When people are comparing heat pump quotes, the conversation almost always comes down to two numbers: BTUs and price. A 12,000 BTU unit is a 12,000 BTU unit — so why pay $7,600 when you can get the same size for $5,100?
The answer lies in a rating called COP — Coefficient of Performance — and once you understand it alongside warranty coverage and cold-weather performance, the comparison looks a lot different than the sticker price suggests.
What COP Actually Means
A heat pump doesn’t generate heat from scratch. It moves heat from the outdoor air into your home. COP measures how efficiently it does that job. A COP of 3.0 means the system delivers 3 units of heat energy for every 1 unit of electricity it consumes.
For comparison, a standard electric baseboard heater has a COP of exactly 1.0 — one unit of electricity in, one unit of heat out. A heat pump at COP 3.0 is three times more efficient, which is why switching from baseboards to a heat pump makes such a noticeable difference on your NSP bill.
The important thing to understand is that COP is not fixed. It drops as the outdoor temperature drops. The colder it gets outside, the harder the refrigeration cycle has to work, and the less heat you get per watt consumed. Some units are specifically engineered to maintain strong performance at very low temperatures. Others are not — and on a cold Halifax night, you feel the difference.
HSPF2 — The Seasonal Number That Really Counts
COP at a single temperature is useful, but HSPF2 (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor 2) is the more practical number. It measures efficiency across an entire heating season — accounting for temperature swings, defrost cycles, and varying load conditions. It’s the current Canadian and US standard rating for heat pumps, and the higher the number, the less electricity the unit burns over a Nova Scotia winter.
Here’s how the four 12,000 BTU units I install compare across every dimension that matters:
| Unit | Price | HSPF2 | SEER2 | Min. Heating Temp | Warranty (Parts + Labour) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tosot TW12HXP2A1DO | $5,100 | 9.0 | 24.0 | −30°C | 10 yr + 10 yr |
| Direct Air DIRM-12HXPRO28-1Z | $5,100 | 10.4 | 25.5 | −35°C | 5 yr + 5 yr |
| LG KUSAB121A + KNUAB121A | $5,600 | 10.5 | 22.5 | −22°C | 10 yr + 10 yr |
| Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH1 | $7,600 | 12.7 | 30.5 | −26°C | 10 yr + 10 yr |
Prices before tax. Basic installation package, no electrical hookup from electrician.
A Note on That Warranty Column
Before we go further, the warranty row deserves its own explanation — because this is where a lot of customers get caught off guard.
The labour warranty is the one that matters most after installation day. Parts warranties sound reassuring, but if your heat pump needs a warranty repair and your installer only covers parts, you’re still paying for the labour. Depending on the repair, that can easily be $200–$500 out of pocket on a system that’s technically “under warranty.”
The Tosot, LG, and Fujitsu all qualify for a 10-year parts and labour warranty — but not automatically, and not with every installer. The full warranty requires registration, a licensed installer, and in my case I build the labour warranty coverage into the installation price. That difference you see in those prices compared to what you might find quoted elsewhere reflects that coverage being included rather than left for you to figure out after the fact.
The Direct Air carries a 5-year parts and labour warranty. That’s a genuine tradeoff — the shorter warranty term is part of why the operating economics are as strong as they are at that price point.
If you’re comparing quotes from multiple companies, it’s worth asking directly: does your price include the full manufacturer labour warranty, or just parts?
What a Warranty Term Tells You About the Manufacturer’s Confidence
There’s one more thing worth thinking about when you look at that warranty column.
A manufacturer’s warranty isn’t just a consumer protection — it’s also a statement of confidence in their own product. When a manufacturer backs a unit with 10 years of parts and labour coverage, they’ve done the math. They believe the system will perform reliably well past that window, because every warranty claim comes out of their margin.
A 5-year warranty cap isn’t necessarily a sign of a bad product — the Direct Air is a capable, efficient unit and I install it with confidence. But it is worth asking the question: if the manufacturer is only willing to stand behind it for 5 years, what does that suggest about expected longevity at year 8 or year 10? A heat pump system should realistically last 15–20 years with proper maintenance. At the $5,100 price point, both the Tosot and Direct Air are the same installed cost — but one carries twice the warranty coverage.
That doesn’t automatically make one the right choice for every situation. But it’s a factor most people never think to consider when they’re comparing quotes, and I think you should have that information when making a decision this size.
What This Looks Like on Your Hydro Bill
Using each unit’s seasonal COP, with a typical single-zone setup running about 1,500 heating hours per year at Nova Scotia Power’s current residential rate of roughly $0.176/kWh:
| Unit | Seasonal COP | Est. Annual kWh | Est. Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tosot | 2.64 | ~2,000 kWh | ~$352/yr |
| Direct Air | 3.05 | ~1,730 kWh | ~$305/yr |
| LG | 3.08 | ~1,710 kWh | ~$302/yr |
| Fujitsu | 3.72 | ~1,420 kWh | ~$249/yr |
Estimates for one zone at this usage level. Actual costs depend on your home, usage patterns, and future NSP rate changes.
