My furnace died, and I'm interested in replacing it with a cold climate heat pump— what do I need to know to install that without a gas furnace backup?

“It depends on your home” is a great answer. You want them to take the time to assess your home before making recommendations. They might recommend things like getting a Smart Thermostat (to lower your energy bill) or installing backup electrical heating to carry you through those rare, extremely cold days.

How do you find the right size heat pump for my home?

Cold climate heat pumps come in different sizes —the cost goes up as the heat pump gets more powerful. Doing a heat load calculation (that's just measuring how much energy it takes to heat your home) is the only reliable way to get the right size for your home. Forward-looking contractors should do a heat load calculation for you before making any recommendations — it's better for them because they won't need to do service calls if they get it right the first time. Here's a shortcut for understanding heat load: imagine filling up a leaky bucket with a hose. Your goal is to keep the bucket nearly full without overfilling it—you need the water flowing in to match the water flowing out. Heat load is like that—you want the heat flowing into your home from your heat pump to match the heat flowing out through leaks. Old energy bills are a reliable way to find your home’s heat load!

I need this done fast — are there extra costs for emergency service?

Unfortunately, extra charges can happen in an emergency, but they shouldn’t be crazy. You’re really looking for your contractor to be upfront about extra charges. For example, technicians may get a higher hourly wage for working off-hours, which would be passed on to you.

Can you help me apply to the Home Renovations Saving Program?

Torontonians can get money back on cold climate heat pumps through the Ontario Home Renovations Saving Program. Fortunately, you don’t have to do all the paperwork yourself. Some contractors have experience helping people through the application process.

Do you offer extended warranties from any heat pump makers?

Getting an extended warranty is never a bad idea! Some contractors have relationships with manufacturers which allow them to offer these extended warranties at no extra cost to you.

Can you provide 3 references who have purchased heat pumps from you?

This takes a little time, but is important to make sure that the installer has satisfied customers. You may learn a a bit about what to expect during your installation in the process, too.

[If you have ducts] Do you check the size of my ducts beforehand?

Ducts move the hot and cool air around your home — making sure they’re up for the task is important.

[If you have A/C] Do I need to get rid of my A/C?

A new heat pump would replace your existing A/C. But heat pumps are cheaper to run than a conventional A/C! So you should see your summer cooling bill go down. Make sure they have a plan in place for disposing of the old equipment — sometimes this is an added cost! It's worth asking about that upfront.

[If applicable] What financing can you offer?

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: • Have a copy of the contracts • Understand the interest rate you will be paying now and in future • 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 — feed a photo of your contract into ChatGPT or Gemini and ask it to explain it to you in plain-English.

Helpful Articles & Guides

Straight to the point articles on home comfort updates and furnace replacement for Toronto homeowners.

Homeowner Toolkit

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Money Back on Your Home Upgrade: Programs That Pay

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How to Upgrade Your Home with Comfort, Savings, and a Smaller Footprint in Mind

Home upgrades can slash your energy bills and carbon footprint. Focus on switching to electric appliances and choosing low-carbon materials.

Find Contractors Who Put Your Needs First

Finding the right contractor makes or breaks your heat pump installation. This guide helps you spot the good ones.

DIY Air Sealing: A Weekend Job for a Cozier Home

Hot and cool air can leak from unexpected places. Look high and low for energy savings!

Air Sealing: The Biggest Bang for Your Buck Upgrade

Think insulation is the first step in a home comfort update? Air sealing is much simpler (and cheaper)!

Beyond Duct Cleaning: Aerosealing and other Duct Improvements

Leaky ducts waste energy and make rooms uncomfortable. Aerosealing can reduce duct leakage by up to 90%.

Your Home Retrofit Journey

It begins with a heat pump, a technology perfected in Europe and Asia, that we get to adopt here in Toronto. But there’s more you can do and a team you should gather to ensure a successful journey towards your clean, healthy and cozy home.

