Every heat pump install we do runs Canadian-sourced copper on the refrigerant line set. Not because it’s cheaper (it isn’t), and not because the equipment manufacturer specifies it (they don’t). We do it because it’s a real Buy-Canadian choice on a piece of material that most contractors never think about.
Here’s what that means and why we care.
What copper is doing in a heat pump install
The refrigerant line set is the two-pipe run between your outdoor unit and your indoor air handler (or fan coil, or head, depending on system type). Refrigerant flows through it, insulated to prevent condensation, brazed at the connections. It’s copper because copper handles the pressure, the temperature swings, and the decades of vibration without failure modes.
The line set is a real material cost on the job — meaningful footage of insulated copper tubing runs to a lot of dollars per install. So the sourcing decision, small as it looks on the invoice, isn’t trivial.
Where copper on a Canadian job site typically comes from
The default in the industry is imported copper — usually from countries where copper is cheaper to smelt and finish. It arrives on a wholesaler’s shelf, no origin flag, most installers never look. The alternative is copper sourced from Canadian producers, which sits at a modest premium and does need to be specified.
We specify it. Every job.
Why we bother
Three reasons, in rough order of how much they weighed on the decision:
Canadian mining and metalworking is a real trade. Copper mining and processing in BC, Ontario, and Quebec supports a whole chain of skilled trades jobs — miners, smelter operators, tube mill workers. Every foot of Canadian copper we install is a small vote for that chain staying alive. Not a huge vote from one HVAC company on Vancouver Island. But a vote.
Traceability. Canadian copper comes with a supply-chain paper trail. Imported bulk copper often doesn’t. If a batch has quality issues, or if we ever need to answer a question about where the material came from, Canadian sourcing means we can actually answer.
Consistency at the job site. In our experience, the Canadian tubing we’ve sourced has been more consistent on wall thickness, cleanliness, and brazing behaviour than the imports we tried in the past. Not a dramatic difference, but a real one.
What this means for your invoice
Our quotes include the line set as a bundled line item. The Canadian-copper premium is a small piece of it — you won’t see a giant number attributable to sourcing choice, because there isn’t one. But it’s there.
We don’t ask customers to pay a premium for us doing this. It’s how we do our jobs, priced into the job.
What this doesn’t mean
We don’t only install Canadian-manufactured heat pumps. The equipment itself is manufactured internationally — Moovair (our primary line, cold-climate optimized), Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Carrier, Trane. Global supply chains for the units themselves.
The Canadian sourcing decision applies to the material we install — the copper line set — not the equipment we specify. Two different conversations.
The bigger sourcing picture at Sasquatch
Canadian copper is one specific decision. It sits alongside a broader set of choices about how we run the business:
- Family-owned and Island-based — no corporate parent, no franchise fees leaving the region.
- Local hiring — our technicians live on the Island and work on the Island.
- Trade partnerships with Canadian manufacturers where we can (Moovair is Canadian-designed, cold-climate specific).
- Environmental commitments through veritree and BC Green Business.
Not every trade decision has a “Canadian” version to pick from. Where one exists and it doesn’t compromise the job, we pick it.
What to expect from us
A Comfort Specialist visits your home for a written install quote — equipment, labour, line-set material, electrical scope if any, and the rebate math for your income tier and fuel source. If you want to ask specifically about material sourcing, we’ll answer.
Family-owned. Island-grown. 4.9 ★ Google Rated across the Island.
Call (236) 361-8293 or reach us through our contact page.
— The Sasquatch Field Team
