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Heat pumps provide a new way of heating and cooling your home

October 19, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Heat pumps have been around for a long time; however, recent advances in technology have made them more efficient, and with efforts to avoid or eliminate fossil fuel-burning appliances, this method of heating or cooling a home will likely become the norm in the next several years.

A heat pump is a part of a home heating and cooling system. It can cool your home, but it is also capable of providing heat.

In colder months, a heat pump extracts warmth from cold outdoor air, transfers it indoors, and reverses the process in warmer weather.

There are many advantages of a heat pump over a standard natural gas furnace, including the fact that the pump is electricity-driven and does not burn fossil fuels, making it more environmentally friendly.

The difference between a furnace and a heat pump is that a furnace creates heat distributed through a home, while a heat pump absorbs heat energy from the outside air.

“They call these cold climate heat pumps,” explained Don Roper, owner of Don’s Heating and Cooling in Orangeville. “Back in the 70’s and 80’s, heat pumps were 150 per cent efficient on average. Now, they are 300 per cent efficient. A heat pump will provide a more consistent warm air – versus the on and off system of a furnace. You will reduce your carbon footprint by four tons of CO2, per year. You will reduce your energy bill by about 20 per cent. A heat pump is driven by electricity. With gas, it’s around 90 per cent efficient, and it makes for a very inefficient air conditioner. A heat pump is twice as efficient as a standard air conditioner. You will save money on your total energy bill annually.”

With carbon taxes rising and expected to continue to increase, switching to a heat pump makes a lot of sense. The government is now looking at mandating new homes in the future to be built with heat pumps installed.

There has been considerable interest in heat pumps, and Don’s Heating and Cooling offers information sessions so the public can learn more about them.

“The information sessions are for anyone who wants to come in and learn about them,” explained Margaret Vida-Morrison, Office Coordinator at Don’s Heating and Cooling. “We held them over two weeks, two nights each week, and we were surprised at the number of people who came out. The is a lot of interest. There are government rebates offering from $5,000 to $6,500. With the program you have to have an audit done – both a pre-audit and a post-energy audit to determine the energy efficiency of your home. The government will give up to $600 back for the audit.”

There are also rebates available for those who are trying to upgrade their homes to be more energy-efficient.

To learn more about heat pumps, visit Don’s Heating and Cooling at 308 Broadway in Orangeville or visit online at donsheatingandcooling.com.


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