How to keep a heat pump efficient for fifteen years.
Primary question · What do I actually have to do once the heat pump is installed?
Annual service by an MCS engineer. Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves and growth. Don't drop the flow temperature to chase a number you saw on a forum; your installer set it for a reason. Almost every heat-pump efficiency complaint traces back to a homeowner who 'tuned' it themselves.
Anyone who's just had a heat pump installed; or anyone whose old one feels weaker than it used to.
Annual service: £150–£250. Coil clean: £100–£200 every 3–5 years. Refrigerant top-up (rare): £200–£400.
- Genuinely simple maintenance
- 15–20 year lifespan with annual servicing
- Most warranties run to 7 years, some longer
- DIY 'optimisation' is the single biggest cause of efficiency loss
- Refrigerant work is F-Gas regulated
Book the first annual service three months before the warranty's first review window.
Heat pumps reward people who let them get on with their job. Annual service, clear airflow, leave the controls alone; and you'll forget the system is even there. Which is the goal.