If you’re used to the constant chugging, clicking, and clacking of a furnace, getting a heat pump is going to feel very different. Your first winter with a heat pump may feel unfamiliar. A heat pump is very different from traditional heating systems in the way it heats, sounds, and even how often it runs. But with proper setup and a little understanding, your unit will operate effectively and efficiently, even in cold Canadian winters. Here’s a guide to help you prepare for how your new heat pump will operate this winter, as well as some basic heat pump troubleshooting tips and insights on cold weather heat pumps. How Does A Heat Pump Work in Winter? A heat pump doesn’t create heat, it transfers it. Cold is not the absence of heat, it’s simply lower heat energy. A heat pump absorbs this heat or thermal energy from the outside air and moves it into your home in winter. Modern cold-climate heat pumps are designed to extract heat efficiently even in sub-zero temperatures. Many models continue operating at -25°C, while some are even rated for -30°C. How Does A Furnace Work in Winter? A furnace works very differently. Instead of transferring heat, it burns fuel (oil, gas, or propane) to create heat. It then blasts this hot air into your home in cycles. Because a furnace generates heat through combustion rather than extracting it from outdoor air, it operates independently of outside temperatures and can keep your home warm even during extreme, frigid cold. What To Expect In Your First Winter With A Heat Pump: The Truth About Heat Pumps You're Going To Have To Switch Your Heat Pump to "Heat Mode" If this is your first winter with a heat pump, you might not have realized that since your heat pump offers both heating and cooling, your system has three modes: Heat Cool Auto In winter, you’ll want to switch your heat pump to HEAT mode, not AUTO, so your system can consistently blow hot air. AUTO mode can cause the system to switch between heating and cooling, which may result in cool airflow for a brief period of time. To change modes: For central heat pump systems: Adjust via your thermostat. For ductless mini-split systems: Use your remote and select “Mode” and then “Heat.” If you have a multi-zone system, be sure to do this for each of your indoor heads. Your Heat Pump Will Blow Warm, Not Hot Air If you’re used to a furnace, a heat pump will feel…different. Unlike a furnace that blasts really hot air for short periods of time, a heat pump maintains a steady flow of warm air. This means that while air from a furnace feels “hotter,” warm air from a heat pump will be much more consistent. This means your home will feel more evenly heated. And if you’re familiar with the hot and cold spots caused by electric baseboard heaters, you’ll probably appreciate the consistent, balanced warmth a heat pump provides throughout the house. Bonus: Because the air isn’t excessively hot, it won’t dry out your skin as much. Many homeowners notice improved comfort, especially those sensitive to dry winter air. Furnaces (Oil or Gas) Baseboard Heaters Heat Pumps Wood Stoves How they work Burn fuel through combustion to create high-temperature heat. Turns on and off in noticeable cycles Use electric resistance heating to generate heat directly. Use electricity to transfer heat from outdoor air into your home; do not generate heat, they only move it. Burn wood to produce radiant heat that warms the surrounding area. How they feel Blasts of hot air for short periods of time result in very warm but inconsistent heating. Uneven heat; create hot and cold spots depending on the position of the individual units. Warm, consistent, even heat throughout the home; air does not feel as “hot” as the heat produced by a furnace. Very warm near the stove but cooler farther away; radiant, dry heat. Temperature Stability Noticeable temperature swings as the system cycles on and off. Fluctuates depending on thermostat control and room layout. Runs longer and more consistently, maintaining a stable and even indoor temperature. Heat varies depending on fire intensity and how often it’s refueled. Tips To Make Your House Feel Warmer: Open blinds during the day to let sunlight naturally heat your space. Use zone heating if you have mini-split systems. Close doors to avoid distributing heat to unoccupied rooms or keep doors open between rooms if you want to distribute more heat. Seal drafts around windows and doors, especially in basements and attics to prevent heat loss. Like any heating system, your heat pump is only as good as your home’s insulation. Avoid large thermostat setbacks. Bonus tip: Leave the oven door open after you’re done baking to let residual heat warm the room. However, always use caution. Your Electricity Bill Will Rise With A Heat Pump - But Fuel Costs Will Go Down When you switch from fossil fuels to a heat pump, here’s what you can expect to happen: Your electrical bill will likely go up, but your fuel bill will definitely go down. If you’re switching from oil or propane: You’ll no longer have to buy fuel (oil or propane). Your electricity usage will rise, but it will typically be offset by fuel savings. This means your overall heating costs will either drop or stay similar. If they do go up, there should be only a slight increase. If you’re switching from electric baseboards, your electrical bill will almost certainly go down because heat pumps are at least twice as efficient as baseboard heaters. In fact, you can expect your heating-related electricity costs to be 25% lower than before. In most scenarios, you’ll see significant cost savings compared to your old heating system, particularly over the long term. Heating System Efficiency Heat Pumps 200–400% Oil Furnace 80–90% Gas Furnace 80–98% Electric Baseboards 100% Source: Shrink That Footprint How To Calculate Savings From Heat Pump Compare costs for a full winter before and after