Heat Pump Selection Service

Ensure your heat pump is perfectly suited for your needs

We provide custom solutions that suit your home, your budget and your carbon reduction goals. There are many factors to consider when getting your home heating off of gas. We simplify the technical aspects and work with you and our vetted HVAC contractors to help you pick between different options for your home. The technical aspects of our work are written in blue below in case you want to know more about our process.

Because we aren’t installers, we can provide unbiased feedback to help you determine the right heat pump configuration. These days, there are more installers becoming familiar with heat pumps and more options available. There are usually good options available for each and every home and part of our service includes connecting you with our vetted contractors.

Most often an all-electric heating system is the most-cost effective option, but occassionally a hybrid system* may be more affordable. We help you consider both options before bringing in contractors. To determine which option is best we look at:

• The largest size of heating equipment needed to keep you comfortable all winter (this is your home’s heat loss) and the largest size of cooling needed to reduce the temperature (and humidity) in the summer (this is your home’s heat gain). We can calculate these numbers and account for any near-term improvements to your home. If you’ve had a Goldfinch Energy Audit, we can use this as a starting point and utilize a software (Volta Snap which is certified by HVAC Designers of Canada) to determine the heat loss and heat gain of your home (following the CSA F-280 process).

• The capacity of your ductwork which can also help reveal any causes of discomfort. We measure the physical size of your ductwork and conduct an airflow test using the TruFlow grid to determine airflow and static pressure.

• The capacity of your electrical panel (note - you don’t always need to upgrade to 200 Amps)

• Estimated costs to install different types, sizes and brands of heat pumps

• The annual heating costs (and carbon emissions) of various heat pumps that could work in your home

  *A hybrid system has a gas furnace that provide back-up heat as needed while an all-electric has a heat pump that runs through-out the winter sometimes with auxillary electric to provide a boost on really cold days.

  Why Right-Sizing a Heat Pump is Important

• Undersized heat pumps are becoming quite common as contractors feel more comfortable matching the heat pump size to an existing air conditioner.

  • An undersized heat pump with a gas furnace back-up will result in higher greenhouse gas emissions as the gas furnace will be used through more of the heating season than is ideal.

  • An undersized heat pump with electric auxiliary back-up can result in higher bills as the electric auxiliary heating can become quite costly to operate if it’s needed for much of the heating season.

• Oversized heat pumps are also an issue and can result in noise, higher installation costs and larger pieces of equipment.

  • Larger heat pumps have larger fans to blow more air through the ductwork. This can cause noise (if the fan is trying to blow more air than the ductwork can handle) which, over time, can also result in equipment failure sooner than is ideal.

  • Oversized electrical auxiliary heating can result in costly electrical upgrades that could have been avoided.

“Goldfinch Energy made our journey to reduce our carbon footprint easier than we expected. The centrepiece of our home’s roadmap was our heat pump, which was a total game changer, and the installation was seamless. Achieving and surpassing our objectives was easily done knowing that Goldfinch had our backs every step of the way.”

— Lori and Michael in Toronto