I've played around at home with an IR blaster to try and control mine, but the trouble is teaching it the IR codes. When you use a TV remote for example, it usually just send a single command based on the button you push - but most heap pump remotes send the whole current configuration set from the remote to the heat pump each time (Often why there is a second or so delay with most heat pump remote button pushes). This ensures the LCD display on the remote is in sync with the device.

That makes the number of possible IR combinations each remote can send go up by a lot, and it often varies model to model, manufacturer to manufacturer. So someone needs to take the time to capture all the IR code combinations and program up them up somewhere.

If you're lucky enough to get a blaster that knows the codes for your specific device great, but that's about the only way.