Heat pump installation and replacement in Scarborough, Durham and the GTA
A heat pump is not a furnace with a different badge on it, and installing one well means designing around how it behaves in cold weather, not matching the capacity of whatever is being removed. Metropolitan Heating and Air Conditioning has installed heating and cooling equipment across Scarborough, Durham Region and the GTA since 1979, and we install Carrier, Lennox, Napoleon, Trane, Bosch and Daikin.
Call (416) 283-5698, weekdays 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, to arrange an assessment.
How a heat pump heats, and the balance point that follows
A heat pump does not burn fuel. It moves heat from outdoor air into the house with a refrigeration cycle, which is why it delivers more energy than it draws as electricity, and it runs that cycle in reverse in summer.
The consequence is that output falls as the outdoor air gets colder, because there is less heat available to move. Plot that declining capacity against the house's rising heat loss and the lines cross at the balance point. Above it the heat pump carries the house alone; below it, something else makes up the shortfall.
Setting that balance point deliberately, rather than discovering it in January, is the core of the design work. Cold-climate models hold useful capacity much further down the scale than earlier generations, but the curve belongs to the specific model, so we work from the manufacturer's published performance data for the equipment you are buying.
Choosing the backup heat
There are two common answers below the balance point. Electric resistance heat built into the air handler is simple and always available, but it is straight electricity with none of the leverage the refrigeration cycle provides, so it is expensive over long stretches. A dual-fuel arrangement keeps a gas furnace and hands the load to it in deep cold, which suits a house that already has gas service and a furnace worth keeping.
Which is right depends on fuel costs, the condition of that furnace, and what the electrical service can support.
Ducted, ductless, or both
A ducted heat pump uses the existing air handler and ducts, the straightforward path where there is already forced air. Those ducts have to carry the airflow: heat pumps move more air at a lower supply temperature than a furnace, so undersized returns a furnace tolerated will show up as a problem. A ductless mini-split needs no ductwork and suits houses without ducts, additions and rooms that have never been comfortable. The two also combine — ducted for the main body of the house, a head or two for the problem spaces.
What gets assessed before we quote
- A heat-loss and heat-gain calculation for the house as it stands now, including work done since the last system went in
- The existing ductwork — sizing, condition and return capacity
- Electrical service capacity and panel space, which matters more here than for gas equipment
- Where the outdoor unit can sit — on a stand clear of snow, with room for airflow and for defrost meltwater to drain rather than refreeze
- Refrigerant line routing, the condensate path, and control wiring — heat pump staging and changeover need a thermostat that can do it
- Rooms that have never been comfortable — usually a distribution problem, and cheapest to correct during the changeover
Installation and commissioning
The old equipment is removed and its refrigerant recovered. The new units are set, line sets run, brazed and evacuated to pull out moisture and non-condensables, wiring connected, and condensate routed and trapped where the design requires.
Commissioning is what separates a working installation from a correct one: charge weighed and verified against the manufacturer's specification, airflow measured and adjusted, superheat and subcooling confirmed, defrost and reversing operation observed, backup staging and changeover set, and a full cycle run in both modes. Most manufacturer warranties are written against that same instruction sheet, and generally require professional installation and documented servicing. We then walk you through the thermostat, the filter, and what normal operation feels like.
What determines the price
We do not publish a figure, because a heat pump installation is not a product off a shelf. The number moves with the heat load, the performance tier you choose, the backup arrangement, any electrical work, and the state of the ductwork. Expect from any quote — ours included — an itemised scope separating equipment, labour and supporting work. Financing is available through Vista.
Related services
- Heat Pump Maintenance & Tune-Up
- Heat Pump Repair & Service
- Furnace Installation & Replacement — for a dual-fuel pairing
- All HVAC services
Arrange an assessment
Call (416) 283-5698 Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or send us your details. Licensed and insured, serving Scarborough, Durham and the GTA since 1979.