How-to · 15 minutes · moderate
Want a ballpark heat pump size before booking a quote? Here's a 15-minute estimate. The actual install requires a Manual J calculation — but this gets you in the right ballpark.
What you'll need
Walk through the conditioned space and add up room-by-room sq ft. Don't include unheated garages or unfinished basements.
Pre-1980: assumed minimal insulation; 1980-2000: typical insulation; 2000+: tight construction.
Pre-1980 home: 30 BTU/sq ft heating. 1980-2000: 25 BTU/sq ft. 2000+: 20 BTU/sq ft. Multiply by your sq ft. (e.g., 2,000 sq ft × 25 = 50,000 BTU/hr heating.)
Divide BTU/hr by 12,000 to get tons. (50,000 / 12,000 = ~4.2 tons.) Round to the nearest standard size: 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, or 5 tons.
Cooling load is usually 60-80% of heating in Ontario. Use the heating size; the heat pump will be slightly oversized for cooling, which is fine.
If you have a 60,000 BTU furnace and it heats fine even on -20°C days, your home's heat loss at design conditions is roughly 60K-80K BTU/hr — your heat pump should aim to deliver that much at -15°C.
When to stop and call
Before any quote, we run a real Manual J factoring insulation, windows, infiltration, exposure, and internal gains. The 15-minute method above gets you within ~25% of the right answer. (416) 258-2460.
Open 24/7
Most GTA calls get same-day service. Call, text, or request a fixed quote — we'll come back with a real ETA.
Mississauga, ON · Greater Toronto Area and up to 2 hours out — London, Kitchener, Barrie, Kingston, Niagara.
(416) 258-2460 · 24/7