1. Understanding the Challenge

There is nothing natural about burning gas in our homes. In fact, it comes with a range or health and safety concerns inside and outside our homes. In Toronto, buildings account for a staggering 58% of the city's carbon emissions, with single-family homes contributing 17% of total emissions. It is now possible to update our homes to replace gas with clean, modern electric alternatives. The biggest impact change will be installing a heat pump but with a few other updates you can cut your gas line and bills entirely. This is the future, but we live in the present and the challenge is understanding what your options are and building the right team to help you in your journey.

2. Recognizing the Opportunity

Electrifying your home’s space and water heating, along with switching to electric appliances, can reduce the carbon pollution from your home by over 90%. Here are the key upgrade priorities to consider:

Space Heating: Install a heat pump for efficient heating.
Water Heating: Upgrade to an electric or heat pump water heater.
Cooking: Switch to an induction or electric range or cooktop.
Dryers, Fireplaces, and Barbecues: Electrify these appliances to reduce emissions.
Air Sealing and Insulation: Enhance energy efficiency where it is effective and feasible.

3. Identifying The Right Time To Retrofit

There are several indicators that it may be time to consider a retrofit:

An aging furnace or air conditioner.
An uncomfortable home (too hot, too cold, or too drafty).
Concerns about the health effects of using gas in your home.
Planning a renovation or major upgrade.
A desire to take action on the climate crisis.

4. Engaging A Retrofit Advisor

A Retrofit Advisor can help you navigate the retrofit process by creating a personalized roadmap for your home. They will:

Consider energy audits, technical advice, and costs.
Help you find qualified contractors and arrange contracts.
Assist you in accessing financing and incentives.
Answer questions and resolve any issues you encounter.

5. Finding The Right Contractors

Finding skilled contractors experienced in energy efficiency and heat pumps is crucial. Here are some tips to ensure you choose the right ones:

See who your neighbours recommend. You can’t beat word of mouth...but if you’re not feeling social, you can sit back and read a few case studies to see who your neighbours used.
Search these two directories of pre-vetted contractors: Toronto Hydro's Cleantech Services Directory and the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada's (HRAI) Heat Pump Champion Advocate Directory.
Ask the Home Retrofit Forum for suggestions (this is a helpful group to join if you’re considering a home update!).
Engage a Retrofit Advisor. They will be able to make a recommendation based on their detailed understanding of your home and your HVAC system needs.
Talk to at least three potential contractors.
Get references and follow up to verify that previous clients had a good experience.

6. Enjoying Your Updated Home

Once you’ve completed your retrofits, you’ll enjoy a more comfortable living space, improve your home’s indoor air quality, and potentially lower your energy costs—all while being kinder to the environment. Each retrofit signifies a commitment to sustainability and showcases your values.

Age of HVAC Guide

Don't get stuck in the cold! This guide will help you find your furnace's or boiler's age.

Knowing how old your furnace or A/C is like looking at how many kilometres a car has on it — it’s a reliable measure of its wear and tear that helps you decide when a replacement makes sense.

There's no need to go digging up old owner's manuals! Your best friend for figuring out your furnace's or boiler's age is paper service tags.* Technicians must put them up after every annual inspection, and the gentle “DO NOT REMOVE!!!” warnings on them remind us that the tags follow the lifetime of the equipment.

The service tag should include a line with the Serial Number (sometimes abbreviated as S/N). Snap a photo of it or write it down — it’ll be a string of numbers and letters.

*See if you can find a label on the outside of your furnace or boiler. This label might have a “date of manufacture” field. Many don’t. And many labels are hidden on the inside of the furnace or boiler door, which is why we start with the more accessible service tags. But it’s worth checking!

Serial Number Decode

Did you ever have a detective birthday party growing up? That clue-finding drive will help you now because every manufacturer has their own way of translating serial codes to date of manufacture! Woohoo!

