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Heat pumps 101 Vancouver & Lower Mainland heat pump specialists

Air source vs
water source.
And which one you have.

Two completely different machines hide behind the words "heat pump." Knowing which one you have is the difference between a few hundred dollars and a five-figure quote. Here's how to tell, what each really costs, and where to go next.

Request a second opinion → Which one do I have?
✓We service both air-source & water-source systems
✓Water-source condo & strata is our specialty
✓Authorized WaterFurnace dealer
✓20+ years in the Lower Mainland
FIG. 01 · TWO SYSTEMS, ONE NAME VS AIR SOURCE HOUSE · TOWNHOME OUTDOOR AIR VISIBLE UNIT WATER SOURCE CONDO · STRATA LOOP NO OUTDOOR UNIT
2
Different machines, one name
30 sec
To tell which one you have
5-figure
Swing in a misdiagnosed quote

01 —The map

Most wasted money
starts right here.

A condo owner Googles "heat pump repair," reads cost numbers built for a detached house, then gets blindsided by a $13,000 replacement quote for a system they didn't know was a different kind. We see it every week.

Air source heat pumps live outside houses and townhomes. Water source heat pumps live inside condos and strata buildings, tied to a shared loop you never see. They share a name, a basic idea, and almost nothing else when something goes wrong.

This page is the map. We'll show you how to tell air source from water source in about thirty seconds, what each one actually costs to repair and replace in Vancouver, when repair beats replacement, and where to go next depending on what you have. West Coast Geothermal services both, and specializes in the water-source systems that most general HVAC contractors barely touch.

// Key takeaways

  • "Heat pump" means two different systems. Air-source units sit outside houses and townhomes; water-source units sit inside condos and strata buildings on a shared building loop.
  • The fastest way to tell: a fridge-sized box outside means air source; a cabinet in a closet or mechanical room with no outdoor unit means water source.
  • Costs differ wildly. Air-source repair runs roughly $250–$1,200; water-source repair $400–$2,500; water-source replacement $10,000–$15,000.
  • Most large condo replacement quotes were never properly diagnosed. A specialist second opinion is the cheapest step in the whole process.
  • We service both, but water-source heat pumps for condos and strata are our specialty — and that's where a generalist is most likely to get it wrong.

02 —  Air source vs water source

The two kinds of
heat pumps in Vancouver.

A heat pump doesn't make heat — it moves it. The big question is where it moves that heat to and from. That single difference splits every heat pump in the Lower Mainland into two camps.

The difference

Side by side

Type A

Air source heat pump

Type B

Water source heat pump

Where it lives
Houses, townhomes, ductless setups
Condos, strata, apartment towers
Heat exchange
With the outdoor air
With a shared building water loop
Visible outdoor unit?
Yes — beside the building
No
Who maintains the loop?
N/A
The strata / building
Typical repair
$250 – $1,200
$400 – $2,500
Typical replacement
Varies by system
$10,000 – $15,000
Who handles it well
Most HVAC contractors
A water-source specialist

Air-source systems are the ones most online guides quietly assume you have. Water-source systems are the ones most guides ignore — even though they sit in tens of thousands of Lower Mainland condos. Never accept a heat pump quote until you and the contractor agree on which of these two systems is actually in front of you.

03 —30-second check

How to tell which
heat pump you have.

You don't need a technician to figure this out. A short checklist gets most people there.

✓A fridge-sized unit outside your home: air source.
✓No outdoor unit, but a cabinet in a closet, mechanical room, or above a drop ceiling: water source.
✓You live in a detached house or townhouse: almost always air source.
✓You live in a concrete condo tower built between the 1990s and 2010s: very likely water source.
✓Your strata bylaws mention "in-suite heat pumps" or "loop water": water source.
✓The building has a shared cooling tower or boiler loop: water source.

Still unsure? Send us a couple of photos of the unit and its connections and we'll identify the system for free.

Send photos →

When Dani bought a one-bedroom in Brentwood last year, she assumed the unit humming in her hallway closet was "just the AC." When it stopped heating in November, the first contractor she called quoted a full replacement. A couple of photos told us it was a water-source unit on the building loop, and the actual problem was a $390 control board — not a new machine.

The thirty seconds it takes to identify the system is worth thousands

04 —The four categories

The main types of
heat pump systems.

Beyond the air / water split, "heat pump" also covers ground-source geothermal and the systems built around it. Here's how the categories fit together.

01

Air Source Heat Pumps

The outdoor unit you see beside houses and townhomes. Exchanges heat with the outdoor air. The most common residential option, and the one most online cost guides assume.

02· OUR SPECIALTY

Water Source Heat Pumps

The in-suite cabinet found in condos and strata buildings, tied to a shared water loop. Our specialty — and the system generalists most often misdiagnose.

03

Ground-Source / Geothermal

Uses the stable temperature of the earth as its energy source. Higher upfront cost, strong long-term efficiency — well suited to custom homes, rural properties, and commercial projects.

04

Commercial & Institutional

Larger systems for offices, schools, and community facilities — where loads, loop design, controls, and long-term operating cost all need careful planning.

