Will My Heat Pump Work During Alberta’s Winters?

Will a heat pump work during Alberta’s winters? Yes! When it’s the right system for your home, read on to learn more.

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Posted by Ryan | May 6, 2025

Prairie winters present a unique challenge for home heating. We need continuous, powerful performance, but given the current economic climate, we also don’t want to break the bank. So what can you do?

How about you join the hundreds of Albertans that are making the switch to an energy efficient, dual functionality solution - the heat pump!

Modern heat pump technology has come a long way, and there are options designed specifically to perform in cold climates like ours. In today’s blog, we’ll break down the different types of heat pumps available, their key benefits, and whether they’re the right fit to keep your Alberta home warm—even when winter is at its worst.
Action Furnace is proud to offer affordable and reliable heat pump installation and repair service to homeowners in Calgary, Edmonton and our newest location of Red Deer. Let’s begin!

How Does A Heat Pump Work In Cold Weather?

Heat pumps offer a flexible, all-in-one solution for both heating and cooling your home. In the summer, they work by pulling heat from inside your home and releasing it outdoors—essentially acting like an air conditioner. When winter rolls around, they reverse the process, drawing heat from the outside air (yes, even in the cold!) and bringing it indoors to keep you warm.

Because heat pumps move heat instead of creating it, they use far less energy than traditional heating systems—helping you save on utility bills year-round, but you’ll really see the difference during the winter months!

Plus, there’s a heat pump option for every climate, including cold-climate models built to handle our frigid winters.

Cold-climate heat pumps essentially operate in the same way, but with advanced refrigerant, compressor and other components that are specifically designed to extract heat from colder air.

Cold-climate heat pumps were an important advancement because once temps dip below -15 or more, traditional heat pumps have to run harder and longer, which could cause strain on the system and not meet your heating needs. This is why a lot of heating companies, us included, sell full system options that also utilize a high-efficiency furnace to supplement for the loss of heating performance.

Many Albertans are going the full-system route to ensure they’re covered. By adding a traditional air-source heat pump to their existing furnace, they can improve efficiency without a ton of extra cost.

Common Winter Issues

The experienced technicians at Action Furnace don’t just install heat pumps, we’ve seen and addressed our fair share of winter-related issues as well, including:

Frost or refrigerant build-up
Increased wear and tear from continuous use
Frequent cycling

At Action Furnace we believe that better training leads to better repairs, and that’s exactly what you get. Our team is full of industry leaders in heat pump service, and we’re equipped with all the latest tools to ensure your heat pump is ready to handle the brutal winds and snow that our winters like to dump on us.

How to Improve Performance This Winter

No matter what type of heat pump you have, there are a few steps you can take before winter hits to ensure your equipment is ready for the increased workload.

Regular Heat Pump Tune-Ups

A proper tune-up will ensure efficiency over the lifespan of your equipment. Our multi-point service includes:

Checking for and removing excess debris from the outdoor unit
Inspect and fully clean coils
Check for leaks
Test your thermostat settings for optimal functionality

Plus we’re always keeping you updated if we come across any issues or areas of concern.

Keep Your Outdoor Unit Clean

Snow, ice and debris build up can seriously affect the performance of your heat pump during the winter months. So we recommend investing in a breathable, durable cover and also doing a visual check every once in a while to ensure everything is clean, and there’s proper airflow to and from the unit.

Use a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats are a fantastic way to control costs while maintaining a nice and cozy home this winter. They can be adjusted from anywhere and even learn your habits so you’re much less likely to waste energy.

Proper Sizing & Installation

Just like a regular furnace, proper installation is crucial to ensuring your heat pump can help you through our long stretches of cold weather. So trust Action Furnace!

Every installation begins with an assessment where our Home Comfort Advisors will carefully examine your home’s size, insulation, and heating and cooling demands to determine the perfectly sized pump option.

They will also assess for potential heat loss, and inspect vents and ductwork for any clogs or damage that could impact cold-weather performance.

Once we’ve helped you pick out the perfect heat pump it’s time for our industry-leading installation process. We arrive on schedule and, in most cases, can complete the installation within 6-8 hours. However, every home is unique, and factors such as existing ductwork and electrical setup may affect the timeline.

Our priority is to take the time needed to complete the installation to the highest standard, ensuring your heat pump runs at peak efficiency and delivers reliable heating all winter long.

We also have a number of workmanship guarantees to put your mind at ease, including the Action Furnace No Surprise Guarantee. We guarantee that the investment quoted is what you will pay. There will be no additional charges during or after the installation.

Pricing & Financing Options

To help make the winter switch to a heat pump a little bit easier, we’re proud to offer a number of equipment and financing options to fit your budget and needs.

Heat Pumps can range between $8,000 - $21,000 depending on the features you need, and our financing options start as low as $14/week! So don’t wait, contact us today and find out how a heat pump can help keep you warm!

So, will a heat pump work during Alberta’s winters? Yes! When it’s the right system for your home.

With advancements in cold-climate technology, heat pumps are more than capable of handling the frosty season, especially when properly sized, installed, and regularly maintained. And if you live in some of Alberta’s coldest areas, pairing a heat pump with a high-efficiency furnace gives you reliable backup heat when the temperatures really drop. Ready to explore your options? Give Action Furnace a call today!

Why Choose Action Furnace

Action Furnace has been Alberta’s home comfort leader since 1975! With a dedicated customer experience team and the most well-trained technicians in the industry you can trust us for all your home comfort needs.