Product comparisons
Heat Pumps compared, with a verified Canadian price.
6 products verified · checked Oct 6, 2026
For Canadian homeowners replacing a window AC, adding heat to a garage, basement, or addition without extending ductwork, or swapping an aging electric water heater. "Cold climate" matters here: a cheap heat pump is a great air conditioner that quietly stops heating around freezing and dumps the job onto backup electric resistance heat — the units below are chosen because their own Canadian product pages state a specific low-temperature heating rating, not a marketing adjective. The table compares ductless mini-split heat pumps rated for Ontario winters, plus two heat pump water heaters, on type, capacity, efficiency, warranty, and a verified Canadian price.
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| Product | Type | Capacity | Efficiency | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senville AURA 12,000 BTU Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump (SENA-12HF) Senville | Ductless, single-zone | 12,000 BTU cooling / 13,000 BTU heating | SEER2 25.4 / HSPF2 13.7 | 10 years compressor · 5 years parts (professional installation required) | $1,699.99as of Oct 6, 2026 Senville Canada → | A single-zone cold-climate mini-split rated to heat down to -30°C, sold and shipped direct from Senville's own Canadian site with the numbers stated right on the product page. More+ Rated to heat down to -30°C — ties the other two Senville units for the coldest-rated heating in this table – The 10-year compressor warranty requires professional installation — a DIY install drops it to the shorter standard term |
Senville AURA 18,000 BTU Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump (SENA-18HF) Senville | Ductless, single-zone | 18,000 BTU cooling / 21,000 BTU heating | SEER2 21.4 / HSPF2 13.4 | 10 years compressor · 5 years parts (professional installation required) | $2,099.99as of Oct 6, 2026 Senville Canada → | The mid-size AURA unit — enough heating and cooling capacity for an open-concept living area, with the same -30°C cold-climate rating as the rest of the AURA line. More+ 21,000 BTU of rated heating output from an 18,000 BTU cooling-rated unit — more heating headroom than its cooling number suggests – Lower SEER2 than the smaller 12,000 BTU unit in this table — bigger capacity trades off some cooling efficiency |
Senville AURA 24,000 BTU Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump (SENA-24HF) Senville | Ductless, single-zone | 24,000 BTU cooling / 29,000 BTU heating | SEER2 21 / HSPF2 13.5 | 10 years compressor · 5 years parts (professional installation required) | $2,399.99as of Oct 6, 2026 Senville Canada → | The largest single-zone AURA unit, rated for 29,000 BTU of heating output — enough for a good-sized open main floor, still with the -30°C cold-climate rating. More+ Senville's own page states efficiency retained at -30°C ("up to 75%") rather than just a bare low-temperature cutoff – The most expensive single-zone unit in this table, and the lowest SEER2 of the three Senville sizes |
MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen E-Star 18,000 BTU Single-Zone Mini-Split MRCOOL | Ductless, single-zone, DIY pre-charged line set | 18,000 BTU | Not stated on the product page (R-454B refrigerant, 5th Gen platform) | Limited lifetime coverage on the compressor when registered | $2,910.00as of Oct 6, 2026 MRCOOL DIY Direct (Canada) → | A pre-charged, quick-connect DIY system sold with CAD pricing and Canadian-warehouse shipping through MRCOOL's own Canadian storefront, with a limited-lifetime compressor warranty when registered. More+ Checks out as CAD-priced and in stock on MRCOOL's own Canadian storefront — most MRCOOL listings found redirect to the US site or showed out of stock – No SEER2 or HSPF2 efficiency figure published on the product page, unlike every Senville listing in this table |
Rheem ProTerra 50 Gal. Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater (PROPH50) Rheem | Heat pump water heater | 50 US gallons (189 L) | 3.75 Energy Factor, ENERGY STAR certified | 10-year limited warranty | $3,886.00as of Oct 6, 2026 Hydrotech Mechanical → | A tank-style heat pump water heater that pulls most of its energy from the surrounding room air instead of pure electric resistance — a near drop-in swap for a standard 50-gallon electric tank. More+ Rheem states up to 400% the efficiency of a standard electric resistance tank in heat-pump-only mode – At $3,886, the most expensive single unit in this table — the 65-gallon Rheem listing below actually costs less |
Rheem ProTerra 65 Gal. Smart Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater (model 702272) Rheem | Heat pump water heater | 65 US gallons (246 L) | 4.05 Uniform Energy Factor (UEF), ENERGY STAR certified | 10-year tank and parts warranty, 1-year in-home labor warranty | $3,460.00as of Oct 6, 2026 Home Depot Canada → | A larger-capacity ProTerra with built-in WiFi monitoring through Rheem's EcoNet app, priced lower than the smaller 50-gallon listing above at the retailer we verified. More+ Larger 65-gallon tank at a lower verified price than the 50-gallon listing above — the clear value pick of the two – Only a 1-year labor warranty — a service call after year one is billable even though parts stay covered to year 10 |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Reviewed by John Moelker
Founder, CompareLocal.ca · Oxford County, Ontario · Updated Oct 6, 2026 · How we choose
Near you: Woodstock, Stratford, St. Thomas — local water, utility and installer notes for heating and cooling.
