Heat Pump Sizing Guide

When selecting a heat pump, a few things need to be considered. One is the cooling load of the house and this is the most important. Two, overall costs as there is no sense in quoting a high-end or bigger system if funds are not there. Three is understanding competitor’s quotes. 

We at ECM are the experts in heat pumps. We know how to size them for maximum heating efficiency without compromising cooling comfort. We select our systems carefully and install and commission them in a proprietary way. No one else has the knowledge or skills that we have when it comes to heat pumps. We were selling. maintaining and servicing heat pumps well before the grants came out. We can install the same equipment as our competitors but guarantee that our systems will outperform theirs. We quote bigger equipment because what is the sense of installing a 24,000 btu rated for -30*C if your balance point for that system is -10*C. A Bosch 36,000 btu rated for -21*C would outperform and not rely on as much backup heat as the balance point would be -18*C. 

And why would we need to calculate the balance point? There are assumptions and errors in these calculations making contractors play it safe to avoid callbacks. They can calculate a balance point of -10*C but in reality, it could be -14*C. Why not let the system decide when it is running too long and switch over then? With different activities within the house, minor to major upgrades your balance point can move; better or even worse. This is why ECM again has a proprietary setup with the thermostats we recommend. 

With a properly sized system, installed right and properly set-up you will save the most making the payback even less than a cheaper system installed by companies that do not have the experience. Million-dollar question: How do you know what companies are good with heat pumps? Short answer you can’t. With the variable speed compressors now it’s very easy to throw a heat pump in and walk away knowing that it will work but to what degree? And for how long? Google reviews? Anyone friendly with a nice smile can get a good Google review. Some small companies do not have the appropriate licences and the rest of us have similar licences. ECM has a few companies that try to mimic us but lack the experience. You can ask a company how they have been doing heat pumps and most will say a long time some will use a combined time and even include past techs who are no longer there or are doing sales now. A salesperson is there to sell you something so they can get paid. A good way to tell if someone is trustworthy is someone who will tell you the pros and cons of the equipment and even talk you out of buying something by giving you all the information so you can make a well-informed decision.