Ductless Heat Pump FAQ

Posted on July 15, 2021 by GSK Climate Control, Inc.

Wall-mount ductless heat pumps installed for Equinox Hotel’s Pond House

Ductless Heat Pump FAQ’s:
– Also referred to as mini or multi-split heat pumps –
here are answers to your most frequently asked questions

How often should I have maintenance done? : Home & building owners should consider scheduling annual maintenance for their heat pump system(s). Professional maintenance includes: cleaning the indoor unit, washing & replacing the removable air filters, cleaning the outdoor condenser, & checking the operation of the system. The removable air filters might need more than once a year cleaning, depending on how often the system is used. If you have a heat pump system in your full-time residence, or high-traffic commercial space, you’ll likely need to wash and replace the indoor air filters multiple times each year – seasonally, or monthly, depending on usage.
How do I clean & access the indoor air filters? To clean the indoor air filters, simply remove from the indoor unit and wash in your kitchen sink or outdoor hose with cold or lukewarm water. The filters can also be vacuumed in place but washing is generally more feasible and effective. For regular wall-mounted ductless heat pumps, the indoor air filters can be accessed by gently pulling up on each tab located on the far right & left side of the front of each indoor unit. The cover hinges upwards giving you access to the air filters, which slide out. For ceiling cassette’s, the air filter can be accessed by gently pulling the two tabs located on the grill towards the center of the cassette. This will unhinge the ceiling grill from one end. The removable air filters are located on the back side of this grill. Refer to your operation manual for detailed instructions.
What’s the condenser? The condenser is the outdoor unit ,where all the refrigerant lines from the indoor units connect to. The condenser houses main components of your heat pump system such as the compressor, condenser coil, service taps, and main circuit board for your heat pump system. Each indoor unit houses the blower, evaporator coil, condensate pump (if applicable), and they each have their own circuit boards as well.
I have water dripping out of a pipe by my condenser, is this bad? There’s a drain line next to the outdoor unit that’s typically made out of vinyl or PVC that drains all of the moisture created by the air conditioning inside. This drain line connects to each indoor unit and then drains the water created from air conditioning to the outside. The drain line will continually drip water, as long as you’re operating your heat pumps in cooling or dry mode, this is an indication that the condensate lines are unobstructed and working. No water coming out of the drain lines when your heat pumps are cooling, would be an indication that there’s a problem with your drain line – call for service.
What’s the difference between a mini & multi-split heat pump? A ‘mini-split’ heat pump system refers to a single outdoor unit (aka condenser) with a single indoor unit (sometimes referred to as a ‘head’). A ‘multi-split’ heat pump system consists of one or several outdoor units (aka condenser) connected to multiple indoor units (aka ‘heads’).
Why does the indoor unit have a steady green light? The indoor unit will have a steady green light, when it’s turned on, either by the remote, installed wall thermostat, or remotely if your heat pump had a wifi controller installed.
My indoor unit has a blinking green light and stopped operating, what does this mean? If you have a multi-split system with multiple indoor heads, the indoor unit(s) will blink green when several or one of the indoor heads is in a different ‘mode’ than the others. For the majority of residential ductless heat pumps, your condensers do not have the ability to run heat & cooling at the same time. All of your indoor units must be set to the same ‘mode’ (ie: heat, cool, dry, fan) to operate. If you have a single (aka ‘mini-split’) heat pump system, or all of the indoor units for your multi-split system are in the same mode, and your indoor units are still blinking green, it’s likely that your system is experiencing a ‘U4 transmission error’. This can occur after or during a heavy rain/snow/wind/lightening storm, where your home’s power might experience transient power surges. This is easily remedied by resetting the heat pump system. This can be done by turning the disconnect at the outdoor condenser off for at least 5 minutes (this turns off power to all of the indoor units as well). After 5 minutes, switch the disconnect back on. This should have re-set your heat pump system, clearing the transmission error. Your heat pump’s regular operation should resume. If you’re still experiencing issues, call the office and schedule a service call.
How do I use the remote? Click this link to view a helpful guide on Daikin heat pump remotes: http://www.daikinac.com/content/assets/DOC/ARC452A9%20Controller%20Quick%20User%20Guide.pdf
I adjusted the settings on the remote but the heat pump isn’t operating accordingly, what’s going on? The remote must be pointed at the corresponding indoor unit when any settings adjustments are made. You’ll hear an audible beep from the indoor unit, anytime a setting adjustment was successfully made from the remote or wifi controller. If your heat pump isn’t responding to the remote, it’s likely that you’re standing too far away from the indoor unit, the remote is not pointed directly at it, or that the batteries in your remote are dying or dead.
My remote’s screen is very faint and I can barely see it, what should I do? How often should I change the batteries? The graphics on the remote’s screen will become very faint and hard to see when the batteries are dying in your remote. Replace your remote’s batteries (typically 2 AAA batteries). It’s a good practice to replace the batteries in your heat pump remote (as well as your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors!) once a year with daylight savings.
Can I get a wifi thermostat to control my heat pumps remotely? We have several options for WiFi controllers for ductless heat pumps. Wifi controllers allow home & building owners to control their ductless heat pumps remotely from an app on their smartphone, from anywhere they have a cell signal or wifi service! Please call the office and inquire about wifi controls for your ductless heat pumps to learn more about wifi thermostat options, features, and pricing!
My heat pump stopped heating for over 5 minutes and then resumed operation, is this normal? When temperatures are at or below freezing outside, the outdoor condenser will eventually accumulate ice. An iced condenser cannot effectively heat your building until it’s melted. Ice accumulation is automatically defrosted by your heat pump system. When defrost occurs, your indoor unit will stop heating/blowing air for approx. 4-12 minutes (to prevent circulating cold/lukewarm air into the space) while ice is defrosted off the condenser. After the defrost function successfully de-ices the condenser, your heat pump will resume normal operation.