How we chose
We only publish a product once we've opened its actual Canadian retail or manufacturer page ourselves and read the price, BTU/capacity, efficiency rating, and warranty off it — see the "as of" date and source on every row. Home Depot Canada and Amazon.ca block most automated page reads; where a specific listing did load we used it, and where it didn't (or the item showed out of stock) we left it out rather than guess. We are not HVAC installers or electricians and this isn't an installation guide: every ductless unit below ships as a DIY kit with a pre-charged line set, but Ontario's heat-pump rebates require a licensed, program-registered contractor to install it, refrigerant connections should only be made or verified by a licensed technician, and a single ductless zone is not a drop-in replacement for a central furnace in a large or leaky older home — see our installer comparison and verified rebate guide below for that side of the decision.
Need a professional installer instead of a DIY unit? See heat pump installers verified for Woodstock and area →
Frequently asked questions
What does a "cold climate" or "hyper heat" rating actually mean?
It's the outdoor temperature below which the heat pump's compressor can no longer pull enough heat from the outside air to keep the house warm, so it either loses capacity or switches to backup resistance heat. The three Senville AURA units in our table are rated to heat down to -30°C, which covers nearly every Southwestern Ontario winter night; the MRCOOL DIY E-Star unit is rated to -13°F (-25°C), still a genuine cold-climate unit but with less margin on the coldest nights. A unit with no stated low-temperature heating rating on its own product page should be assumed to be a three-season air conditioner with supplemental heat, not a primary cold-climate heat source.
What size (BTU) heat pump do I need?
A rough starting point for a reasonably insulated Ontario room or open area is 20–25 BTU per square foot, so a 500 sq ft space lands around 12,000 BTU and a 1,000 sq ft open-concept main floor around 24,000 BTU — but insulation quality, ceiling height, window area, and how many rooms one outdoor unit has to serve all shift that number. Oversizing wastes money and causes short-cycling; undersizing means the unit runs flat-out on the coldest nights and still falls behind. We are not HVAC designers — a load calculation (Manual J or your installer's own tool) is worth doing before buying, especially for anything beyond a single room.
Can I really install a ductless mini-split myself?
Every DIY unit in our table ships with a pre-charged, quick-connect line set specifically so a confident DIYer can mount the indoor and outdoor units, run the line set, and connect them without a refrigerant license — that's the entire point of the "DIY" product line. That said, the electrical hookup (a dedicated circuit, usually 208/230V) should be done or inspected by a licensed electrician, local permits often apply, and if anything about the line set is cut, re-flared, or extended beyond the pre-charged length, that crosses into licensed-refrigerant-technician territory. We are not electricians or HVAC contractors — check your municipality's permit rules before you start.
Will my heat pump still qualify for Ontario or federal rebates if I install it myself?
No, not under the two programs we've verified — both the Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program and the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program require installation by a program-registered contractor, with the rebate application filed before and after the work by that contractor. A self-installed DIY unit, however well it performs, won't qualify. If the rebate matters to your math, start with a registered contractor rather than one of the DIY units in this table — see our verified rebate guide for both programs' current amounts and deadlines.
Is a heat pump water heater a direct swap for my electric tank?
Physically, mostly yes — both ProTerra units in our table fit a standard electric water heater's footprint and connections. The real differences: a heat pump water heater pulls heat from the surrounding air, so it cools and slightly dehumidifies the room it's in (a problem in a tiny closet, a benefit in a damp basement), it needs roughly 6–7 feet of clearance above and around it for airflow, and the "Energy Saver"/heat-pump-only mode is noticeably slower to recover than pure electric resistance mode on high-demand days. Check the clearance and noise specs against your mechanical room before buying.
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