Free checklist
Water-source heat pump quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly water-source heat pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. 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 or maintenance tech on the quarterly round, reaching each unit through the ceiling access panel or the closet door.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, walked unit by unit so a loaded filter or a weeping hose kit is caught before it shows up as a hot or cold zone complaint.
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
- 2 photos
Filter replaced and coil face inspected
Filter changed and correctly sized, no bypass around the rack, coil face clean behind it with no matting or bent fins visible.
- 2 photos
Condensate pan clear and float switch proven
Pan draining fully with no standing water or growth, trap primed, float switch lifted to confirm it interrupts the unit or alarms, secondary pan dry over occupied space.
- 1 photo
Blower running clean and quiet
Wheel free of build-up, set screw tight, motor mounts sound, no rattle or bearing noise at each speed tap.
Water side
- 2 photos
Hose kit, isolation valves and connections dry
Supply and return hose kits, isolation ball valves and unions free of weeping or drips, no rust trail or wet insulation at the coax connections.
- 1 photo
Loop flow and pressure drop reasonable across the unit
Supply and return pressures or the pressure drop across the coax read against the balanced value, no sign of a fouling strainer or a throttled autoflow starving the exchanger.
Operation and controls
- 1 photo
Unit heats and cools on a call
Heat and cool each commanded from the thermostat, reversing valve shifting so discharge air changes over, entering and leaving water temperatures moving as expected, no fault on the board.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Filter skipped because the unit sits above a hard ceiling and the access panel is behind a light fixture, so airflow falls off and the coil starts to load.
- Condensate pan over an occupied space clogs and the ceiling tile stains before the float switch is ever proven to interrupt the unit.
- A hose kit or isolation valve weeping a slow drip onto the ceiling grid, mistaken for a roof leak until the water side is finally traced.
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 quarterly checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering air side, water side, operation and controls. 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 or maintenance tech on the quarterly round, reaching each unit through the ceiling access panel or the closet door.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, walked unit by unit so a loaded filter or a weeping hose kit is caught before it shows up as a hot or cold zone complaint.
- 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 quarterly inspection?
- Filter skipped because the unit sits above a hard ceiling and the access panel is behind a light fixture, so airflow falls off and the coil starts to load. Condensate pan over an occupied space clogs and the ceiling tile stains before the float switch is ever proven to interrupt the unit. A hose kit or isolation valve weeping a slow drip onto the ceiling grid, mistaken for a roof leak until the water side is finally traced.
- 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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