Heat pumps have a reputation for being low-maintenance, and mostly it’s deserved. Because they move heat rather than burning fuel, there’s no flue, no combustion process and none of the carbon-monoxide risk that makes an annual boiler safety check so important.
That doesn’t mean they can be left entirely to their own devices. A heat pump is still a mechanical heating system, with fans, filters, coils, electrical components and refrigerant working together for long stretches through the colder months. Dirt, blocked airflow, loose connections or small changes in system pressure can all reduce performance over time and make the unit work harder than it needs to.
