A heat pump keeps a cottage or seasonal home dry and above freezing through the winter, then cools it in summer. It is often the cheapest way to heat a camp that is only used on weekends.
Inverness and Richmond counties have many homes that are not lived in full time, around the Bras d'Or Lake, Lake Ainslie, the Ceilidh Trail and Isle Madame. We install heat pumps in cottages across that whole area.
Yes. Many ductless heat pumps have a low-heat setting that holds the cottage at about 10 degrees Celsius while nobody is there, using very little power.
That keeps the pipes, the furniture and the drywall dry through the winter. A Wi-Fi controller lets you check the temperature and turn the heat up from home the day before you drive out.
A Wi-Fi controller connects the heat pump to an app, so you can see the indoor temperature and change the setting from Sydney, Halifax or anywhere else. It needs internet at the cottage, which is the catch at many camps around Lake Ainslie, the Margarees or the Highlands. Where there is no internet, a cellular temperature alarm is the next best thing: it texts you when the power goes out or the temperature falls below a set point. Either way, set the alert high enough that someone has time to get there before the pipes freeze.
When you close up in the fall, set the heat pump to its low-heat or frost-protection mode if it has one, and leave the interior doors open so the warm air reaches every room. Rinse the filters and clear the ground around the outdoor unit. A heat pump does not replace winterizing the plumbing: if no one will be checking the place, drain the water lines as you always have. In the spring, rinse the filters again before switching to cooling, check the outdoor unit for winter damage or nests, and run it in heat mode for a while to dry the place out. Book the yearly cleaning for when you are there to let the technician in.
Damp does as much harm to a closed cottage as cold. Bras d'Or and Gulf shore camps sit in fog and wet air for much of the spring and fall, and a shut-up building grows mould on mattresses, cushions and drywall. A heat pump helps in two ways. Holding the inside a little warmer than outside keeps surfaces above the dew point, so moisture does not settle on them. In the warmer months, dry mode pulls water out of the air without cooling the place much. Leaving cupboard and closet doors open helps the air move. A cheap humidity gauge shows whether the settings are working.
A heat pump cannot run during a power outage, so an empty cottage needs a plan for long outages. A Wi-Fi controller sends an alert when the power or the temperature drops, so someone nearby can check the place.
For cottages with water in the pipes all winter, a low-temperature alarm and a neighbour with a key are worth more than any heat pump setting.
A cottage heat pump goes on a tall stand or wall bracket, faced away from the open water where the wind is strongest. Lakeside and shoreline cottages see heavy drifting, and nobody is there to shovel.
On the shore of the Bras d'Or or on Isle Madame we also suggest a coastal model with a coated coil, and a yearly rinse during the heat pump cleaning visit.
An empty cottage is an open invitation to mice, and a heat pump gives them two ways in: the hole in the wall where the line set passes through, and the line set cover itself. Both should be sealed so nothing can get through. Mice also nest in outdoor units and chew wiring, which can stop the unit in the middle of winter with no one there to notice. Check the outdoor unit and the line set cover each time you open the place, and look for droppings around the indoor head. The yearly cleaning includes a check of the line set cover and wall opening.
The price of a cottage heat pump is set after a visit to the property, because it climbs with a tall stand, a long line set or an electrical upgrade at an older camp. The written quote lists each of those on its own line.
As of October 30, 2026, the Moderate Income Rebate is out for a cottage, because it requires the home to be your primary residence. The Home Energy Assessment is different. Its June 2026 guide asks for proof of ownership, a home that is at least six months old, connected to the grid, in livable condition and with a working automated heating system. It does not list primary residence as a rule, but confirm with Efficiency Nova Scotia at 1-877-999-6035 before you count on it, because a camp with no permanent heat or off-grid power will not qualify. The federal National Heat Pump Rebate rules, including second homes, are due November 1, 2026.
Many summer renters on the Cabot Trail and around Baddeck and Inverness now look for air conditioning when they book. A heat pump gives a rental cottage cooling in July and August and keeps it comfortable in May, June, September and October, which can stretch the rental season. For rentals, a simple setup works best. Lock the remote to a sensible temperature range if the model allows it, keep a laminated card by the head showing heat, cool and dry, and add a Wi-Fi controller so you can reset it between guests. Rinse the filters at every changeover in busy weeks.
Call (902) 201-6758 and tell us where the cottage is and how often you use it in winter. You can also see every heat pump service on our home page.
Many owners hold it around 10 degrees Celsius with the heat pump's low-heat mode, which keeps the building dry and above freezing.
Yes, if no one is checking the cottage. A power outage stops the heat pump, and the pipes can freeze before anyone knows.
Some can with a properly sized generator and a transfer switch installed by an electrician. Ask before you buy one.
Yes. Internet is only needed for remote control. A cellular alarm can still warn you about power or temperature problems.
No. It requires the home to be your primary residence.
A unit buried in snow cannot defrost and may stop heating. A tall stand, the right location and a neighbour who checks after big storms are the best protection.
Every service below is available across Cape Breton Island.
A ductless heat pump heats a room or an open floor plan through a slim indoor head on the wall, with no ductwork needed. It is the most common job in Cape Breton because most older homes were never built with ducts.
Prices and details: Ductless Installation
A whole-home heat pump system runs several indoor heads from one or two outdoor units, so every main room gets its own heat. It is the right choice when one head cannot reach the bedrooms, the basement or the far end of the house.
Prices and details: Whole-Home Systems
A ducted central heat pump sends warm air through the ductwork a house already has, the same way a furnace does. It suits homes with a forced-air oil or electric furnace and ducts in good shape.
Prices and details: Ducted Central Systems
An oil to heat pump conversion replaces most or all of the heat from an oil furnace or boiler with a heat pump. It cuts the oil bill, and in many homes it ends oil deliveries altogether.
Prices and details: Switching From Oil
A proper heat pump cleaning takes the indoor head apart, washes the coil and the blower wheel, flushes the drain line and rinses the outdoor unit. A wipe of the filters is not a cleaning.
Prices and details: Cleaning and Maintenance
Heat pump repair finds out why a unit has stopped heating, is blowing cold air, is leaking water or is showing an error code, and then fixes it. Most problems come down to airflow, drainage, a sensor, a board or the refrigerant charge.
Prices and details: Repair and Service
A heat pump water heater heats your hot water by pulling warmth out of the air around the tank, instead of heating it with an electric element alone.
Prices and details: Hot Water TanksCall us and talk it through before you book anything.
Tell us a little about your home and what heats it today, and we will book a free visit. Calls go to (902) 201-6758.
