These are the questions we hear most from homeowners across Cape Breton, answered plainly.
Call us and we will answer it on the phone.
The cost depends on the type of system, the size of the house and any panel or duct work, so each job is priced after a free visit. Your written quote is itemized and shows HST and the rebates that may apply.
On October 30, 2026, the Home Energy Assessment rebate, the Moderate Income Rebate and HomeWarming were all taking applications. Ottawa's National Heat Pump Rebate opens in early 2027, and eligible systems installed from November 1, 2026 count toward it.
Yes, for the Efficiency Nova Scotia rebate. The initial assessment must happen before the install, and a final assessment happens after. The federal rebate says no energy audit is needed.
Yes. A cold-climate heat pump still produces heat at minus 25 degrees Celsius, though less than on a mild day. On the few nights that cold in Cape Breton, a backup such as baseboard heat or a wood stove helps carry the load.
Your power bill goes up when a heat pump replaces oil, but your total heating cost goes down. When it replaces baseboard heat, the power bill itself usually drops.
On low speed a modern indoor head makes about as much noise as a soft voice across the room. The outdoor unit hums more quietly than most people expect, and we keep it away from bedroom windows whenever the wall allows.
Salt air can shorten a heat pump's life if the outdoor coil is never rinsed. A coastal model with a coated coil and a yearly cleaning help it reach its full life.
Short bursts of cool air are usually the defrost cycle, which is normal. Cold air that lasts more than a few minutes points to a dirty coil, a low charge or a fault that needs a repair visit.
It should be fully cleaned once a year, and the filters should be rinsed every four to eight weeks during the heating season.
A standard air-source unit cannot heat hot-water radiators, but ductless heads can carry most of the heating while the boiler stays as a backup. Many boiler homes cut their oil use this way.
No. Both the home visit and the written quote cost nothing and carry no obligation. Repair and cleaning visits are priced on the phone before we book them.
No, not for the Efficiency Nova Scotia rebate. Its June 2026 guide excludes replacing an existing heat pump, and only capacity you add on top of an existing system counts.
News coverage says the federal money stacks with provincial programs, though the federal page has not confirmed it. The full rules are due in November 2026, so check them before you count on both.
Many homes do not need one. Older homes with a 100-amp panel and electric backup heat sometimes do, and we check the panel during the free visit so any upgrade is in the quote.
A full cleaning usually takes about an hour for each indoor head, plus a little time for the outdoor unit.
Yes. We can clean or service every unit in a duplex, apartment building or group of rentals in one trip, and we price the visit before we book it.
Yes. We install systems at cottages and camps around the Bras d'Or Lake, Lake Ainslie, the Ceilidh Trail and Isle Madame, with tall stands and settings that keep an empty cottage from freezing.
Each page answers what the work involves, what it costs and how rebates apply.
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 Tanks
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.
Prices and details: Cottages and CampsTell us a little about your home and what heats it today, and we will book a free visit. Calls go to (902) 201-6758.
