Margaret transformed her 1907 Toronto house into a gas-free, energy-efficient home through a series of upgrades, culminating in a hydronic heat pump. Despite initial skepticism about compatibility with her century-old radiators, she persevered and now feels secure that hydronic heat pumps are a valid option for radiator heated homes. Her efforts nearly halved her energy costs and significantly reduced her carbon emissions, proving that even older homes can embrace modern, sustainable heating solutions.
Caption: A street view of Margaret’s home – look at that classy heat pump!
Margaret’s Words of Advice:
If you have traditional radiators for your home heating, it is very possible for you to get a heat pump. If those radiators are in good working order, a hydronic heat pump is a great option (Margaret’s rads are 100+ years old and they still work great!)
During and after the heat pump is installed, get the installer to show you all the components, where they are connected, and how they work. Monitor the way the appliance is installed and ask for a checklist from the installer(see example below). Ask about a phone app to track your system in real time and to offer some control over settings. The more you know about your hydronic HVAC system, the better informed you’ll be should you run into any issues.
Caption: Example of a Heat Pump Installation Check List
At a Glance
Length of Project | Heat pump project: 4 years (2021 – 2025) *Margaret has been doing green upgrades since 2007. This article will focus mainly on the efforts to disconnect her home from gas. |
Budget | Heat Pump installation: ~$16 000 + $1000 for repairs. (Other upgrades not included) |
Advisors & Contractors | N/A |
Upgrades |
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Project Difficulty | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ 4.5 out of 5 - Reasonably difficult due to some hiccups |
Satisfaction | 👍👍👍👍 4 out of 5 - Quite Satisfied |
Est. GHG reductions (annual) | The home is completely disconnected from the gas line, and energy costs are nearly halved after removing the gas connection and installing the hydronic heat pump. |
Background
Margaret was an early adopter to green home energy, starting her journey in 2007. Living in a 100+ year old brick house in Toronto, she was tired of paying high gas bills and of living in a cold and drafty house. That year she joined the community project called HERO (Home Energy Retrofit Opportunity) Project. This provided the resources and encouragement to aim at efficient energy use. The project eventually developed into the Net Zero Carbon Project of the Harbord Village Residents Association.
The first upgrade she made was air sealing the basement headers in her basement. That upgrade alone cut her gas bill and made the house much more comfortable in winter. From there, she was determined to continue reducing emissions.
Caption: Margaret’s home (green roof) before her hydronic heat pump upgrade.
Preparation
In 2021, after many upgrades to improve efficiency (including installing rooftop solar panels to produce energy towards her water heating), Margaret was ready to disconnect her home from the gas line. She first needed to replace her gas stove with an electric one and replace her gas-fueled on-demand water heater with an electric one. BUT the main step was to replace her gas boiler with a hydronic heat pump. Margaret’s home was heated using cast iron radiators, common for many older homes in Toronto. She’d been told by several contractors that a heat pump would be impossible for her home, due to the age and the radiator heating. However, Margaret had done her research and knew that this was not the case. Air source heat pumps work with hydronic systems by transferring heat between the outside air and the water in a tank, which is then circulated through radiators at a high enough temperature to heat the rooms. These types of heat pumps are very common in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, where radiator heating is standard. Although she was an early adopter of the technology in Canada, there was plenty of evidence to support Margaret’s hopes. She found a contractor who specialized in hydronic systems and knew old radiators, and the work began!
Caption: Margaret (2007) standing proudly with her rooftop solar panel
The Work
While Margaret is now extremely happy with her hydronic system, there was a bump in her early-adopter roadway. BUT she is adamant that she does not want the difficulties she encountered to deter anyone who has radiator heating from installing a hydronic heat pump. The system now works efficiently, her house is comfortable, and her bills are low now that she is off the gas-powered boiler. Margaret’s challenges stemmed from a single connection issue during the installation of the heat pump—we can learn from her experience.
Part of the hydronic system is an electric water tank to hold the water heated by the heat pump. The contractor installed a new, well-insulated electric water tank which included an electric element to act as a back-up for the heat pump. On those extra cold winter days (below –15 C), the electric element in the water tank was supposed to kick in and provide support for the heat pump. A similar system is often suggested in older homes with forced air, pairing a heat pump with a backup electrical resistance element for the coldest days. In short, Margaret was getting a reliable and resilient system. However, the step of actually connecting the electric element with the controller for the heat pump was skipped in her installation, as she would discover later.
The installation went smoothly and took about a week. Margaret was pleased with the process and very comfortable over the first winter. She tracked her heating and cooling expenses over the first full year on electricity only, and saw her total energy expenses go from $3200/ year down to $1850/ year.
It was the second winter with her heat pump when Margaret discovered that the system hadn’t been set up properly. On a particularly cold January night, her heat and power suddenly went out. She was able to get the power back on, but the breaker for her heat pump was completely blown out. It was a chilly week while the contractors tried to deal with what had happened. They discovered that the backup element in the system’s hot water tank had never been connected with the heat pump. Without this backup heating support, the heat pump was forced to work beyond its capacity, resulting in a power surge that damaged not only the breaker but also some components of the heat pump itself. Fortunately for Margaret’s budget, the system was still under a two-year warranty and the installer repaired the heat pump without charge.
Once the issue was clear, the installer added a surge protector to the heat pump itself and upgraded to a new controller that communicated between the backup element inside along with the heat pump outside. These new elements were worth paying for. Everything is in working order again and the system is now working beautifully. Having gone through this experience, Margaret also took the sensible step of having a surge protector installed on the whole electrical panel.
Unfortunately, stories like Margaret’s happen more often than we’d like. Heat pump systems are complex and one missed wire can leave you without backup heat. How can this be avoided? Careful and comprehensive commissioning, the name for checking that the HVAC installation is done to specifications and is working properly. Always ask an HVAC contractor about commissioning and what they do for it. You can also ask them for the commissioning report and checklist at the end of the installation.
The Results
After the complications were sorted out, Margaret is sure that “the hydronic system has been the best thing for my house.” Her home now uses energy-efficient equipment, and is entirely run on electric appliances.
She reflects that she is substantially more comfortable now too. In the winter, the heat is even and consistent. Another difference she’s noticed? It’s quiet! When the house relied on cast iron radiators for heat, she was used to a boiler roaring to life and hearing creaking from the radiators at all hours. Margaret has definitely noticed the absence of the noisy boiler and doesn’t even hear the heat pump doing its work.
Despite the installation issue, Margaret is very happy with the hydronic heat pump system and says it functions perfectly. She can sleep comfortably knowing that living in an old house didn’t stop her from reaching her goals. She is disconnected from gas and has significantly reduced her personal greenhouse gas emissions. Now she continues to advocate for making Ontario’s electricity 100% renewable and gas free, so that one day her home carbon emissions will be entirely net zero.
Caption: Margaret’s now-useless gas meter has been repurposed as garden hose storage!