Free checklist
Water-source heat pump annual maintenance checklist
The annual water-source heat pump service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The mechanical service tech on the annual, with the unit off, the water side isolated and the space protected below the access panel.
When in the schedule
Once a year, the pass that isolates the water side to clean the strainer and verify flow and pressure drop, and opens the cabinet to reach the coil, pan and blower the quarterly never touches.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Air side and coil
- 2 photos
Coil deep-cleaned and drain pan pulled and re-pitched
Coil cleaned through the full fin depth, no leaks at the tube connections, pan removed and scrubbed to bare surface, pan and line re-pitched to drain and trap rebuilt and primed.
- 1 photo
Blower and motor serviced
Motor bearings checked, wheel cleaned and balanced, amp draw within nameplate at each speed, no imbalance or rub.
Water side
- 2 photos
Strainer cleaned and hose kit and isolation valves serviced
Y-strainer basket pulled, cleaned and reseated, hose kits and unions checked for wear and leaks, isolation and any motorized valve stroked full range and seating.
- 2 photos
Flow and pressure drop verified across the coax
Pressure drop across the water-to-refrigerant coax measured and compared to the manufacturer's flow curve, autoflow or balancing valve confirmed delivering design flow, entering and leaving water temperatures logged.
Refrigerant, controls and electrical
- 1 photo
Reversing valve operation proven under load in both modes
Unit driven through heating and cooling under real load, reversing valve shifting fully and holding, refrigerant operating pressures and temperatures read where the system allows and compared to the data plate, a low reading treated as a leak to find rather than a top-off.
- 1 photo
Electrical connections and thermostat verified
Terminal and disconnect connections tight with no heat discoloration, contactor and capacitor sound, thermostat calibrated and occupied and unoccupied modes proven with no overrides left set.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Strainer never pulled, so the basket loads with loop debris and the throttled flow gets misread as a low-charge problem instead of a starved exchanger.
- Reversing valve hanging up between modes only under real load, so the unit heats when it should cool, and the annual signs off after a single bench-style mode test that never loads it.
- Water-side balancing left as-found because the autoflow or balancing valve looks fine, while the coax pressure drop says the unit is running well off its design flow.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this water-source heat pump annual checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering air side and coil, water side, refrigerant, controls and electrical. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The mechanical service tech on the annual, with the unit off, the water side isolated and the space protected below the access panel.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, the pass that isolates the water side to clean the strainer and verify flow and pressure drop, and opens the cabinet to reach the coil, pan and blower the quarterly never touches.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a water-source heat pump annual inspection?
- Strainer never pulled, so the basket loads with loop debris and the throttled flow gets misread as a low-charge problem instead of a starved exchanger. Reversing valve hanging up between modes only under real load, so the unit heats when it should cool, and the annual signs off after a single bench-style mode test that never loads it. Water-side balancing left as-found because the autoflow or balancing valve looks fine, while the coax pressure drop says the unit is running well off its design flow.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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