Geothermal is still a heat pump — the difference is the energy source. Where an air-source system pulls energy from outdoor air, a geothermal system uses the more stable temperature of the ground or a water loop, so swings in outdoor temperature have less effect on its output. If you're comparing the two, look past the upfront cost: air-source can be a practical option for many homes, while geothermal typically costs more to install but may offer stronger long-term operating savings — especially for larger homes, custom builds, and properties where efficiency matters over the long run.

05 —Houses & townhomes

Air-source: repair,
service & replacement.

If you own a house or townhome with an outdoor unit, you have an air-source heat pump — and we service these too.

Air-source systems are generally simpler to access than condo units, which keeps most repairs in the $250 to $1,200 range. Common issues include low refrigerant charge, a failed capacitor or contactor, iced-up outdoor coils in a cold snap, or a tired compressor on an older unit. Regular maintenance — a filter and coil clean, a refrigerant pressure check, an electrical inspection — keeps these systems efficient and heads off the failures that tend to strike on the coldest weekend of the year.

When an air-source unit does reach the end of its life, replacement is usually more straightforward than a condo system, and today's cold-climate models hold their output far better in our wet, mild winters than the units sold a decade ago. If you're weighing a repair against a new system, the same honest math applies that we use everywhere: if the fix is a small fraction of replacement and the unit has years left, we'll tell you to repair it.

Not sure if your home unit is worth fixing? Get a written recommendation with real numbers — not a sales pitch.

Book a diagnostic →

06 —  Condo & strata specialty

Water-source is
where the stakes are highest.

A water-source heat pump exchanges heat with a loop shared across the whole building. Your in-suite cabinet is one node on that loop — so a "broken" unit is sometimes really a loop problem, and swapping the box won't fix it.

Why quotes vary
A contractor who installs hundreds of air-source systems a year and sees a handful of water-source units doesn't have the parts, the diagnostic habits, or the loop experience to confidently recommend a repair. Replacement becomes the safe answer for them — and the expensive answer for you.
Obsolete refrigerants
Many older condo units run on R-22 (phased out in Canada since 2020) or R-410A (now in its own phase-down). Neither automatically forces replacement, but a generalist will often declare the unit "unserviceable" when a specialist can keep it running.
The strata relationship
A good repair produces clean documentation the council can file and budget around — across buildings of 40, 80, or 200 suites.

For the full breakdown of repair pricing, warning signs, and the repair-versus-replace decision, our Heat Pump Repair Vancouver guide goes deep. When replacement genuinely is the right call, the condo & strata replacement page covers timelines, costs, and warranty coverage.

07 —Repair, service, or replace?

Diagnose first.
Decide second.

The most expensive mistake in this entire category is replacing a unit that was never properly examined. A trustworthy repair-versus-replace decision rests on five things.

— 01
Age
Under 12 years leans repair; 15+ leans replacement.
— 02
Repair cost ratio
Under ~30% of replacement leans repair; over 50% leans replacement.
— 03
Refrigerant status
Serviceable refrigerant leans repair; obsolete refrigerant with chronic leaks leans replacement.
— 04
Repeat failures
A first or second failure leans repair; three or more calls in two years leans replacement.
— 05
Building loop condition
WATER SOURCE ONLY  A healthy loop leans repair; chronic loop problems change the math.

When most of those rows point one way, the decision is usually clear — even if the first contractor through the door said otherwise.

08 —Heat pump services

More than new
installations.

Many owners contact us because an existing system is aging, underperforming, noisy, or no longer heating and cooling properly.

Repair & Diagnosis

Not heating, not cooling, leaking, short cycling, or making unusual sounds? A proper diagnosis comes before any repair-or-replace recommendation.

Heat pump repair →

Replacement & Upgrade

When components are failing and repairs stack up, we'll compare replacement and upgrade options against the cost of one more fix.

Replacement options →

Maintenance & Health Check

Regular maintenance protects comfort, efficiency, and reliability — and catches problems on aging systems before they become urgent.

Book a health check →

Priya, a Yaletown owner, was told her 2008 water-source unit needed a $13,400 replacement "because of obsolete refrigerant." Our Health Check found a slow leak at a single valve and a failed start capacitor. Total fix: $1,180. We told her honestly the unit had two to four good years left, and to budget replacement on her own timeline — not her contractor's.

That's what a real diagnosis buys you

09 —At a glance

What heat pumps
cost in Vancouver.

The "average heat pump repair cost" you find online is almost always an air-source number — which is why condo owners feel ambushed. Here's the real spread.

ScenarioTypical Vancouver range
Air-source repair (house, townhome, ductless)$250 – $1,200
Water-source repair (condo, strata)$400 – $2,500
Water-source replacement (condo, strata)$10,000 – $15,000
Geothermal system repair (single-family home)$500 – $3,500+

Rebates can move these numbers. The City of Vancouver's heat pump program page and the provincial Better Homes BC rebate listings are the right starting points, though most condo programs run through the strata rather than the individual owner. The biggest cost variable, by a wide margin, is still whether anyone actually diagnosed the problem before quoting a replacement.

