Furnace Conversion Ductwork
Getting off oil? We ready the ductwork side of your furnace-to-heat-pump conversion so the new system delivers.
Service area · Halifax HRM
Ductwork, Ventilation & Sheet Metal in Dartmouth
Furnace conversions are common in Dartmouth's postwar, oil-heated homes — switching to a ducted heat pump usually means reworking the existing ductwork first. That air-side work — assessing, resizing, sealing and adding return air — is our trade.
The homes we work on in Dartmouth
Dartmouth is full of postwar bungalows, split-entries and older subdivisions — Crichton Park, Woodside, Westphal and out toward Cole Harbour. Many still run on oil, and a good number already have forced-air ducting that's decades old, undersized, or short on return air.
- Postwar bungalows and split-entries with original or aging ductwork
- Oil-furnace homes converting to a ducted heat pump
- Older subdivisions with undersized trunks and too few cold-air returns
- Homes with finished basements that complicate duct routing
What a Dartmouth furnace conversion usually involves
In a Dartmouth furnace conversion, the existing oil-furnace ducts usually stay — but they can't just be reused as-is. Postwar homes here are often built around a single central return and undersized trunks that an oil furnace tolerated but a heat pump won't. We assess the whole air path, then add and resize return air, reseal the trunks and branches, and build a new plenum and coil transition so the ducted heat pump can actually deliver the airflow it's rated for.
- Assessing and resizing existing ducts for a ducted heat pump
- Adding cold-air returns — the most common conversion fix on postwar Dartmouth homes
- Replacing old, leaky galvanized duct and sealing joints
- A fabricated plenum and coil transition where the new air handler meets the duct
- Ducted-and-ductless hybrids where one system can't reach every room
- Air exchanger (HRV/ERV) installation or replacement once the house is tightened up
New builds in Dartmouth
Newer Dartmouth construction and Dartmouth Crossing–area townhomes are straightforward to duct when it's planned from the start — properly sized, balanced, and vented to code.
- Right-sized trunk-and-branch ductwork for new homes and townhomes
- Balanced supply and return on every level
- Code-compliant HRV/ERV and exhaust venting
Heat pumps in Dartmouth: We handle the air side — ductwork, ventilation, and airflow. Refrigerant connections, AC, and commissioning are handled by our licensed RACM heat-pump partners, so the full install is done properly. Refrigerant work is a compulsory certified trade in Nova Scotia.
Planning a furnace conversion in Dartmouth? See our guide on what a furnace conversion means for your ductwork.
Furnace conversion, ductwork & air exchanger FAQs — Dartmouth
Do I need new ductwork for a furnace conversion in Dartmouth?
Rarely all new — rarely untouched either. Most Dartmouth conversions keep the existing trunk and branches but add return air and resize undersized runs so the heat pump can deliver its airflow; postwar homes here are often short on returns. We assess what you have before any equipment is ordered and keep whatever's sound.
Can I keep my oil-furnace ducts when I convert to a heat pump?
Often the trunk and branches stay if they're in good shape. What usually changes is the return air, the sealing, and a new plenum and coil transition where the air handler meets the duct. A heat pump moves a larger volume of cooler air over longer run times than an oil furnace, so ducts that were 'fine' before often need work first.
Do you install the heat pump itself in Dartmouth?
No — we do the air side: the ductwork, returns, transitions and airflow. The refrigerant connections and commissioning are handled by our licensed RACM heat-pump partners, so the full conversion is done properly and to code. That split is also how the rebate-eligible work stays with a licensed installer.
What drives the cost of the ductwork side of a Dartmouth conversion?
The condition of what's there and how much return air is missing. A home that only needs sealing, a plenum and one added return costs far less than one that needs resized trunks and new runs into finished space. We quote the air-side work after seeing the ducts — the heat pump itself and any rebates run through the licensed installer.
Do you install and replace air exchangers in Dartmouth?
Yes — HRV and ERV installation and replacement is our own trade, not a partner job. An air exchanger is the same thing as an HRV; "air exchanger" is just what most people here call it. We size it to the house, duct it to the rooms that actually need it, and balance it — which is the step most underperforming units never got.
My Dartmouth home is damp and the windows fog up — is that a ventilation problem?
Usually, yes. Once an older Dartmouth home gets air-sealed during a renovation or a conversion, the moisture it used to leak away has nowhere to go. That's what an HRV is for. Before recommending a new unit we check whether you already have one that's simply clogged, unbalanced or ducted to the wrong rooms — that's a service call, not a replacement.
Across Dartmouth and out to Cole Harbour, most of our work starts with the ducts an older home already has — and what they need before a heat pump goes in. TrueFlow is owned and operated by Caleb Pardy, Sheet Metal Worker, serving Dartmouth and the rest of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Nova Scotia.
Working with us
How the work gets done
01Send the detailsTell us what's happening and share photos if you have them.
02Review the projectWe assess the home, airflow, ductwork or ventilation issue.
03Quote the workClear recommendations, honest scope, and next steps.
04Install cleanlyCompleted with attention to airflow and sheet metal finish.
Need ductwork or ventilation work in Dartmouth?
Send the details and a few photos — we'll get you a practical quote.
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