HVAC in Guelph: Furnace, AC and Heat Pump Service

We do residential heating and cooling in Guelph: repairs, replacements, new installs and tune-ups.

• Furnace repair in Guelph for no heat, cold air, short-cycling, noises and error codes.
• Furnace installation and replacement in Guelph, including venting changes for older homes.
• AC repair in Guelph and new central air.
• Heat pumps and ductless mini-splits, often the best fit for Guelph's older houses, plus heat pump repair.
• Water heaters, gas lines and seasonal maintenance.

We don't offer duct cleaning, boilers or commercial HVAC.

Guelph has some of the oldest housing in the area we serve, plus fast-growing new neighbourhoods in the south. The HVAC problems split along those lines.

The Ward and downtown. St. Patrick's Ward grew up around the factories by the Speed River, and many of its homes are modest workers' houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s, mixed with larger Victorian homes. Downtown and the older streets around it include stone and brick houses of similar age. Heating in these homes has often been converted more than once, so ducts can be undersized, patched or absent upstairs. Old chimneys are common, which matters when a new high-efficiency furnace moves to side-wall venting.

Exhibition Park and Old University. Exhibition Park mixes century homes with postwar bungalows, and many of its buildings date from before 1960. These houses tend to have basement-only returns, small ducts to the second floor and a furnace that's been replaced at least once.

1980s and 90s neighbourhoods. Kortright Hills was largely built in the 1980s and 1990s. Many of those homes have now had their first furnace replaced, but the air conditioners and ductwork are often original, and some second-generation furnaces are coming up on 15 to 20 years.

The South End and Westminster Woods. Westminster Woods and much of the South End are newer, with high-efficiency furnaces installed by builders. The oldest of that equipment is reaching its late teens. In the newest homes, the common issues are installation shortcuts: missing return air in some rooms, a single thermostat for a large two-storey, and condensate lines that freeze or clog.

Natural gas in Guelph is delivered by Enbridge Gas, and electricity by Alectra Utilities (which took over Guelph Hydro). As Enbridge customers, Guelph homeowners can generally apply for both the Save on Energy and Enbridge sides of Ontario's main rebate program.

The Home Renovation Savings Program offers rebates of up to several thousand dollars on qualifying cold-climate heat pumps, plus smaller rebates on items like smart thermostats and insulation. Amounts depend on the equipment and how your home is heated now. The rules change, so check current eligibility before you buy. Our Ontario heat pump rebate guide walks through it.

A gas furnace replacement on its own usually doesn't come with a rebate.

Guelph sits a little higher than Kitchener-Waterloo, but heating systems across the area are sized for a winter design temperature of roughly -19°C to -20°C, and summer heat waves bring humid days in the 30s.

What that means in practice: size the furnace and AC to the house, not to the old unit. An oversized furnace short-cycles; an oversized AC leaves the house damp. In older homes, humidity control and air sealing matter as much as the equipment.

Cold-climate heat pumps work in Guelph winters. Many homeowners keep the gas furnace as backup for the coldest nights. Our heat pump vs furnace guide covers the trade-offs, and our heat pump cost calculator gives a rough number for your home.

If your furnace is under about 15 years old and one part has failed, repair it. If it's nearing 20, needs a major part like a heat exchanger, inducer or control board, and has needed other repairs recently, plan a replacement while you still have heat and time to compare options.

Air conditioners follow similar logic. Many 1980s-90s homes in Kortright Hills still have units running on R-22 refrigerant, which has been phased out in Canada; if one of those starts leaking, recharging it is rarely worth the money.

In the Ward and other older neighbourhoods, a replacement can also mean new venting, a chimney liner or duct work, so get a quote early. Our furnace replacement cost guide shows typical regional price ranges.

Call 519-498-4710 any time. After hours, our receptionist takes your details and we call back to book.

Before you call, check the thermostat batteries and setting, the furnace power switch, the breaker and the filter. If you smell gas, leave the house and call Enbridge Gas from outside. If another company has red-tagged your furnace, our red-tagged furnace guide explains what it means.

Not in Guelph? See our service area for the other cities and townships we cover.