Fortunately, a group called the Building Intelligence Center (move over MI5) made a Rosetta Stone for HVAC serial numbers. Check it out here. To use it, start with the first letter of your furnace manufacturer (like P for Panasonic) then click on the corresponding page.

If that fails, it’s time to call in Detective Inspector Google — search “Your Furnace Manufacturer Name HVAC Age” (i.e Trane Furnace HVAC age). Usually, you can find an article that lays out how to translate the serial number into the age of the equipment.

The 15-year mark is the standard time to replace a furnace or boiler. Pushing it for longer risks carbon monoxide leaks and breakdowns in the dead of February.

Service tags are your best friend. My apartment's boiler's Serial Number is 246731.

What happened when I tried this?

I found my apartment boiler’s Serial Number on a service tag. I did the Google method, and discovered the manufacturer considered their Serial Number formula “secret” and “closely guarded” the cypher. You have to call them. No problem, expect that they went out of business years ago and didn’t release the cypher.

Am I stuck? Not exactly — the service tag has another trick up its sleeve.

My landlord has been diligent with annual inspections. Because of that, I can find the inspection date on the oldest service tag. That date (minus one year because the boiler wouldn’t have its first inspection until a year after it was installed) gives me a good guess of the boiler’s age. It’s at least 13. Given it is nearing the 15-year mark, next inspection I’d ask the gas inspector:

Is the unit leaking more carbon monoxide than it has in the past? Are there any cracks forming?
Is it running less efficiently than it could be?

Once you know the age of your equipment, you can make proactive decisions about its replacement.

Emergency Furnace Replacement Guide

If your furnace dies unexpectedly, you can still swap it out for a modern cold climate heat pump. This guide will walk you through it in as few steps as possible.

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:

Microwave bags, hot water bottles, sweaters, and slippers are your best friends.
Speaking of friends, take a warming break at your best friend's place.
Lean in — when was the last time you watched a movie in a blanket fort?
Close doors & consolidate rooms. A ceramic space heater can keep a single room toasty (you can put the space heater on Facebook Marketplace later!).
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

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.

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:

Open the Contractor Directory, then click "Okay" on their privacy statement.
On the left side of the page, click "Toronto and East York" under the "Service Area" tab.
Then, click "Residential" under "Service Type."
Last one! Click "Air Source Heat Pump" under the "Service" tab.

A list of about 10 contractors should appear! 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.

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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:

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.
The cost of annual inspections has gone up a ton (your heat pump doesn't need annual safety inspections).
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: $12-20K. The challenge with heat pump pricing is that people look into a heat pump when their furnace dies or their A/C dies. Compared to the cost of just a furnace or just an A/C, the cost of a heat pump can feel disproportionate. But that’s not really the case!

With a heat pump, you buy two appliances in one. Heat pumps can replace BOTH your A/C and your furnace. They have a higher price, but you get an appliance that does more.

We talk with many homeowners who’ve made the switch. These are the common heat pump benefits they talk about:

Comfortable heat — heat pumps feel like the even warmth of radiators rather than the blasts of hot, dry air that furnaces give off.

Safety of getting off gas — the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs reports that hundreds of Canadians are hospitalized every year from carbon monoxide leaks, with many suffering permanent disability. All-electric homes eliminate this risk.

Better indoor air quality — many heat pumps come with humidity sensors, HEPA filters, and air quality monitors built in.

You can also pair your heat pump with solar panels to power your home’s heating and cooling with clean, renewable energy.

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. But modern heat pumps cost less to run than traditional A/Cs, so your summer cooling bill should come down.

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. Plus, you’ll probably run your heat pump for more hours in a year than any other appliance. Treat yourself to a good one (if you can!).

💵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:

Have a copy of the contracts
Understand the interest rate you will be paying now and in future
Are you aware of any exit penalties before agreeing.

If you have trouble decoding it, find someone who can help you! Pasting the contract into ChatGPT is a good place to start.

📖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:

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.

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.

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.