When Mary set out to replace her failing air conditioner one fateful day in 2018, she had no idea she was about to be introduced to an efficient, low-emission appliance that would forever change the comfort of her home. After 7 years of living with her trusty heat pump, she couldn’t be happier with her choice.
Mary’s Words of Wisdom
Always choose a heat pump instead of an air conditioner. It's a better investment! You’ll get steady cool air in the summer, plus heat in the winter.
Carefully shop around for the right contractor who knows what they’re doing, and check references. A good installer will make a world of difference.
At a Glance
Length of Project | 1 week from talking to her contractor to installation |
Budget | $4000 |
Advisors & Contractors | Nazir Akramy – Encore Heating & Air Conditioning |
Upgrades | Ductless Heat Pump with two mini-split units |
Project Difficulty | 2 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️ |
Satisfaction | 5 out of 5 👍👍👍👍👍 |
Background
Mary is a proud heat pump owner now... but there was once a time when she didn’t really know what they were, let alone think she wanted one in her house!
It all started when she needed a new air conditioner. Mary’s home in Forest Hill is almost 100 years old and poorly insulated. She sought out a contractor and found Nazir Akramy, who came highly recommended by a friend. Nazir told Mary that rather than getting a new air conditioner, she should really consider a heat pump. He explained how heat pumps are basically air conditioners, but more efficient and can also heat your home in the winter.
But... Mary was resistant. She didn’t want something fancy; she just needed something to cool her home. How could a heat pump help? Nazir left her with some information so she could think about her options. Many of us can get stuck in this stage – considering our options and doing more and more research that develops into analysis paralysis. But Mary understands the power of action. After a few days, she decided to go ahead and give it a try. “I did it out of blind trust, and an intuition that this was the way to go. And I have no regrets”. The heat pump has exceeded all her expectations and has become one of the best decisions she’s made.
The Work
The installation happened quickly! Since Mary’s home is heated with radiators, her contractor suggested installing a ductless mini-split heat pump and keeping the radiators as a backup source of heat.
The contractors went to work installing the main heat pump in the backyard, and two wall-mounted units inside, one upstairs and one downstairs. The only hiccup that Mary recalls is that the installation took a bit longer than she thought it would– about 9 hours instead of the 3-4 hours she was told to expect. This didn’t bother her, though: “They were really thorough; I was impressed with it”. The installation was perfect, and Mary has had no issues since.
She was very happy with her contractor Nazir Akramy of Encore Heating & Air Conditioning. He came highly recommended by friends nearby in her Forest Hill neighbourhood, and she is grateful she took their advice. When it comes to installation, Mary advises: “Get the right installer to do the work for you, and check references. This is so important”. At the end of the day, the reason Mary ended up with a heat pump was that she found Nazir through a good friend, and she trusted his advice. References are invaluable.
The Results
Mary’s heat pump has exceeded her expectations: “I’m so happy I was talked into it!” The cool air in the summer is incredibly comfortable, and in the winter her heat pump keeps her house at a steady, toasty temperature that she likes.
We asked if she encountered any challenges. The only one she could recall was difficulty learning how to work the remote control – and she attributed this to her general lack of tech-savviness. She was incredibly grateful to her installer, who came back twice to walk her through the technology, and now she’s a pro!
When it comes to cost, Mary hasn’t noticed any difference – and this is what we like to hear. Often, we find homeowners are worried that their monthly costs are going to increase with a heat pump. But heat pump technology is so efficient that almost all homeowners we’ve interviewed report either the same or lower monthly costs once they make the switch. Lower costs and increased comfort? The mighty heat pump does it again!
Through personal experience, Mary has been converted from someone who never thought much about heat pumps, to a strong heat pump advocate. She loves the quality of comfort in her home. It’s an added bonus that she has greatly reduced the amount of fossil fuel emissions her home produces. She is excited to promote this technology to anyone who is interested. When I asked for her final words of advice, Mary excitedly stated, “Do it! Don’t think twice!”
