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Heating & Cooling · InstallHeat Pump Installation
Heat pump installation for houses that want one system for heating and cooling: a cold-climate air-source unit sized by heat-loss calculation, matched to your ducts or run ductless, wired to a panel that can carry it, and rated to keep heating at −25°C. A 3-ton cold-climate system installs for $9,500–$15,000 before rebates.
What we install are cold-climate models — variable-speed compressors with published capacity tables that still show useful output far below freezing — not the standard units that fade around −10°C and hand the house over to electric strips. That distinction matters here, because a Halton or Hamilton cold snap still drops to around −20°C, and a properly sized cold-climate unit should carry the house through it with the backup covering only the last few degrees. Our guide to cold-climate heat pumps in the GTA covers how the compressors manage it.
Two site details decide whether a heat pump install goes smoothly. The first is electrical: a heat pump needs its own 240V circuit, and a 100-amp panel in a 1960s Aldershot or Roseland bungalow may not have the room, so we do a load calculation before quoting and tell you if a panel upgrade or a service change with Burlington Hydro, Oakville Hydro or Alectra is part of the job — electrical panel upgrades for heat pumps explains the thresholds. The second is placement: the outdoor unit must sit above the snow line on a stand or wall bracket, out of roof drip lines, with clear airflow, because a unit buried by lake-effect snow cannot defrost.
Sizing is a heat-loss calculation, not a rule of thumb. Undersize and the backup runs all February; oversize and the unit short-cycles in shoulder season and dehumidifies poorly in July. In the 2000s+ builds around Alton Village and Joshua Creek the calculation usually lands smaller than owners expect, because the envelope is tight; in pre-war brick it lands larger, and that is where a hybrid pairing earns its keep. What size heat pump do I need shows the method.
Rebates are part of the quote, not an afterthought. Current Ontario programs return up to $7,500 on qualifying cold-climate installs, and we prepare the application with the equipment specs and invoice. For a price on your house, see heat pump installation in Burlington or request a free assessment.
A heat pump is the right call when
- Your air conditioner is due for replacement anyway — a heat pump replaces it and cuts winter gas use
- The house heats with electric baseboards, oil or propane, where the savings are largest
- Your furnace is under 10 years old and you want a hybrid rather than a full replacement
- You want cooling and heating in an addition or a home without ducts, using ductless heads
- You are planning an EV or solar and want the house to run mostly on electricity
How it works
We measure the house, inspect ducts and the panel, and confirm the rebate path before quoting.
Outdoor unit on a stand, indoor coil or air handler, line set, disconnect and thermostat. Most installs finish in one to two days; we verify charge and airflow, not just that it runs.
We submit the application with your invoice and model numbers, and set the thermostat's switchover so the backup only runs when it should.
Brands: We install Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Lennox and Carrier heat pumps and service all major brands.
Common questions
Does a heat pump actually work in a Burlington winter?
Yes, with a cold-climate model. Modern variable-speed units keep most of their capacity to −15°C and keep running to −25°C or lower; on the coldest nights a backup — a furnace in a hybrid, or electric strips — covers the last few degrees. Heat pump winter performance in Hamilton shows what real cold does to output.
Will a heat pump lower my bills?
In a gas-heated house the winter savings depend on gas and electricity rates and on how much of the season the heat pump covers; the clear wins are summer cooling efficiency and any house on electric, oil or propane heat. We show the estimate for your rates before you sign — see will a heat pump lower my bills in Burlington.
Do I need to keep a furnace?
Not necessarily. A properly sized cold-climate unit with electric backup can carry a tight, well-insulated house alone. In older, leakier homes or where the panel is limited, keeping the furnace as a hybrid dual-fuel system is the cheaper and more comfortable route.
How long does installation take?
A ducted replacement of an existing AC and coil is usually one day; adding an air handler, running new line sets or doing panel work stretches it to two. How long heat pump installation takes breaks it down.
Which rebates apply right now?
Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program is the main one for cold-climate heat pumps in gas-heated homes. Program rules and funding windows change, so we confirm eligibility at the quote — our rebates hub tracks current status.