The 10-Year Total Cost of Ownership
This is the number that should drive the decision, not the sticker price. Install cost plus ten years of estimated operating costs:
| Unit | Install | 10-Yr Operating | 10-Yr Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tosot | $5,100 | ~$3,520 | ~$8,620 |
| Direct Air | $5,100 | ~$3,050 | ~$8,150 |
| LG | $5,600 | ~$3,020 | ~$8,620 |
| Fujitsu | $7,600 | ~$2,490 | ~$10,090 |
A few things jump out here. Despite a $500 price difference, the Tosot and LG land at virtually the same 10-year total — the LG’s higher efficiency closes the gap almost exactly. The Direct Air is the strongest value over a decade, coming in roughly $470 cheaper than the Tosot or LG over ten years — though as discussed above, that comparison looks different once you factor in the 5-year vs 10-year warranty. And the Fujitsu costs about $1,470–$1,940 more over ten years than the mid-tier options.
So what justifies the Fujitsu? It isn’t the operating savings. It’s what happens at the bottom of the thermometer.
Why Minimum Operating Temperature Is the Most Important Spec Nobody Talks About
Halifax regularly hits −15°C to −20°C in January and February. Occasional nights push further. Look again at the minimum heating temperature column.
The Tosot goes to −30°C. The Direct Air to −35°C. The Fujitsu to −26°C. The LG to −22°C. All four will handle the vast majority of Nova Scotia winters without issue.
But there’s more to cold-weather performance than just the cutoff temperature. What matters equally is how much heating capacity the unit maintains as temperatures fall — not just the point at which it stops. The Fujitsu is a purpose-built cold-climate unit with a rated heating output of 16,000 BTU at 8°C — well above its nominal 12,000 BTU — and it maintains meaningful output at −15°C where other units are already significantly degraded. It also carries a COP of 2.16 at −15°C, which is well above the 1.75 minimum that the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships sets as the cold-climate heat pump benchmark.
The practical difference: on a −18°C night in January, the Fujitsu is still delivering comfortable heat efficiently. A standard-efficiency unit at that temperature is working much harder for diminishing returns, and your backup heat is picking up more of the load than you’d expect.
So Which One Is Right for Your Home?
Tosot — Best for supplemental heat Best when the heat pump is adding to an existing system rather than replacing it. You have oil, propane, or another primary source and you’re adding a heat pump to reduce fuel consumption during shoulder seasons and milder winter days. Strong cold-weather range, solid efficiency, full 10-year parts and labour warranty included, and the lowest entry price of the three covered units. For supplemental use, this is a smart, well-priced choice.
Direct Air — Best raw value over a decade, with a tradeoff Highest cold-weather operating range of any unit in this comparison at −35°C, strong efficiency, and the lowest 10-year total cost of ownership. If you plan to keep the unit well past the warranty period and the 5-year coverage limit doesn’t concern you, the numbers are compelling. Worth understanding what that warranty difference means before choosing it over the Tosot at the same installed price.
LG — Best balance for most Halifax homes Nearly identical efficiency to the Direct Air, 10-year full warranty included, and a well-established Canadian service network. A strong choice as primary or near-primary heat for most homes. The $500 premium over the Tosot is essentially returned through lower operating costs within the decade — you’re getting more efficiency and paying the same total over ten years.
Fujitsu — Best when performance at temperature extremes is non-negotiable Primary heating with no backup, a home in a colder microclimate, or simply wanting the highest-performing unit available. The 10-year premium over the mid-tier options is real — roughly $1,500–$1,900 over a decade depending on what you compare it to. But so is the difference in what this unit does on the coldest nights of a Nova Scotia winter. It’s the unit I’d install in a space where underperformance isn’t an option.
One other big difference between these units. Currently the Tosot and Directair units are running the old refrigerant, R410a. It was banned in 2026. That means they can no longer produce it, but any stock can still be sold. These companies have not upgraded to the new refrigerants as of yet. Current stock is still the R410a of all models in Tosot and Directair. No one can guarantee that in 5+ years R410a will be available for purchase, if say, you get a large leak on the system. It may not be an important matter to you, but from a future repair standpoint, it is something to consider in your decision. The LG and Fujitsu both run a new refrigerant that is future proof, if you happen to have a leak in the future. Also note, there is not a “drop in” replacement for R410a refrigerant. If you ever need a part or refrigerant recharge that is specific to this refrigerant, and it is not available anymore, the entire system will need to change. The new refrigerants for Heat Pumps are R32 and R454b. In case you are comparing different brands.
Several Questions to Ask Any HVAC Company Before You Sign
When you’re getting quotes, these three questions will tell you almost everything you need to know:
What model is in this quote? Get the model number. Look up the HSPF2 and the minimum heating temperature. A $5,100 quote and a $7,600 quote for a “12,000 BTU heat pump” are not the same product.
Does this price include the full manufacturer labour warranty, or just parts? A lot of quotes don’t include labour warranty. Find out before you sign — not after your first warranty repair.
What happens if something goes wrong in year three? The answer to this one — how quickly they respond, whether you reach the owner or a call centre, whether your repair gets prioritized — matters as much as anything on the spec sheet.
And finally, you may want to ask which refrigerant the unit uses. R32 or R454b being the top choice now that R410a is banned. Be smart about potential future repairs.
If you’d like help comparing options for your specific home, I’m happy to talk it through. No pressure.
(902) 943-0427 | hello@hemlockmechanical.com
Pricing before tax. Operating cost estimates based on 1,500 heating hours/year at NSP residential rate of approximately $0.176/kWh. Actual costs vary by home size, usage patterns, insulation, and rate changes. All specs sourced from manufacturer data and AHRI certification records.
