The short answer
ENERGY STAR recommends annual pre-season professional checkups: cooling before summer and heating before winter. For a heat pump that performs both jobs, the contractor and manufacturer may recommend one or two visits based on the equipment, warranty, use, and site conditions. Homeowners should inspect the filter monthly and clean or replace it when dirty according to the equipment instructions.
The useful answer
Separate homeowner observation from professional service
Homeowners can monitor filters, registers, thermostat behavior, visible drainage, and clear space around the outdoor unit. A professional checkup should address electrical connections, controls, airflow, coils, condensate, refrigerant performance, and the safe operation of any fuel-fired backup.
The filter schedule is condition-based
Check it monthly, then follow the manufacturer’s replacement or cleaning interval. Pets, construction dust, smoke, high occupancy, and rental turnover can shorten that interval. A more restrictive filter is not automatically better if the system cannot support its pressure drop.
Document the baseline
Keep model and serial numbers, filter size, thermostat settings, service dates, measured findings, and repair history together. For a second home, add the local person who can enter the house, the freeze-alert process, and the response plan if remote monitoring reports a problem.
Call for qualified help when
- Heating or cooling performance changes noticeably from the prior season.
- The system cycles rapidly, runs continuously without maintaining temperature, or becomes much louder.
- Water appears around the indoor equipment or condensate path.
- A fuel-burning backup shows soot, venting damage, or a carbon-monoxide alarm activates.
Questions worth asking
- What does the manufacturer require for this model and warranty?
- What measurements will be recorded—not just visually inspected?
- Will the visit include airflow, refrigerant performance, condensate, electrical, and backup heat?
- What should the homeowner check between professional visits?
Source trail
Primary guidance, not contractor marketing.
These sources establish the general answer. A technician still has to look at the actual house and equipment before diagnosing a fault or recommending a system.
- HVAC Maintenance Checklist ENERGY STAR
- Air-Source Heat Pumps ENERGY STAR
- You Installed an Air-Source Heat Pump — Now What? U.S. Department of Energy Building Science Education
Checked against these sources on October 14, 2026.
Every HVAC answer in one place.
Heat pumps, backup heat, maintenance and choosing a system, written for mountain homes.