10 —Why West Coast Geothermal

Why a specialist
matters — especially for condos.

Most HVAC companies don't want to touch water-source heat pumps. They're the specialty we built the business around.

01 — SPECIALTY

Water-source is our core practice.

Geothermal and water-source heat pump systems are the entire business — not a side service. We work on the units other contractors refer out.

02 — DEALER

Authorized WaterFurnace dealer.

Full product access, parts, and factory-backed warranty support — not a parts-house guess on a discontinued brand.

03 — WARRANTY

5-year refrigeration parts warranty.*

The expensive components — compressor, coil, valves — covered on replacement equipment. Extended 10-year options available.

04 — ADVISORY

Repair-first, honest math.

We're motivated to preserve units and extend their life — not to manufacture repair tickets. If repair is the right call, we'll tell you.

05 — BOTH

One honest opinion.

We service air-source too, so you get a straight answer whether you're in a house or a high-rise.

06 — LOCAL

Lower Mainland since 2003.

20+ years servicing condos, strata, and homes from Vancouver to the Fraser Valley. Same-day callbacks, real names, every system we install.

When Mike, a North Vancouver strata council member, came to us after a vendor recommended replacing all 32 units in his tower at roughly $12,500 each, our building-wide assessment found 19 suites perfectly serviceable and only 5 needing near-term replacement. The council saved over $230,000 in unnecessary near-term capital.

Specialist diagnosis scales

11 —Coverage

Across the Lower Mainland
& Fraser Valley.

We service air-source, water-source, and geothermal systems across the region. A strata property manager just outside this list? Reach out anyway — we build service routes around larger buildings.

Greater VancouverVancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North & West Vancouver
Tri-CitiesCoquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody
South of the FraserSurrey, Langley, Delta, Tsawwassen
Fraser ValleyAbbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Maple Ridge
Expansion zonesWhistler, Pemberton, Sunshine Coast

12 —Frequently asked

Real questions about
heat pumps.

If yours isn't here, call us. We're happy to talk through your specific situation before you book anything.

— 01 What's the difference between an air-source and a water-source heat pump? +

An air-source heat pump exchanges heat with the outdoor air and sits outside houses and townhomes. A water-source heat pump exchanges heat with a shared water loop running through a building and sits inside condos and strata suites with no outdoor unit. They look similar in brochures but need very different service.

— 02 How do I know which kind of heat pump I have? +

If there's a fridge-sized unit outside your home, it's almost certainly air source. If there's a cabinet in a closet or mechanical room and no outdoor unit, it's water source — especially in a concrete condo tower. Send us a couple of photos and we'll confirm it for free.

— 03 What is the difference between a geothermal heat pump and a regular heat pump? +

A geothermal heat pump works on the same basic principle as any other heat pump, but instead of relying on outdoor air, it uses the more stable temperature of the ground or a water loop. That stability helps it deliver reliable heating and cooling even when outdoor temperatures swing. Geothermal usually costs more upfront but can offer strong long-term efficiency for suitable properties.

— 04 How much does heat pump repair cost in Vancouver? +

Air-source repairs typically run $250 to $1,200. Water-source repairs run $400 to $2,500, and water-source replacement runs $10,000 to $15,000. The single biggest cost variable is whether the problem was properly diagnosed before anyone recommended replacement.

— 05 My condo heat pump isn't working. Who do I call? +

Call a water-source heat pump specialist — not just the building's default HVAC contractor. Condo units sit on a shared building loop, and the most common reason for repeat failures and inflated quotes is a generalist misreading a loop or refrigerant issue as a dead unit.

— 06 Do you service both air-source and water-source heat pumps? +

Yes. We repair, service, and replace air-source heat pumps for houses and townhomes, and we specialize in water-source heat pumps for condos and strata buildings. Either way, you get a written diagnosis and an honest repair-versus-replace recommendation.

— 07 Do heat pumps qualify for rebates? +

Some projects do, but eligibility depends on current program rules, property type, existing heating system, equipment, and installation requirements. It's worth reviewing current options before starting a project, and we can help you understand which questions to ask. Note that most condo programs run through the strata rather than the individual owner.

09 —Get in touch

Tell us what you have.
We'll tell you what it needs.

Whether there's a unit humming outside your house or a cabinet tucked in your condo closet, we can tell you exactly what you have and what it honestly needs. One short form, same-day callback before 4pm.

Free system identificationNot sure which kind you have? Send a photo and we'll confirm it at no cost.
Same-day callback before 4pmSubmit before 1pm M–F and we'll call you back the same business day.
No-pressure second opinionsAlready have a quote? We'll review it and tell you whether it looks fair.

Condo Heat Pump Inquiry

Heat Pumps
Your privacy matters.
We use the information you provide only to review your heat pump inquiry and follow up with you. We do not sell your information, share your details with unrelated third parties, or contact your strata, property manager, or building manager without your permission.

No-pressure advice.
Our goal is to help you understand your options — whether that means maintenance, repair, replacement, a second opinion, or planning ahead.