Decide with confidence.
Plain-language guides to heating and cooling your Toronto home — written to answer the questions installers hear every day.
Heat pump basics
How a heat pump works
It doesn’t make heat — it moves it. Here’s what that means for your home, in plain language.
6 min readHow heat pumps perform in a Toronto winter
What cold-climate ratings actually mean, what to expect at −20 °C, and how to stay comfortable on the coldest nights.
7 min readHeat pump myths, answered
The things neighbours, relatives and old articles say about heat pumps — and what is actually true for a Toronto home.
4 min readThermostat settings that save money
A heat pump likes steady settings. What each mode means, why the air feels cooler than a furnace, and the settings worth changing.
5 min readComparisons
Heat pump vs. furnace: what’s right for your home?
Upfront cost, running cost, comfort, lifespan and rebates — side by side, with a clear way to decide.
8 min readHeat pump vs. air conditioner
Replacing your AC? A heat pump cools just as well — and heats too. Here’s when it’s worth it.
5 min readDuctless vs. central (ducted) heat pumps
Both qualify for rebates. The difference is how the heat reaches your rooms — and what your home already has.
6 min readCosts & rebates
Planning & installation
Sizing a heat pump: why it matters most
Why a room-by-room heat-loss calculation beats a square-footage rule of thumb — and what to ask your installer.
9 min readElectrical requirements for a heat pump
Panel capacity, breakers and permits — what to check before installation so there are no surprises.
6 min readHow loud is a heat pump?
Typical sound levels indoors and out, and the placement choices that keep it quiet for you and your neighbours.
4 min readFrom quote to installation: what to expect
How to compare quotes, what happens on installation day, and the questions that protect you.
6 min readHow to choose a heat pump installer
The licences to ask about in Ontario, what a good quote includes, and the red flags that should make you walk away.
6 min readLooking after your heat pump
A few minutes every month or two, a yearly check-up, and what to do with the outdoor unit in each season.
5 min readNew to heat pumps?
Start here — three reads, about 20 minutes.
Glossary
The terms you’ll see on quotes and spec sheets, explained in a sentence.
Air handler
The indoor unit with a blower and coil that moves air through your ducts. In a heat pump system it can replace or sit alongside a furnace.
Backup (auxiliary) heat
Extra heat — usually electric — that helps the heat pump on the coldest days and during defrost.
Balance point
The outdoor temperature below which a heat pump alone can no longer meet your home’s heat loss, so backup heat helps.
BTU/h
British thermal units per hour — a rate of heating or cooling. 12,000 BTU/h = 1 ton.
ccASHP
Cold-climate air-source heat pump — a model designed to keep delivering heat efficiently in low temperatures.
COP
Coefficient of performance: heat delivered ÷ electricity used, at a given temperature. COP 3 = 300% efficient.
CSA F280
The Canadian standard method for calculating a home’s heating and cooling loads, used to size equipment.
Defrost cycle
A short reversal that melts frost off the outdoor coil in cold, humid weather. The steam is normal.
Design temperature
The cold outdoor temperature a heating system is sized to handle — about −18 °C to −20 °C in Toronto.
Emergency heat
A thermostat setting that runs only the backup heat. Use it only if the heat pump has stopped working.
Dual fuel / hybrid
A heat pump paired with a gas furnace; the system switches to the furnace in extreme cold or when it’s cheaper.
HSPF2
Heating seasonal performance factor — seasonal heating efficiency. Higher is better.
Inverter
A variable-speed compressor that ramps up and down to match demand, instead of switching fully on and off.
Mini-split
Another name for a ductless heat pump: an outdoor unit connected to one or more indoor heads.
NRCan QPL
Natural Resources Canada’s qualified products list — installed models must be on it for Home Renovation Savings.
Pre-approval
Program approval obtained before installation. Required for Home Renovation Savings.
SEER2
Seasonal energy efficiency ratio — seasonal cooling efficiency. Higher is better.
Short cycling
Frequent on/off cycles, usually from an oversized unit. Hurts comfort, efficiency and equipment life.
Ton
A unit of capacity: 12,000 BTU/h. Rebates are calculated per ton of heating capacity.
Ready for real numbers?
Get quotes from vetted local installers and see your rebate estimate.