Air Conditioning & Cooling

Metro Vancouver used to treat air conditioning as optional. The 2021 heat dome changed that, and summer heat waves have made cooling a real question for top-floor condos, west-facing townhouses and older houses with no ducts. The main options are a central air conditioner on an existing furnace, a heat pump that cools in summer and heats in winter, a ductless mini-split for homes without ducts, and portable or window units as a stopgap.

In the City of Vancouver, any new permanently installed air conditioning in a detached house or duplex has had to be a heat pump since January 1, 2023, so the practical choice there is a heat pump rather than a cooling-only unit. Elsewhere a central AC is still allowed, but because a heat pump costs little more than an air conditioner and also heats, most contractors now quote a heat pump for any new cooling system. An electrical permit is needed for the new circuit, and the refrigerant work must be done by a person certified to handle refrigerants under BC's halocarbon regulation.

Strata homes add a layer: an outdoor unit on a balcony, a wall penetration or a new condensate line usually needs strata council approval and often an alteration agreement, and some buildings limit noise or placement. BC Hydro puts portable units at roughly $400 to $800 and window units at $300 to $700, which is the budget answer when a permanent system is not allowed.