Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) Maintenance Checklist
Keep your air source heat pump delivering efficient low-carbon heat — coil and fan checks, refrigerant and F-Gas compliance, defrost operation, and flow-temperature verification.
What is an air source heat pump maintenance checklist?
A air source heat pump (ashp) maintenance checklist is a structured list of the 11 preventive maintenance tasks — covering visual, functional, cleaning, safety and record-keeping checks — that keep an air source heat pump (ashp) running safely and reliably. It groups routine checks by frequency, from daily inspections to annual servicing, so FM teams and building engineers can plan and evidence preventive maintenance.
Core air source heat pump checks
- Inspect the plate heat exchanger / condenser and system water quality
- Check the fan and motor for operation, balance, and bearing noise
- Inspect and clean the evaporator coil and outdoor unit of debris, leaves, and dust
- Carry out F-Gas leak checks as required by the refrigerant charge
- Record COP/performance, refrigerant data, and F-Gas checks in the log
What is an air source heat pump (ashp)?
An air source heat pump (ASHP) extracts low-grade heat from outside air and upgrades it to useful heating and hot water using a refrigerant circuit and compressor. Increasingly central to building decarbonisation and Part L compliance, ASHPs run year-round and depend on clean coils, a healthy refrigerant charge, correct flow temperatures, and reliable defrost operation for their efficiency (measured as coefficient of performance, COP). Because they contain fluorinated refrigerant, they fall under the F-Gas Regulations, requiring leak checks and record-keeping. Maintenance protects both efficiency and compliance.
This checklist is one of 15 in our heating maintenance checklists, covering boilers, calorifiers, heat exchangers, heat pumps and flues — combustion, controls and hot water safety checks.
Typical Air Source Heat Pump maintenance checklist
A practical starting point for planned preventive maintenance. Always refer to the manufacturer's O&M manual and site-specific requirements.
Visual Checks
- Inspect the plate heat exchanger / condenser and system water quality
- Check condensate drainage from the outdoor unit is clear and frost-protected
Functional Checks
- Check the fan and motor for operation, balance, and bearing noise
- Verify refrigerant circuit performance — pressures, superheat, and subcooling
- Confirm the defrost cycle initiates and clears ice correctly
- Check flow and return water temperatures against the design (lower is more efficient)
- Verify controls, weather compensation, and setpoints are optimised
- Confirm the electrical supply, isolation, and any soft-start operate correctly
Cleaning & Housekeeping
- Inspect and clean the evaporator coil and outdoor unit of debris, leaves, and dust
Safety Checks
- Carry out F-Gas leak checks as required by the refrigerant charge
Record Keeping
- Record COP/performance, refrigerant data, and F-Gas checks in the log
Download the free Air Source Heat Pump maintenance checklist PDF
Get all 11 tasks as a printable PDF — free, no signup needed. Keep a copy in the plant room, attach it to work orders, or share it with your maintenance contractor.
Typical maintenance frequency
Suggested intervals for air source heat pump (ashp) maintenance. Actual frequencies should follow manufacturer guidance and site-specific risk assessments.
Quarterly
- •Clean outdoor coil and check fan
- •Verify flow temperatures
- •Check defrost and condensate
Annually
- •Full service and F-Gas leak check
- •Refrigerant performance check
- •Water quality and heat exchanger inspection
- •Controls optimisation
Common faults and issues
Issues to be aware of when maintaining air source heat pump (ashp) equipment.
Safety and compliance notes
Key safety considerations for air source heat pump (ashp) maintenance. This is general guidance only — always follow OEM instructions, statutory requirements, and your organisation's safe systems of work.
Reference standards and frameworks
- United Kingdom
- SFG20, CIBSE Guide M, and Gas Safe requirements for gas-fired plant
- North America
- ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180, plus ASME CSD-1 for automatically fired boilers
Frameworks commonly referenced when planning air source heat pump maintenance programmes. Always confirm the requirements that apply to your site and jurisdiction.
Managing Air Source Heat Pump documentation with PM Assist
PM Assist helps FM and building operations teams search their O&M manuals and building drawings in seconds. Upload your air source heat pump (ashp) documentation and ask questions like “What flow temperature is the ASHP set to?” or “What refrigerant and charge does it hold?” — and get source-cited answers instantly.
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Take this checklist with you
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Further reading on air source heat pump maintenance
Compliance topics for air source heat pump maintenance
Frequently asked questions
How often should an air source heat pump be serviced?
Do heat pumps fall under F-Gas regulations?
Why is my heat pump efficiency dropping?
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