Discussions

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/heat-pump-faq-1.6824634  
I was reading this article and wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of hvac system? We currently have an electric forced air furnace and the central air has been repaired a couple of times and will likely need to be replaced soon so I would think this would be a good time to go to one of these heat pump systems.

heat pumps right now work best in regions that don't get below -10c for to long. also there is something called a defrost cycle. if your heat pump need to go in defrost to remove ice from the outside coil you will still need some heating source. i know of people that live in ontario in a warmer zone and there heat pump only runs to -5. the other concern i have is if there ever is a loss of power your kinda sol. i would say if you can go with a 2 stage gas furnace or a staging electric furnace.

There are a few of these units operating in Whitehorse, Yukon. I personally know one person that has a unit rated to -30C. And his unit still works to -40C. You do still need a furnace. It would be set up similar to your central air.

We had a heat pump installed by Total Fix. The owner Jason went through everything with us and even helped us apply for grants from the province and federal government. 727-2011

We had one installed last year, works amazing. Any temperature from -10c and warmer, if system calls for heat the pump runs, -10 and colder the electric furnace runs. All automotic settings, set it once and done. Easily saves 150 bucks a month on hydro bill. Big thanks to Travis at Rite-Way plumbing and heating for recommending we get one and installing it..

I love the consistent temperature. We just set it and it either runs heat or air - whatever is needed.  
 
It cost a lot! We did it through Hydro and just finished paying it off after 15 years.  
 
Has it saved us money? I don’t really know. We pay a very high hydro bill just based on other factors so don’t know what the cost savings would be.

i just price one out just the unit was $5000 for the outdoor unit, that is not including an air handler or furnace. a funny thing they dont tell you is say your loose power for more the a hour, is you need to switch you unit to emergency heat before you can use it again if the out door temp is below 50f as you can dammage the unit

Thanks for all the replies.  
Would I be able to use my existing electric furnace in the new system with the heat pump outside where my A/c unit used to be?

I work extensively in the building science and regulation world, and I spoke with a mechanical engineer that works for Manitoba Hydro, and what he told a group of engineers, designers and building officials at a conference back in 2022, that major cost saving energy systems in your homes won't make any money for you because our hydro rates are so low as it is here in Manitoba.  
 
Add to that, the buildings that we are building are constantly getting tighter and more heat loss resistant, meaning the amount of energy needed to heat your home is decreasing by the year. Then, on top of that, the National Research Council has put out data that the climate zones are changing so fast that in 2050, Manitoba may actually have half the amount of heating days that we have now.  
 
Edited by PrimeConvoy, 2023-05-02 09:39:19

Thanks for your input Prime. I certainly wouldn't consider this method of heating unless it saved me money in the long run so that's certainly going to be a deciding factor. Over the years I've considered different options for energy conservation that just didn't pay in the long run. My biggest consideration right now is our central air is probably going to need to be replaced soon so I'm thinking that's 3 or 4000 off the price of whatever a heat pump would cost.

I would take any message from hydro with a big grain of salt. Why would they want anyone to be more efficient? Not good for business.  
 
The major drawback to a heat pump in Manitoba is that they don't work at -40. If it was warmer here a heat pump could handle all of your heating needs. So it it does get warm that quickly you will be even happier with heat pump.  
 
If you are adding or replacing a complete ac unit it would be worth the time to get a quote on how much extra to go to a heat pump. It installs like the standard ac components and works with your existing furnace.  
 
We have a heat pump and it definitely saves us money.

you decide how to proceed.  
https://www.furnaceprices.ca/heat-pumps/heat-pump-buying-guide/  
You will need a backup system to take care of a lot of the winter cold weather.