A heat pump that stops heating usually has a problem outside
The outdoor unit sits in the snow all winter. When it stops heating, start there. Drifts, ice built up under the unit or a sheet of ice across the coil choke the airflow, and the heat pump short cycles or leans on its backup heat. Clear snow from around and on top of the unit by hand. Do not chip ice off the coil; the fins bend and the tubes puncture.
Some cool air in winter is normal. Every so often the unit reverses to melt frost off the outdoor coil, and the air from the vents goes lukewarm for a few minutes. If it stays cold, check that the thermostat is set to heat, the filter is not plugged and the breaker for the outdoor unit has not tripped. If the coil stays iced, the fan will not spin or the unit hums and does nothing, call.
The technician tests the defrost controls and sensors, the outdoor fan motor, the capacitor and the reversing valve, then checks the refrigerant charge. A low charge means a leak, and the leak is found before refrigerant is added.
Newer homes at Norwood Park have set-up faults, not worn parts
Phase 4 off Albine Street is built tight, with heat pumps or high-efficiency gas furnaces, fresh-air ventilation units and short, small duct runs. In houses this new, a heat pump that runs nonstop, leaves rooms uneven or freezes its indoor coil usually has a set-up problem: the wrong size for the house, airflow never balanced, or a thermostat not configured for the equipment.
Check the ventilation unit's filters as well as the main filter. They are easy to forget, and a plugged one changes how the whole house breathes. The technician measures airflow and duct pressure, compares the equipment to the house and corrects the settings before suggesting any parts.
Older village houses need the ducts checked before a heat pump goes in
In the 2016 Census, 235 of the 560 occupied dwellings in the Norwood population centre were built in 1960 or before, and another 165 from 1961 to 1980. Around Keeler's Mill many houses were first heated with wood or coal, then converted. The ductwork was often added later, and it tends to be undersized or leaky.
A heat pump moves more air at a lower temperature than a gas furnace. Push it through small, poorly sealed ducts and the house stays cool while the unit runs loud. The technician looks at the ducts first. Sometimes sealing joints and adding a return is enough. Where the ducts cannot carry it, a ductless system with wall heads in the main rooms is the better fit; see air conditioning installation. Old duct or pipe wrap that may contain asbestos is pointed out before anyone disturbs it.
A hybrid system keeps the gas furnace for the coldest days
Most older homes in the village already have gas, supplied by Enbridge in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood. A hybrid set-up adds a heat pump to that furnace. The heat pump carries the house through spring, fall and the milder part of winter, and the furnace takes over below a set outdoor temperature. Norwood Park homes with condensing furnaces suit this well, since the indoor coil sits on the furnace and the ducts are already sized for it.
The changeover point is set at the thermostat to suit the house and the gas and electricity rates of the day, and it can be changed later. If the furnace is near the end of its life, replacing both together may make sense; see furnace installation and replacement. Work is performed by TSSA-certified gas technicians.
Rebates are checked before the price is written
Grant and rebate programs for heat pumps change, and some require a home energy assessment before the work starts, not after. Before writing the price, the technician checks what currently applies to your house and fuel and what paperwork the program needs. You approve the number before any equipment is ordered. The rebates guide explains how to check eligibility yourself, and the price guide covers what moves the cost in an older house.
Installation starts with the house, then the spot for the outdoor unit
A heat-loss calculation sizes the system to the house, room by room, not to the label on the old furnace. Cold-climate units are chosen for their output at low outdoor temperatures, which is what counts in a Norwood January.
The outdoor unit goes on a stand or wall bracket clear of drifts and out from under the roof drip line. Environment Canada's 1981-2010 normals for the Peterborough A station record 151.2 cm of snow a year and snow depths of up to 71 cm in March, so a ground-level pad is not enough. Defrost water needs somewhere to drain that will not refreeze under the unit.
The line set is pressure tested and evacuated, the system is charged, airflow is set and the thermostat is configured for the equipment. Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. A yearly check keeps the manufacturer warranty in order; see maintenance.