Replacing our electric furnace heating with a cold-climate heat pump-Montreal
I've fallen quite far behind the times when it comes to heating systems, but I'm thinking about replacing our electric furnace with a heat pump. Since we live in Montreal, we'd need a cold-climate heat pump.
I don't know much about heat pumps yet, but I've been doing some research online.
Our house was built in 1945 and is three stories, with an addition/extension. I'm currently thinking about a 4-head mini-split system. 1 head on the second floor for the two bedroom. 2 heads on the main floor -1 for the kitchen/dining area and 1 for the extension/living room. 1 head in the basement
I'm not sure whether we really need a heat pump head in the basement. We currently have electric baseboards there, but they're very old and we would prefer not to use them.
Because of the layout of the house, I'm also considering having two outdoor units rather than one. Mitsubishi seems to be one of the best options for cold climates, although I'm open to other suggestions.
The estimated cost I'm getting is around $20,000 before rebates and tax. Am I generally on the right track with this setup?
I know I need to talk to local HVAC professionals, but I'd like to learn as much as possible and be prepared before getting quotes.
Edit: Our current heating system uses a boiler and radiators, so we don't have ductwork (though we wish we did!). Our house is poorly insulated, but the windows are relatively new.
Thank you for all the comments! Hearing from people who have actually installed these systems is incredibly helpful. Since we will probably only live here for another ten years or so, a full system might not offer much of a cost advantage.
Now, I am starting to think about a hybrid setup—installing a smaller heat pump unit with just one head in the living room while keeping our current heating system for the other rooms. If we do this, will we still save on our energy bills? And will it keep our living room comfortably warm?