Heat pump vs air conditioner: which should you buy?

A heat pump vs an air conditioner. Which one is the best to buy? The answer depends on your needs and deserves a thorough analysis.

Air conditioning

An air conditioner cools your home down during big summer heatwaves by creating cold air through regular vapour compression.

There are central air conditioning systems and there are wall-mounted units. As AC units only run for a few months a year, they have a pretty good lifespan. However, it does not help you save on heating bills.

Heat pump

A heat pump system cools your house down over the summer while in cooling mode and heats it in the winter. As opposed to air-con units, which create cold air, heat pumps use hot and cold air transfer.

Like air conditioners, heat pumps come in central systems or mural units. Also, specific models come with multi-zone functions, which allow you to independently manage certain rooms or areas of the house.

Since heat pumps work for most of the year, they sometimes have a shorter lifespan than air conditioners. However, when used along with your regular heater, it helps you save on heating bills.

Cost

Many choose to buy an air conditioner, arguing that heat pumps are too expensive. This might have been true in the past, but today, heat pumps are priced nearly the same as air conditioners.

Additionally, thanks to various grant programs such as Rénoclimat and Hydro-Québec’s Efficient heat pump, you can be granted government support when purchasing an eligible heat pump.

BTU

Whether you choose a heat pump or an air conditioner, you must determine the BTU (British Thermal Unit) amount needed for your unit to give you the best performance.

An expert’s evaluation of your house’s surface area, number of floors, ceiling height, and insulation quality is necessary for this process.

Central air conditioning systems and central heat pumps’ power usually ranges between 24 000 and 60 000 BTU. As for the wall-mounted air conditioner and wall-mounted heat pump, they typically run between 9 000 and 18 000 BTU. The multi-zone wall-mounted heat pump’ output, on the other hand, ranges from 18 000 to 36 000 BTU.

Installation

At MST, the installation process is ensured by experts specifically trained to work with the brands we carry. Each member of our team holds an operation license for their work field.

Installing your unit according to strict manufacturer guidelines ensures that your unit has a superior lifespan and optimal performance.

Additionally, our technicians can do routine maintenance on your unit when needed.

A well-informed decision

Before you decide on buying an air conditioner or heating unit, it is crucial to assess your needs and consider your options. Our showroom allows you to try out our different units to see their efficiency and better understand how they operate.

Contact MST for a free estimate. Your comfort is our priority.