expert can do without fear of doing something wrong or endangering themselves.
  • The regularity of this maintenance also depends on the amount of use.

Three ways to ensure your HVAC&R equipment operates efficiently

3 ways to ensure your equipment operates efficiently

Talk to a CCCANZ member company

Our members cover New Zealand from Northland to Southland and in between. Find a CCCANZ member company


The first thing to note is that if you do anything with your heat pump that requires you to have internal access; turn the unit off and disconnect the power!

Never do anything with your heat pump without checking the manufacturer’s instructions. There are variations that different models have which you may need to be aware of. Failure to follow instructions may result in injury and make it difficult to get any repairs done under warrantee or consumer law.

Recommended Regular Maintenance

Things to do weekly for first four weeks after installation.

  • Check air conditioning system air filters; vacuum or wash clean as necessary – filters have a tendency to initially fill very quickly.
  • Check condensate drains for free drainage.
  • Check compressor compartment for oil stains indicating refrigerant leaks.


Any sign of these issues and you should call the installer back under warrantee to check the unit for you.

Monthly or when the filter clean light appears

  • Check air conditioning system air filters; vacuum or wash clean, or replace as necessary.


Six Monthly

  • Check that fan motors are free running.
  • Check condensate drains and safety drain tray for free drainage.
  • Check the indoor heat exchanger coil for dust and fluff; vacuum or brush clean as necessary.
  • Check air supply at diffuser outlets.


Yearly

  • Check all refrigerant piping for chafing and vibration.
  • Check air supply at all diffusers if ducted system.
  • Check for excessive noise and vibration.
  • Check for insulation and duct damage and repair as necessary.
  • Remove lint and dust accumulation from outdoor coil fins.
  • Touch up any outdoor unit paintwork damage to prevent corrosion.
  • Check that any supports that the unit is mounted on are not corroding and still suitable.


When Should You Get Someone in to Service Your Heat Pump?

  • Once a year it is a good idea to have a professional come in and service your unit, particularly if any of the above are of concern.
  • Unless something major has occurred this should be a low cost exercise.
  • Insure that anyone coming in to service your unit is recognised by the manufacturer. Any manufacturers warrantee may be harder to take advantage of if you are using an unauthorised person.


After someone has been in to service your unit there are some things you should check:

  • If the system was giving good cooling and heating before being serviced then it should continue to do so after servicing.
  • A sudden loss of performance or noise after servicing is an indication the servicing has not been done correctly.
  • If you have concerns you should call the servicing company back in to fix it for you as soon as you can.

Remember your unit contains refrigerant that should be in a secure closed circuit. Any leaks of refrigerant may not be obvious unless the unit is no longer cooling properly. The regular care described above should prevent any issues and give you long and trouble free service.


Click for the EECA installation Guide

Click here for other useful information from EECA

Useful Information for Consumers