Emergency Furnace Replacement Plan
Your furnace just died, and it's freezing out...you need heat, fast.
A warning for you:
Everything will push you towards swapping your old gas furnace for a new one. It's cheap. It's what most HVAC companies are set up to do...but you'll probably regret it.
⚠️Matt didn't improve his home heating when he had the chance. Now he's locked into yesterday's heating tech. A heat pump would have kept him cozy for the next 15-20 years.
⏱️First, you need to buy yourself some time
Your heat pump will probably take a day or two to get installed. Getting cozy now helps you make decisions from a place of comfort, not desperation. Here are some tips for staying warm:
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Microwave bags, hot water bottles, sweaters, and slippers are your best friends.
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Speaking of friends, take a warming break at your best friend's place.
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Lean in — when was the last time you watched a movie in a blanket fort?
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Close doors & consolidate rooms. A ceramic space heater can keep a single room toasty (you can put the space heater on Facebook Marketplace later!).
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Treat yourself — a night in a hotel could be just what you need. anyway.
Now that you're not shivering, let's get you on the road to your first heat pump.
![[Chilly] Emergency Replacement Image.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f752eb_aed26e4ce38f4f7d877a7cc5ccad2d2c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_446,h_431,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/f752eb_aed26e4ce38f4f7d877a7cc5ccad2d2c~mv2.png)
or
⚠️Bad HVAC decisions happen when you feel pressured. Get comfy first.
🔨Step 1: Get a trustworthy contractor
This step is the longest, but it's the most important. You've dealt with worse! Replacing a boiler instead of a furnace? Check out our Webinar with Sarah Grant from Goldfinch Energy — she covers your options and their price ranges.
Hydro Good news! Toronto Hydro has done the legwork for you with a curated list of contractors—no Googling required. Use these filters to find the right contractor for your project:
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Open the Contractor Directory, then click "Okay" on their privacy statement.
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On the left side of the page, click "Toronto and East York" under the "Service Area" tab.
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Then, click "Residential" under "Service Type."
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Last one! Click "Air Source Heat Pump" under the "Service" tab.
You should get a list of about 10 contractors. These contractors are not only vetted by the Better Business Bureau, but they've also all taken the extra step of committing to additional heat pump education and advocacy.
Now, pick up the phone — chances are only a handful of these contractors will be available to get your heat pump in on short notice anyway. The next section coaches you through that first conversation.
❓Key questions to ask your contractor
Once you have them on the phone, these next questions will help make sure they'll put your needs first.
It will probably take the contractors a few hours to get quotes together, so this is a good spot to snuggle up with our Heat Pump Guidebook and learn the lingo that will be on your quote.
💵Step 2: Understand the costs
There are two doors you can go through.
Door A: Cheap + Basic
Swapping your old gas furnace for a new gas furnace is your cheapest option, but it's cheap for a reason.
Upfront Cost: $5-8K.
Ongoing Costs: Same energy bill as you have today, but that may not always be true:
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70% of Ontario’s gas comes from the US Midwest. Getting your home free of “America First” energy is big peace of mind for many Torontonians.
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The cost of annual inspections has gone up a ton (your heat pump doesn't need annual safety inspections).
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Enbridge's fixed connection fees are likely to increase as people switch to heat pumps and get off of gas — don't get caught footing the bill!
“High-efficiency” furnaces were invented by marketers
Gas furnaces are yesterday's home heating method. Buying a new one today is like installing a new touch-tone phone. In our opinion, a more efficient furnace is not a true tech upgrade.
Door B: Cozy + Modern
Switching to a cold climate heat pump costs more upfront, but you also get more.
Upfront Cost: $12-15K. That’s less than a bathroom update.
Ongoing Costs: How your utility bills will change depends on your home and the system you install! Your contractor can help you find the right balance between upfront and ongoing costs.
Heat pump owners share how much they enjoy:
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Comfier, less dry heat. Heat pumps feel more like the even warmth of radiators than blasts of hot, dry air.
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The safety of getting off gas — carbon monoxide leaks are underreported.
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Improved indoor air quality.
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Heat pumps also provide efficient cooling in the summer.
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Ability to pair their heat pump with solar and home batteries.
Yes, furnaces are cheaper. But buying in a dangerous neighbourhood is cheaper than in a good one, too. Buying a cheap laptop just means headaches later. Heat pumps are an investment in your quality of life, and they help the environment.
💵Finally, there is financing! We mention this in the contractor questions above, but it's worth repeating. A good financing agreement can help A TON in an emergency — not everyone has the full cost of a cold climate heat pump ready at a moment's notice. Of course, an exploitative financing arrangement is the stuff of nightmares. If your candidate installers offer financing, make sure you:
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Have a copy of the contracts
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Understand the interest rate you will be paying now and in future
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Are you aware of any exit penalties before agreeing.
If you have trouble decoding it, find someone who can help you! AI can help you understand the agreement as well — copy + paste your contract into ChatGPT or Gemini and ask it to explain it to you in plain-English.
📖Step 3: Read your quotes
Your quotes should be in. Before opening them, read the short Phrasebook at the end of Your First Heat Pump Guidebook (pages 29-31). It will get you ready for any HVAC jargon you might see on the quote.
Here are some basic terms:
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BTUs (British Thermal Units) — Like calories or kilowatts, BTUs are a scientific way to measure energy. Heat pumps are often rated in BTUs—the higher the number, the more powerful the heat pump.
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Tons — Heat pumps come in different sizes. They are usually sized by the “ton.” This doesn’t refer to the weight of the outdoor unit! This refers to how much cooling and heating power it has compared to a ton of ice. Heat pump sizes increase in 0.5-ton increments. Most Toronto homes need a 2, 2.5, or 3-ton heat pump. Tons and BTUs are interchangeable — there's 12,000BTUs in a ton, so a 24,000BTU heat pump would be a 2-ton heat pump.
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SEER — stands for the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it’s like the fuel efficiency of a car. A higher SEER rating indicates a more efficient heat pump that uses less energy and results in lower utility bills (but the upfront cost will be higher). Finding the right SEER rating for you depends on your budget and needs—your contractor can help you find the right balance of performance and cost.
If your quote feels like it's written in German, post it on the Home Retrofit Forum on Facebook. You’ll get fast answers to your tricky questions. AI can also help here as well!
Once you feel comfortable, commit to a contractor, check on their references, and pay the deposit.
📝Step 4: Install checklist + maintenance
When your contractor shows up, run through the Guidebook’s install checklist (pages 25 + 26) with them. This is especially important in an emergency — they should welcome your interest in their work!
The most important thing is to make sure your contractors comes back for “commissioning” — that’s when they fine-tune your heat pump a couple of weeks after it's installed.
That's it! You made it to the other side and avoided getting another high-maintenance, polluting furnace and upgraded to modern home comfort – congratulations!
Your new heat pump will take a couple of hours to get your home back to a comfortable room temperature, so don't ditch the sweaters and slippers right away. There are some differences with how you set your heat pump versus your old furnace, so read pages 27 +28 of the Guidebook for helpful ownership tips.
Finally, complete the payment and let us know how it went! If you had a positive contractor experience, we'd love to share it with others. You can also host a fun and informative heat pump party. These parties are your chance to show off your new heat pump to your neighbours. Seeing the technology working in homes like theirs makes things click! Email john@thenetwork.to to see what's involved.