Mercury Refrigeration

Victoria: 250 686 1716 | Duncan: 250 748 0170
Toll free (outside Victoria): 877 686 1716

Serving Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands from the Cowichan Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Air conditioners can be noisy - will a heat pump be just as noisy?

    The honest answer is maybe. Most noise complaints relate to the outdoor portion of the heat pump system and there are several factors which influence how noisy your new heat pump will be. One of the easiest ways to keep it quiet is to choose an appropriate location. Placing the outdoor unit away from bedrooms, near natural noise dampeners or behind a barrier can all help reduce the noise. It is also possible to wrap a noise dampening blanket around the outdoor unit compressor. Finally the best way to reduce the noisiness of your unit is to buy a good quality heat pump. This is one of the times where you get what you pay for, and a more expensive unit will generally be quieter. Finally noise coming from the indoor unit can be remedied by using variable speed air handlers.

  • Aren’t refrigerants bad for the environment?

    Yes and no. While refrigerants can still be harmful to the environment all refrigeration professionals receive specialized training on its handling. A responsible professional will always recover refrigerant for recycling and do everything possible to prevent the venting of refrigerant into the atmosphere. Also, today's newest refrigerants are significantly less harmful that those which were widely used 10 years ago. Whenever possible, use 410a or other environmentally friendly refrigerants.

  • Can you combine in-floor heating with a heat pump?

    Yes, this is especially easy with geothermal heat pumps but one thing to consider with in floor heating is you have no air movement or fresh air circulating around the house. Whenever possible we would recommend the installation of an HRV to bring fresh air into the house without causing too many drafts.

  • Can you fix or replace my swimming pool heat pump?

    Yes, we are very familiar with most brands of swimming pool heat pumps. We have worked on pools heated using air source and geothermal heat pumps.

  • How does a heat pump work?

    Excellent information about air source heat pumps, how they work, how to choose the right contractor http://www.saveenergynow.ca/tips/heatpump

  • How much will a heat pump cost? And how much money will I save?

    These are the first questions more people want to know the answer to and they are very hard to answer. Both answers depend on your specific situation. Factors which come into play are the size of your house, the construction of your house (insulation, windows etc..), the location of your house and your expectations. Every situation is different; this is why it is important to check that your contractor completed a proper heat loss calculation on your home. We are happy to provide you with a free quote.

  • I keep hearing about ductless splits, exactly what are they?

    Ductless splits are a variation of heat pump that is directly mounted to an exterior wall requiring no duct work. There is a small outdoor unit which generally sits outside below the wall mounted unit - this is just a smaller version of the outdoor unit on a regular heat pump. The wall mounted unit then blows either heated or cooled air directly into the space where it is mounted. These units are ideal in retrofit situations because no ducting is required, the thermostat is attached to the unit, and they can be installed with minimal disturbance to your home. The limitation of these units is that they only heat or cool the space directly adjacent to the unit, meaning they will not serve your entire home. LG recently released a new ductless split on which the wall mounted unit can be camouflaged by a piece of art

  • Is my lot big enough for a geothermal heating system?

    In most cases a geothermal heating system can be installed on almost any lot. It is less expensive to install a system which is wide spread but it is also possible to place a geothermal loop into drilled holes.

  • My house has baseboard heat; can I convert to a heat pump?

    Yes, you can. The biggest difference to overcome between the two heating systems is the delivery method. A heat pump uses duct work to spread warmed/cooled air around your house, or using a hydronic method such as in floor piping or hot water radiators. In most cases it is possible to install the necessary duct work into an existing house. Depending on your home it may possible to run duct in attics, basements, crawl spaces, inside walls or in closets. Each home is unique but with a little bit of creativity it can almost always be done. Finding a place for the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is usually pretty straight forward. It is also possible to avoid duct work entirely by using ductless systems which are directly mounted on exterior walls.

  • We have or want radiant in-floor heat, can this be accomplished with a heat pump?

    Yes, it is possible to use either an air source or geothermal heat pump in combination with a radiant heating system. Either type of heat pump will reduce the operating costs of your heating system and sometimes be able to provide enough supplemental hot water to supply your domestic hot water. Please note that as a retro-fit radiant in-floor heat is not always possible.

  • We live in a rancher on concrete slab, is it possible to retro fit our house without major renovation?

    In many cases the answer is yes. In the past we have installed duct in attic spaces or it is possible to use ductless units which mount directly on an outside wall.

  • What is the difference between a heat pump and a geothermal heating system?

    A geothermal heating system is a ground or water source heat pump which uses either water or the earth to extract heat. What most people simply refer to as a heat pump is more specifically an air source heat pump. The difference between the two is the heat/cooling source, the heat/cool process is very similar, but with a geothermal system an outdoor unit is not required.

  • What products do you sell?

    Air source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ductless split heat pumps, pool heat pumps, UV air purification, filtration systems, generators, and heat recovery ventilators (HRV’s).

  • What’s the difference between heating with base boards and with a heat pump?

    A heat pump will provide the home owner with much better indoor air quality, better control of their personal environment, and move even temperatures. Many of our customers report decreased symptoms of seasonal allergies (a result of better air purification through a quality filtration system), reduced condensation and/or mold on windows (because of increased air movement) and increased comfort (because of the consistent temperature maintained by the heat pump.) This is just the highlights of the feedback that we have received from happy clients. The main reason most people switch is because you will save money with a heat pump compared to baseboard electric. The main benefit for baseboards it to the builder of the house as it is the least expensive heat source to install. For the homeowner it is one of most costly and inefficient ways to heat your home.

  • Why does it matter who installs your heat pump?

    The best person to install and start your heat pump is a refrigeration journeyman. You may ask what does a person who fixes refrigerators know about heat pumps? This is a very common question because most people are not familiar with what a refrigeration journeyman does. Rarely do they fix residential refrigerators, in actual fact they are specialists in systems which use refrigerant to heat and cool. Generally refrigeration journeymen spend their time installing, maintaining and repairing systems which heat and cool on a much larger scale like building a/c systems, commercial coolers (freestanding and walk-in), industrial chillers and other highly specialized equipment. This applies to your heat pump because it works on the same principals, using similar equipment and requires refrigerant to create a cooling or heating effect.

  • Why should I use Mercury Refrigeration for my heat pump install?

    Refrigeration journeyman on staff, Canadian geoexchange coalition certified designer and installer on staff and on site, TECA Hydronic and Forced air certified, Jobs done on budget (No extras), Friendly and helpful staff, Stands behind work and provide a 1 year labour warranty (On installations), Locally owned and operated.

  • With a forced air heating system does my whole house have to be the same temperature?

    No, it is possible to create several zones within your house to maximize comfort. This is done by installing specialized hardware which works within the ductwork to open and close dampers, or by installing multiple heating/cooling units.

Useful Links

Products Carried

Geothermal Heatpumps

American Standard Mitsubishi Electric

Airsource Heatpumps

American Standard Daikin AC Rheem

Ductless Splits

Daikin AC Fujitsu Mitsubishi Ductless Split Heat Pumps HyperHeat Inverter

Installation Materials

Honeywell ecobee aquatherm Rehau

Indoor Air Quality

Imperial