| A Heat Pump is essentially the same as an air | | | | electricity, propane, or oil for heating. |
| conditioner, but with one extra feature added. On | | | | 4. "Smart" hydro meters are coming. Here in |
| cold days, a heat pump reverses its operations | | | | Toronto, electricity at night and on the weekends |
| and heats the house instead of cooling it. What | | | | will cost only 3.2 c per kilowatt. At this price and |
| makes heat pumps stand out among other | | | | at 300% efficiency, electricity is becoming the |
| heaters is their heat gain. Today's heat pumps at | | | | energy of choice for heating. |
| 0 Degrees Celsius outside return 3kw of heat for | | | | 5. Heat pumps take advantage of global warming. |
| every 1 kw of electricity fed into them. It sounds | | | | As winters in Toronto are getting milder, heat |
| too good to be true and immediately begs the | | | | pumps are becoming more profitable. |
| question: Why don't we use heat pumps in | | | | 6. No reason to worry about carbon monoxide |
| Toronto? | | | | poisoning or fuel (gas, propane, oil) escape inside |
| Low efficiency used to be the main reason. Up to | | | | of the house. |
| 2006, most heat pumps were based on | | | | Heat Pump Con's |
| low-efficiency 10 SEER air conditioners, and they | | | | Heat pumps need supplemental heat. This can |
| could not run at low outdoor temperature. In | | | | come from either a fuel-based furnace or an |
| 2006 manufacturing of new units with less than | | | | electric heater. There are two main reasons for |
| 13 SEER efficiency was outlawed. Virtually | | | | this. |
| overnight, new heat pumps' efficiency increased | | | | 1. Because the same system is used for both |
| by almost 30% and kept rising. | | | | heating and cooling, the heat pump is limited by |
| Heat Pump Pro's | | | | the smaller of the two needs - the cooling one. |
| 1. Heat pumps can be used in Toronto almost | | | | On the coldest days of winter, the heating |
| year-round. Air conditioners are only used for a | | | | capacity of the heat pump may not be sufficient. |
| few short weeks of summer. | | | | 2. Cold outdoor temperature can also lower the |
| 2. The price difference between heat pumps and | | | | heating capacity of the heat pump to the point |
| air conditioners is becoming smaller and smaller. | | | | where it has to be turned off and backup heat |
| Ductless units lead the way. Today ductless heat | | | | needs to be brought in. |
| pumps cost only $200 more than their equivalent | | | | Supplemental heat is not as a big a deal as it |
| air conditioners. At this small premium, ductless | | | | sounds. A couple of electric strips can be easily |
| heat pumps are already a no-brain winner against | | | | accommodated by the ductwork at a cost of a |
| ductless air conditioners. | | | | few hundreed dollars. On the other hand, it may |
| 3. Central air heat pumps may still cost $1000 | | | | spare you buying a new furnace at $3,000. |
| more that equivalent central air conditioner, but | | | | And last, but not least - you can finally get rid of |
| even at this premium a heat pump is an easy | | | | fuel heat inside of your house. People and fuels |
| choice instead of an air conditioner if you use | | | | don't really mix well in the same space. |