Heat Pump Installation near you

A furnace creates heat by burning gas, propane or oil, or with electric elements, and its output does not depend on the weather. A heat pump moves heat that is already outside, so it delivers more heat than the electricity it uses, but its capacity and efficiency drop as the outdoor temperature falls. Natural Resources Canada notes that newer air-source models have a minimum operating temperature somewhere between -15°C and -25°C, below which another heat source has to take over.

In a dual-fuel, or hybrid, system a heat pump handles most of the heating and a gas or propane furnace takes over when it gets colder. Natural Resources Canada describes two switch-over points: the balance point, below which the heat pump can no longer meet the home's heating needs on its own, and the economic balance point, below which running the furnace costs less given local energy prices. The two do not run at the same time, and the controls decide which one is working.

Homes without a furnace use electric backup instead, either heating elements in the air handler or the existing baseboards. Whatever the backup, ask the installer to set it up so it only comes on when needed; backup that starts too early erases much of the savings, while backup that is missing or undersized can leave the house cold during a deep freeze.

Heat pumps used to be sized like air conditioners, for summer cooling, which left them too small to carry much of the winter heating. Natural Resources Canada recommends sizing the system to cover the majority of the household's annual heating energy, with peak loads met by a supplementary system. That starts with a heat loss calculation for the house, the local winter design temperature and the heat pump's rated output at cold temperatures, not just its nominal size.

If the heat pump is too small, the backup heating runs much more often. If it is too large, it cycles on and off in milder weather, which hurts comfort and efficiency. Variable-capacity cold-climate models give more room for error because they slow down when less heat is needed.

Heat pump incentives come from federal, provincial and utility programs, and they open, change and close often, so check what is available where you live before you sign a contract. Most programs share a few conditions: the model must appear on the program's list of eligible equipment, often ENERGY STAR certified or rated for cold climates; the work must be done by a properly licensed contractor; and you must keep invoices and photos of the equipment's nameplate. Some programs require an energy evaluation before the work, while others take applications only after installation.

In Quebec, Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program was accepting applications when this page was reviewed. It supports ENERGY STAR certified heat pumps, with more support for cold-climate models, requires an installer holding the appropriate Régie du bâtiment du Québec licence, and asks you to apply after the installation, within nine months. Confirm the current conditions on Hydro-Québec's site, since they can change.