Heat Pump

[Big Cliff]

I just found out that If you currently heat with propane and you install a heat pump your propane usage should drop significantly (which is good). I currently have two 440 tanks and pay $175.00  a year in tank rentals.  I am told that with the heat pump l should only nèed one. Problem is that if my propane usage drops significantly my tank rental could climb to as much as $750.00 a year for even 1 tank. It's sure making me question the heat pump idea.

[CrowMan]

40 minutes ago, Big Cliff said:

I just found out that If you currently heat with propane and you install a heat pump your propane usage should drop significantly (which is good). I currently have two 440 tanks and pay $175.00  a year in tank rentals.  I am told that with the heat pump l should only nèed one. Problem is that if my propane usage drops significantly my tank rental could climb to as much as $750.00 a year for even 1 tank. It's sure making me question the heat pump idea.

I would shop the Propane companies. Here in eastern Ontario it's a very competitive market, we have at least 4 to choose from. I rent my 500 gallon tank for "free" (of course, it's built in to the price of their propane). $750 rental for one tank is steep, considering you can buy a standard 420lb tank outright for $1200.  It's just like folks that rent their water heaters...good for the rental company, not so much for the renter.

Shop around, knowing approximately what your annual consumption would be, and compare the rental costs vs propane costs to find the best deal/plan that fits your needs. 

[smitty55]

On 8/14/2025 at 8:12 AM, Big Cliff said:

I just found out that If you currently heat with propane and you install a heat pump your propane usage should drop significantly (which is good). I currently have two 440 tanks and pay $175.00  a year in tank rentals.  I am told that with the heat pump l should only nèed one. Problem is that if my propane usage drops significantly my tank rental could climb to as much as $750.00 a year for even 1 tank. It's sure making me question the heat pump idea.

If it was me I would save myself a lot of stress and just keep with what I have now until the furnace actually packs it in before even considering it. Chances are prices will drop too over time just like everything else does.  Now I also burn wood so my furnace gets far less use than it would otherwise so it should last much longer. Plus I still need propane for my range and hot water. As I recall my yearly rental fee for 2 tanks is around $130.

[16 Footer]

I was a hot 32C today. The heat pump was keeping my place comfortably cool inside in the econo cool mode. I turn it off later in the evening when the outside temperature drops.

[smitty55]

3 hours ago, 16 Footer said:

I was a hot 32C today. The heat pump was keeping my place comfortably cool inside in the econo cool mode. I turn it off later in the evening when the outside temperature drops.

Just curious, assuming the unit is temp controlled why bother turning it off if it wouldn't click on anyway with the lower outdoor temps. How large is your space? For instance, in my case come June I turn my setting to cool and set it at 24° and then I don't touch it until the fall. It maintains a humidity level of 50% so it's plenty comfy at that temp.
As for those heat pumps, from what I've read and heard the main issue would be heating space enough once the temps get below -20° and specially below -30° which still includes lots of Canada. No doubt the volume being heated matters as well.

[Fisherman]

On 8/14/2025 at 8:12 AM, Big Cliff said:

I just found out that If you currently heat with propane and you install a heat pump your propane usage should drop significantly (which is good). I currently have two 440 tanks and pay $175.00  a year in tank rentals.  I am told that with the heat pump l should only nèed one. Problem is that if my propane usage drops significantly my tank rental could climb to as much as $750.00 a year for even 1 tank. It's sure making me question the heat pump idea.

So the rental of your propane tanks is based on the consumption or lack thereof of propane?  That's about as close to a scam as you can get. 

That's like saying if I only buy half a tank of gas for my car,  the pump price is higher than if I do a complete fill up.  

[CrowMan]

22 minutes ago, Fisherman said:

So the rental of your propane tanks is based on the consumption or lack thereof of propane?  That's about as close to a scam as you can get. 

That's like saying if I only buy half a tank of gas for my car,  the pump price is higher than if I do a complete fill up.  

I agree, the pricing/rental plans for propane and tanks is all over the place. Every company has its own pricing plans. Some offer inexpensive or free tank rental, but the price of the propane is higher. Others offer a higher fixed tank rental cost, but the propane is less expensive. Best to shop around and find one that fits your particular needs. 

However, the difference between filling your car with gasoline, and having your propane tank filled is...with gasoline you go to them, with propane they come to you. There is a cost to delivering the product to your home...yes, it's often built-in to the price....but the frequency and volume of the delivery is definitely a factor in their operating costs.

So yes, if I was having a half tank of gasoline delivered to my house, I would expect the unit cost to be higher than having a full tank delivered.

Edited August 17 by CrowMan

[Big Cliff]

Well, I did it! I went one step further though and installed a heat pump and electric furnace. I am amazed at how much more comfortable my house is, the fan is on low all the time so the air is constantly circulating and it keeps the whole house at a constant temperature where as before some rooms were colder than others. You never even hear the fan, the only way you can tell it's working is I have a plant near one of the registers and I can see slight movement in the leaves. Apparently this fan uses less power than a ceiling fan to operate and even though we have had a few nights down to around the freezing point the furnace hasn't kicked in. I do still have a small propane fireplace in my Florida room that will keep this place comfortable in case of a power outage but in the 8 years I have lived here the longest I have been without power was 36 hours during last winters ice storm. Little things like the sun shining in my living room windows in the afternoon, instead of just the living room getting hot, that heat gets distributed throughout the whole house. Cooking dinner last night, instead of the kitchen getting hot, it distributed that heat, keeping the kitchen comfortable and the rest of the house actually rose above the temperature set at the thermostat.  Time will tell but so far so good!

[16 Footer]

It has been well below freezing at night and so far my heat pump is keeping my place comfortably warm. 

[smitty55]

3 hours ago, 16 Footer said:

It has been well below freezing at night and so far my heat pump is keeping my place comfortably warm. 

The real tests will come when temps reach -20° and lower.

[Big Cliff]

On 11/22/2025 at 6:32 AM, 16 Footer said:

It has been well below freezing at night and so far my heat pump is keeping my place comfortably warm. 

Same with mine, I just looked at my hydro bill for this year/ last year and it is up by just over $10.00 for the same period and last year I had a propane furnace.  So far I am really impressed and saving a lot of money. I am also finding I don't need to keep playing with my thermostat like I did with the propane furnace. So $10.00 in hydro versus whatever it would have cost me in propane for a month. Clean, quiet, comfortable, so far so good.