Costs This section provides general information only. Please contact local installers to get quotes for your home. It is always advisable to get several quotes where possible. The following table gives a rough estimate of the costs of different tank water heaters based on research in 2020. Included are operational costs for electric water heaters… Continue reading
Author: rmhs
Glossary of terms for heat pump water heaters
When you are talking to salespeople or looking at the literature, you may feel inundated with acronyms and technical vocabulary. This section is meant to be a reference when you encounter these terms and may provide guidance on what values are appropriate for homes in Waterloo Region. First hour rating is the volume of… Continue reading
Additional considerations when choosing a heat pump for water heating
Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are a different form of water heating technology that achieves the same result as a conventional water heater: abundant hot water when needed. However, it is important to understand some of these differences. Sizing Heating a full tank of water using a heat pump can take longer than with a… Continue reading
Intro to heat pump water heaters
Heat pump water heaters (HPWH) move heat from the surrounding air to water for domestic use. They are capable of generating all of the hot water needs of a residential home many times more efficiently than conventional electric water heaters.
More Heat Pump Resources
Want to learn more? Natural Resources Canada Publication “Heating and Cooling with a Heat Pump” Vancouver’s heat pump noise guide. Air conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Institute directory of certified product performance Heat pumps and heat pump coils. Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships(NEEP) cold climate air source heat pump list Rocky Mountain Institute publication “Economics of Electrifying Buildings”… Continue reading
Questions to ask heat pump installers
Will this system be able to handle all or only part of my heating needs? If only part of my heating needs, will the system work with my existing furnace? What temperature ranges can it operate at? How do you estimate the size of heat pump needed for my home? (should do a heat loss… Continue reading
Creating a plan to add a heat pump to your home
Heat pumps require a bit of extra research and planning so start early. Here is a suggested checklist of things you can do in advance. Research heat pumps to understand how they work, the benefits to you, and how they might change the normal operation of your home. This guide is a great place to… Continue reading
Costs of Space Heating and Cooling options
This section provides general information only. Please contact local installers to get quotes for your home. It is always advisable to get several quotes where possible. The table below gives a rough estimate of the costs of different space heating systems based on research in 2020. The operational costs are for heating only. One thing… Continue reading
Glossary of terms for heat pumps
BE SURE TO ALWAYS COMPARE THE SAME VALUES BETWEEN MODELS When you are talking to salespeople or looking at the literature, you may feel inundated with acronyms and technical vocabulary. This section is meant to be a reference when you encounter these terms and may provide guidance on what values are appropriate for homes in… Continue reading
How heating with a cold climate heat pump is different from a conventional furnace
A home heated with a cold climate heat pump will be very comfortable year-round. Achieving home comfort efficiently is different however, than with a conventional furnace. Conventional furnaces can heat the air to higher temperatures than a heat pump and as a consequence, the air coming out of an air register will not feel as… Continue reading