Cooking and smoking odours wafting between residential units and bothering the neighbours could be resolved with the installation of a heat pump.
A heat pump is an effective solution for a basement apartment unit, says Frank Cullen, owner of Cullen Heating and Air Conditioning in Oshawa. It will prevent any smells from cooking or smoking tobacco or cannabis from circulating between floors in the home.
“A furnace heats the whole house and circulates air throughout the house,” he explains. “Call Cullen Heating, and we can seal off the upper floor so the furnace is heating only the upper floor, and the basement apartment can get a heat pump. It’s easy to do.”
The solution means tenants in the basement and those living on the main floor of a house won’t have to put up with each other’s cooking and smoking smells, he says. The house now has two separate heating systems.
A heat pump will also cool the living unit where it’s installed in hot weather, and is a popular choice for cottages.
Heat pumps work by taking heat from outside and pushing it inside, and they work even when it’s cold outdoors because there’s enough ambient heat to allow for an efficient exchange. They can cool a home by expelling warm air outside, becoming both a heat source and a cooling system.
Technology means heat pumps today can warm a home in outdoor temperatures as low as -25 C, says Mr. Cullen. They provide a medium to fast source of heat, while they dehumidify more efficiently than air conditioners. Heat pumps can reduce the pollen, dust and dirt in your home that’s often circulated through ductwork. As a heat pump is a ductless system, it won’t circulate mould, bacteria or viruses such as the flu virus through the venting system, as a furnace does.
With cannabis now legal in Canada, many people with basement apartments in their home are unaware of the option of installing a basement heat pump to prevent the exchange of air between the home’s levels, says Cullen.
Homeowners living outside areas served by natural gas can save money by opting for a heat pump rather than separate heating and air conditioning systems, points out Mr. Cullen. He says the operating costs of a heat pump would be about half the cost of an electric baseboard heating system.
A heat pump unit is installed outside, with controls mounted on an indoor wall. They operate quietly and require no ductwork.
However, a heat pump requires specialized design and installation, and homeowners should use a contractor experienced in their installation. Cullen Heating and Air Conditioning has been chosen by heat pump manufacturer LG to serve customers east of Toronto.
Call Cullen Heating and Air Conditioning at 905-725-9731, or schedule an appointment online.
