Here's why some homeowners are replacing the AC with a heat pump

John Sontrop decided to install a heat pump this summer after his air conditioner needed to be replaced. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

Heat pumps are gaining in popularity in Ottawa. 

When it comes to cooling or heating your house, some homeowners are making a switch to a heat pump instead of traditional air conditioning units.

When John Sontrop’s 13-year-old air conditioner needed to be replaced earlier this summer, he had a choice to make.

"It had conked out on us in the middle of June during a heat wave, so we had to make a quick decision… as to do we go with a new air conditioner or should we decide to go with a heat pump?" Sontrop tells CTV News Ottawa.

He went with a heat pump for his home. 

It’s a device that looks similar to a traditional air conditioner found on the exterior of your home, but it provides cooling and some heating, and experts say they can do it more efficiently.

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After Sontrop completed an energy audit, he says he was told a heat pump would be "about a 30 per cent decrease in the amount of energy we use."  Some people may see a higher decrease in energy use in their homes.

"The heat pump will do all of your cooling, it will do it at a much more efficient rate than your air conditioner has been doing with better comfort level, dehumidification," says John Chapin with J.D. Swallow Heating and Cooling.

Many homeowners are making the switch.

"We’re selling a pile of them, indeed," says Chapin.

WHAT IS A HEAT PUMP?

It is a device that moves heat either into or out of your home, depending on the temperature.

"A heat pump has the ability to move heat from the outside air and move it inside to our home. So, we can supplement our heat, very minimally supplement our heat in the winter time; sometimes we can do up to 90 per cent of our heating," says Chapin

According to a description on the Natural Resources Canada Website, "A heat pump is an electrically driven device that extracts heat from a low temperature place (a source), and delivers it to a higher temperature place (a sink).

"As energy is extracted from a source, the temperature of the source is reduced. If the home is used as the source, thermal energy will be removed, cooling this space. This is how a heat pump operates in cooling mode, and is the same principle used by air conditioners and refrigerators. Similarly, as energy is added to a sink, its temperature increases. If the home is used as a sink, thermal energy will be added, heating the space. A heat pump is fully reversible, meaning that it can both heat and cool your home, providing year-round comfort."

CAN IT REPLACE A FURNACE?

Experts say that generally, heat pumps are good options for staying warm during the "shoulder seasons," such as spring or fall, but you may still need another source of heat to get you through the cold Ottawa winters.

"Typically, these will run down to about -10 C, plus or minus, and at that point your furnace will kick in and take over with your heating," Chapin says.

Trevor Jacob with Francis Home Environment says about half of the packages they have sold this year have heat pumps.

“A lot of home owners are being conscious about their carbon footprint and what kind of emissions they’re putting out into the world. Secondly, the federal government has issued pretty substantial rebates, so a lot of homeowners do want to take advantage of those."

Natural Resources Canada has grants that offer up to $5,000 in rebates, and in Ontario there could be an additional $1,500 rebate from Enbridge for installing a heat pump, according to Jacob.

"They are more cost-effective, and they generally make the home much more comfortable than a traditional furnace and air conditioner."

Experts say installing one will set you back about 25 per cent more than a traditional air conditioner.

Costs vary greatly depending on the equipment you already have, such as your furnace, the size of home and layout.   While it is best to consult an expert, roughly costs can start at just under $10,000 and go upwards of over $20,000 or more.

Sontrop says he paid $11,000 for his unit, plus the cost of a home audit, and he is expecting to receive a rebate of just over $7,000.