you installed your heat pump. Make sure to take into account any fuel costs related to the heating system you used previously. For instance, if you switched from an oil furnace to a heat pump, your comparison would look something like this: Cost Before Heat Pump: Electricity + Oil = Total heating cost Cost After Heat Pump: Electricity only = Total heating cost Now calculate the difference between these two numbers to find out your savings. If you are using a fossil fuel-based backup heating system in conjunction with your heat pump, be sure to account for the fuel costs in the “after” scenario. Things To Keep In Mind: Utility rates tend to rise year over year, and many utilities across Canada increased their kWh rates recently, leading to higher electricity bills for most households. Many providers apply higher kWh rates during winter months, when demand is at its peak. Cold snaps drive up usage. Your heat pump will run longer and work harder to maintain indoor comfort if temperatures drop down below freezing. If auxiliary (backup) heat activates during extreme cold, it uses more electricity and can increase your bill. But even with the occasional cold weather spikes, heat pumps remain one of the most cost-effective heating options available. Bear in mind that fossil fuels like natural gas are also subject to regular price increases. Fuel oil prices in particular can fluctuate wildly, making your heating costs difficult to predict. Your Backup Heat Will Turn On When It Gets Too Cold - And That's Normal While today’s cold-climate heat pumps are designed to heat your home even at sub-zero temperatures, their efficiency naturally goes down the colder it gets. In such situations, your heat pump may periodically switch to auxiliary heating (like your oil furnace or electric resistance heating) to help warm your home. NOTE: Even with occasional backup heat, it’s still far more efficient to let the heat pump run steadily and rely on auxiliary heating only when truly necessary. Without the heat pump, you would have been entirely reliant on an inefficient system. What To Expect When It Gets Very Cold: The system will run continuously to maintain your set temperature. Heat pump efficiency will naturally decrease as temperatures drop. Backup heat will switch on during the coldest hours. Your heat pump will occasionally go into defrost mode. What is Defrost Mode, and Why Does Your Heat Pump Need to Defrost? During really cold conditions, frost may form on the coil of your heat pump’s outdoor unit. When this happens, your heat pump will briefly reverse operations and switch to defrost mode to melt the ice. What To Expect When Your Heat Pump Defrosts: During defrost mode, you may notice your heat pump temporarily blowing cool air. You may notice steam rising from the outdoor unit or hissing sounds—these are both normal. Your heat pump will automatically switch back to heating once the ice has melted, in around 5–15 minutes. How Is Heat Pump Maintenance And Usage Different From Other Systems? Set It And Forget It, Not Constant Adjustment Unlike a furnace or electric baseboards, heat pumps are most effective when they’re set to a consistent temperature. This allows them to keep your home at a steady temperature while maintaining maximum efficiency. Frequent temperature swings can actually reduce your system’s efficiency. So instead of constantly tweaking your thermostat and trying to lower or raise the temperature according to the weather outside, just “set it and forget it.” That is, find a comfortable temperature and stick to it. Best Heat Pump Practices For Low Utility Bills The best temperature range for your heat pump is 21°C–23°C, maintaining the perfect balance between comfort and efficiency. Note that this will likely be higher than what you usually set your furnace to, because they both heat your home very differently. Adjust no more than 2°C at a time. Avoid setting your thermostat excessively high, which may unnecessarily trigger auxiliary heat. Backup heat typically shouldn’t activate until the outdoor temperature dips to around -10°C to -15°C. Set your backup heat around 2 degrees lower than your heat pump. You Will Have To Regularly Clean Your Heat Pump Filters Heat pumps constantly move a lot of air and also filter out pollutants and particulate matter. Dirty and clogged filters reduce the airflow and efficiency, and can increase operating costs. This is actually not so different from an oil or gas furnace, which also uses filters to remove dust and debris before circulating the air. To keep your heat pump operating properly: Clean indoor unit filters every 1–3 months. Keep outdoor units clear of snow, leaves, and debris to prevent airflow restrictions. Schedule regular professional maintenance. Your Heat Pump Will Be Very, Very Quiet Heat pumps are one of the quietest HVAC systems out there; most indoor units operate at 18–30 dB which is about as quiet as a whisper (20–30 dB). The outdoor unit is only slightly louder at 40–60 dB. If you switched from an older furnace, the difference will be very noticeable. No more loud ignition or dramatic start-ups. Heat pumps operate at a steady, low hum. However, if you notice unusual sounds like banging, scraping, or vibrations, or if the system becomes noticeably loud, you should contact a professional for inspection. Your first winter with a heat pump will come with a learning curve, but the benefits are well worth it. You’ll experience more even comfort, improved efficiency, lower long-term heat pump costs, and quieter operations. Once you adjust to your new heat pump system, you’ll likely wonder how you ever lived without one. Have more questions about your system and how to maintain its efficiency in winter? Visit Our Heat Pump Learning Centre to find everything you need to know about your heat pump, or schedule a service call with us at 1 (800) 458-1289.
