How long will heating oil last before it goes bad?

[fire_man]

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I have a heat pump hot water system. Mine is located in our garage, which is wouldn’t recommend. It is nice to cool the garage off, and I find that with a small window A/C unit, it can make it quite comfortable to work in there in the heat of a Kansas summer. But the reason I wouldn’t recommend it is that it’s quite a dirt location. With that being said, I’ve had it 5 years, and the maintenance I’ve done is blow the filter out frequently (it’s easy to do), and I have taken the top heat pump portion apart to clean the coils as best I can once or so. That is also not a complicated project, just takes a little time. I would recommend a heat pump water tank. It works quite well and keeps up with a family of 7. I have it set in a schedule so that it briefly goes into high demand mode in the evening when we are taking showers, etc., otherwise it runs on the energy efficient mode and the element rarely comes on.

Good point about the dirt. For me it would have to be in the basement which is also pretty dusty/dirty. I also like the idea that it would dehumidify the basement, so maybe I wouldn't need to run the dehumidifier.

 

[EbS-P]

For a the house heatpump it’s recommended you get an annual service which is just cleaning both coils. I cleaned my own this year. Get decent filters and change them regularly.

I have bought a 3m washable trim to fit filter. Use in both house and water heatpump as a pre filter. Works good. Low restriction

 

[fire_man]

For a the house heatpump it’s recommended you get an annual service which is just cleaning both coils. I cleaned my own this year. Get decent filters and change them regularly.

I have bought a 3m washable trim to fit filter. Use in both house and water heatpump as a pre filter. Works good. Low restriction

What did they charge you for the annual service if you don't mind me asking? That's one thing I don't like about the oil furnaces is they definitely need to be maintained regularly.

 

[EbS-P]

What did they charge you for the annual service if you don't mind me asking? That's one thing I don't like about the oil furnaces is they definitely need to be maintained regularly.

Usually 120$. We are 3 miles from the beach so factor that tax in. Have not priced them post Covid.

 

[Highbeam]

Most people don’t do any maintenance on heat pump house heaters. They barely change the filters!

 

[peakbagger]

The minisplit indoor units tend to build up slime and deposits in the drain tray running to the outdoor drain. The tray should be cleaned annually until the owners figures out that they can stretch out the cycles. The same with the squirrel cage fan, units near cooking areas with grease in the air will require cleaning more often than units in other spaces. Units in areas with smokers also will build up. Some cats like the high perch provided by a typical mini split when not in use during shoulder season. In general homes with pets will need to clean the filters. The coils both inside and outside can be cleaned with spray on product, Lots of You Tube videos on how to DIY. After you have done it once, it does not take that long.

 

[EbS-P]

Most people don’t do any maintenance on heat pump house heaters. They barely change the filters!

Units in laundry rooms will need vacuuming/cleaned more. It’s really linty.

 

[EbS-P]

The minisplit indoor units tend to build up slime and deposits in the drain tray running to the outdoor drain. The tray should be cleaned annually until the owners figures out that they can stretch out the cycles. The same with the squirrel cage fan, units near cooking areas with grease in the air will require cleaning more often than units in other spaces. Units in areas with smokers also will build up. Some cats like the high perch provided by a typical mini split when not in use during shoulder season. In general homes with pets will need to clean the filters. The coils both inside and outside can be cleaned with spray on product, Lots of You Tube videos on how to DIY. After you have done it once, it does not take that long.

I just bought a this. No rinse needed at dilution greater than 20:1. Not flooding your indoor drain Can be tricky with all the foam. Go slow! If you are in a hurry you will make a mess. Don’t ask how I know.

Refrigeration Technologies Viper Heavy Duty Coil Cleaner & Degreaser 1 Gal, Amber https://a.co/d/0mb6O16

 

[Highbeam]

Units in laundry rooms will need vacuuming/cleaned more. It’s really linty.

We should probably be clear about maintenance required for traditional ducted heat pumps vs. the mini splits. The ducted systems will have a real, useful, filter that needs to be replaced. The minis have this screen looking thing that will need cleaning less often.

On the ducted system it doesn’t matter where the air handler is, just where the intake pulls air from.

Both have coils in the air handler and the outside compressor that need to be kept clear but the frequency of cleaning depends on the local environment.