Canada

To me, it's absolutely crazy that AC units are even still marketed. An air conditioner is just a heat pump that only work in one direction (cooling). All that is needed to allow it to work for both heating and cooling is one extra valve. If you're going to install a heat pump (in the form of an air conditioner) and a furnace anyway, you might as well let the heat pump provide heating as well. That way, your furnace is only required on the coldest nights. For most of the year, the heat pump is sufficient.

It would be unwise to not have a backup heat source if you’re installing a heat pump in Canada.

As always, in all things, solicit advice from a pro. Conditions will vary wildly between Vancouver, Regina, StJohns and Sarnia.

My new heat pump works perfectly fine down to -30C, but it's a very new model. And for the few times a year it gets that bad, use a space heater.

Every time the carbon tax goes up, the gap between electric and natural gas closes.

But heat pumps are much more efficient than electric heating and a much cheaper source of heat.

Here in Saskatchewan, NG is also significantly cheaper than electricity. So, with our high heating demands, those who have access to NG often choose that.

It makes sense, because they burn gas to make the electricity. I understand a heat pump can create a lot more heat than just an element would, though, so it still comes out cheaper.

It would be unwise to not have a backup heat source if you’re installing a heat pump in Canada. Some may claim their balance point is well into the -20s, but relying on a system that cannot provide adequate heat in extreme cold events could get rather dangerous.

I hear there's work being done to make more cold-resistant ones. For myself, I wonder about the ground-loop systems. They're more expensive, but I don't know by how much.

I mean you're in SK, that's kind of an extreme case. Most Canadians live in parts of the country with more moderate weather, where it only goes below -20 on the absolute coldest night of the year, if at all. I mean "backup" could just mean a couple of 1500 watt space heaters in the closet if you find the pump isn't cutting it - yes you'll burn through your heating bill but it's going to be for maybe a couple of nights tops.

Technically, but they're only one way.

The ones sold as "heat pumps" can operate both directions-- cool the outside world/heat your home in winter.

I appreciate that the article notes that households on the prairies and other colder areas often retain their gas furnaces the coldest periods - particularly as the electricity costs to run the heat pump in those periods outweigh the cost of gas.

I took the lesson to be that it’s best not to wait until your gas furnace has to be replaced but rather to replace the air conditioner and save the remaining life of the furnace for the deep cold periods when it’s energy inefficient and more expensive to use the heat pump. It would be great to see some good analysis/modelling of this.

Baseboard heating is 100% efficient but heat pumps can be up to 400% efficient. Depending on model and outside temperature. This is because hear pump is not generating heat its just moving it from one place to another. In AC mode from inside to outside of house and in heating mode from outside to inside.

Is it actually a heat pump, or just an AC with a heating element as well. That's what mine is.

Heat pumps are 300% to 500% efficient

IOW: you get more heat energy out of a heat pump than the electrical energy put in.

Electric heaters are only 100% efficient

Yeah. Heat pumps are pretty shitty in Alberta. Even in Calgary with our chinooks, the cold snaps hurt them.