Heat pumps 101: Common questions about a greener option for heating and cooling your home

MoreBritish Columbianswantto install electric heat pumps as a greener way tosave money long-termwhile heating and cooling their homes and one contractor says it's getting hardertokeep up with demand.

"It's pretty crazy right now," says Joe Cheriex, owner ofControlled Air Heating and Cooling in Courtenay, B.C., on Vancouver Island.

"You're just seeing heat pumps going in everywhere. It's not even just new residential homes. They'regoing into condo developments. They're going into hotels. There's just such a need for them."

Heat pumps, which use electricity and refrigerantto transfer heat from outside to inside and vice-versa, are a greener heating optionthan natural gas, propane or oil in a province like B.C. that relies heavily on hydroelectricity, according toCheriex.

In warm weather, heat pumps are up to 50 per cent more energy efficient compared to a typical window AC unit, according to B.C. Hydro.

They cost an average of $8,000 and $16,000 to purchase and install, Cheriex said, although provincial rebatesmay be availabledepending on the building project and existing heat sources.

Common questions Cheriex often fields about heat pumps include cost, longevity, noise and effectiveness in cold weather.

The lifespan of a heat pump should be in the range of 20 years,Cheriexsaid, while some newer units havewarranties in the rangeof 10 to 12 years on major parts.

While some older units may be noisy, "the newer stuff is getting quieter and quieter, some of it as low as 50 decibels, which is basically as loud as a dishwasher."

As for cold weather, Cheriex says thecold-climate heat pumpat his Vancouver Island homeworked in -15 C temperatures and auxiliary heat kitsare available for colder climates.

In terms of cost, it may take a homeowner abouta decade to recoup the price of a heat pump throughsavings fromnot usingfossil fuels.

"But if you're getting rebates.... it's going to take a lot less of time to get your money back out of it," Cheriex said.

Peter Sundberg, executive director of City Green, says those interested in installing a heat pump may end up on a wait list. In the interim, he says, homeowners can focus onupgrades to insulation and windows to make their homemore energy efficient.