Keeping your Ontario home warm during the winter and cool during the summer helps you and your family live comfortably. A heat pump system is one way to keep your home's temperature comfortable. A heat pump is an energy-efficient and effective way to heat and cool your house year-round.

This guide will help you learn about heat pumps, including how they work, their benefits and the types you could install.

What Is a Heat Pump?

Contrary to its name, a heat pump is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system that can cool and heat your home. The device uses minimal energy to move heat from one location to another. It can bring heat into your house for warmth or eliminate it if you want your home to be cooler.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Heat pumps use energy to pull heat from outside and push it inside, often getting the heat from the air or ground. The pump brings the heat into the system and compresses it to raise the temperature before pushing the hot air into the house.

It can also reverse the process to extract heat and make a place cooler. Instead of pulling heat in, a heat pump uses a refrigerant in combination with the pump's evaporator and coils to absorb the warmth in your home and push it outside.

The pump's method of transferring heat to and from each location makes it more efficient compared to other HVAC systems that rely on generating heat. However, while many heat pumps can work in most temperatures, they also have a limit — freezing temperatures can affect how some heat pumps work. The longer the frigid temperatures persist, the more likely a heat pump could stop functioning, so having a backup heating source is ideal.

Benefits of a Heat Pump

Heat pumps have become a popular heating and cooling system over the last several years, and they continue to be a smart choice for homeowners. With their more energy-efficient way of moving heat, heat pumps offer advantages like:

High energy efficiency ratings: While the coefficient of performance (COP) depends on your system's kilowatt usage for energy and how many kilowatts of heat are transferred, an average COP for heat pumps is 2.5 kilowatts and higher, which is excellent compared to the 1-kilowatt rating some conventional heating systems get.
Cost-effectiveness: Thanks to their high energy efficiency, heat pumps are an affordable heating and cooling option in the long run. They don't rely on fuel, helping you save money on those bills. Though you'll need to invest in the initial installation cost, installing a heat pump can add value to your property.
Versatility: Heat pumps are a multifaceted HVAC system because they provide heating and cooling.
Humidity control: Heat pumps can also work as a dehumidifier when used for cooling. The moisture in the air condenses on the pump's coil's surface and collects in a pan at the bottom of the coil.
Eco-friendliness: Due to heat pumps not burning anything to create heat, they emit minimal carbon emissions, making the system more eco-friendly than others.

Types of Heat Pumps

The benefits of heat pumps make the system an appealing choice if you're considering changing your HVAC system. Before installing, understand the types of heat pumps available so you can choose one that best suits your needs.

Air-Source Heat Pumps

As the name suggests, air-source heat pumps use the outside air to obtain energy to create or eliminate heat, depending on the pump's mode. These systems are a common choice for Canadian homeowners. Air-source heat pumps are further classified by the two installation processes:

Ducted: This kind of heat pump looks and acts like a central air conditioning unit. The ducted air-source heat pump's indoor coil is in a duct, and the air collected passes over the coil to get heated or cooled before being distributed throughout the home's other ductwork.
Ductless: This system works similarly to a ducted system but doesn't rely on a house's ductwork to distribute air throughout the rooms. The ductless air-source heat pump's outdoor unit connects to various indoor air handlers throughout the home to heat or cool a space directly. Ductless units can be mini-split or multi-split, consisting of one indoor and outdoor unit or multiple indoor units and one outdoor unit.

Air-source heat pumps have an operating limitation. They usually have a minimum outside operating temperature of minus 15 to minus 25 degrees Celsius and a reduced heating capacity at freezing temperatures. A supplemental heat source may be beneficial if the air-source heat pump can't work because of the cold temperatures.

Ground-Source Heat Pumps

Instead of using the air to get thermal energy, ground-source heat pumps rely on groundwater or the earth to heat and cool spaces. A ground-source heat pump has two critical components for proper operation:

Ground heat exchanger: These systems use a heat exchanger to remove and add thermal energy from the ground. The exchanger may function using a closed-loop or open-loop system. The type of heat exchanger system you can install depends on your location. For instance, an open loop is acceptable in Ontario but not Quebec.
Heat pump: The heat pump is located inside the home and works with the heat exchanger to circulate warm or cool air throughout a space.

These systems are less common in Canada but can benefit homeowners. Ground-source heat pumps can operate even if temperatures go below freezing.

How to Maintain a Heat Pump

Having a licensed professional conduct preventative maintenance checkups helps your HVAC system run smoothly. To maintain your heat pump, you can call a technician to complete a checkup. The technician may do the following:

Check the unit controls.
Check the connections and heat exchanger.
Clean the coils.
Monitor the refrigerant level.
Verify the airflow.
Confirm the thermostat functions correctly.
Inspect for potential duct leakage.
Validate cleanliness of filters, ducts and other components.

You should also monitor your heat pump between your professional maintenance checks. Your technician can show you how to inspect, clean and change your heat pump's air filter.

Get Expert Heat Pump Installation Services From Boss Mechanical

Whether you want to install a new heat pump or need maintenance, the expert technicians at Boss Mechanical can help. We offer complete residential HVAC services to help homeowners in Oakville, Woodbridge, Burlington & the Greater Toronto Area remain comfortable in their homes. Learn more about our heat pump heating and cooling solutions or schedule a consultation by completing our contact form or calling us at 647-558-9951.

A Homeowner's Guide to Heat Pumps