VRF system installation in Toronto and the GTA. A VRF (variable refrigerant flow) system is a large-scale heat pump: one or more outdoor units feed refrigerant to many indoor units, and each zone gets its own temperature control. Bison Air designs and installs VRF for offices, clinics, retail, mixed-use and multi-unit buildings, and tells you plainly when a rooftop unit or multi-zone ductless would be the better fit.
- ✓ Heat pump specialists: Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Bosch dealer
- ✓ Design included: load calculation, piping layout and controls
- ✓ Refrigerant work by licensed technicians
- ✓ Works from engineered drawings on larger projects
- ✓ 1-year labour warranty on every installation
⚙️ How a VRF System Works
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Outdoor unit(s) | Inverter compressors that speed up or slow down to match the building load |
| Refrigerant piping | One piping network with branch fittings or branch boxes to each zone |
| Indoor units | Wall, ceiling cassette, concealed ducted or floor units, one or more per zone |
| Controls | Thermostat in each zone, plus central control for the building manager |
🔀 Heat Pump VRF vs Heat Recovery VRF
| Heat pump VRF | Heat recovery VRF | |
|---|---|---|
| Modes | Whole system heats or cools at one time | Some zones heat while others cool |
| Best for | Buildings where zones need the same mode | Offices and buildings with sunny and shaded sides, server rooms, mixed use |
| Cost | Lower | Higher; recovers heat between zones |
VRF, Rooftop Unit or Multi-Zone Ductless?
| VRF | Rooftop unit | Multi-zone ductless | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical building | Many rooms or suites, several floors | Open retail, plazas, restaurants | Homes and small offices, 2 to 6 rooms |
| Zone control | Every zone separate | One or a few zones | Every head separate |
| Ductwork | Little or none | Full duct system | None |
| Fresh air | Separate ventilation (HRV/ERV) | Built in | Separate ventilation |
| Learn more | This page | Rooftop units | Multi-zone ductless |
For a small office or a few suites, a multi-zone ductless system is often simpler and cheaper than VRF. For a single open retail space, a rooftop unit usually wins. We will recommend the one that fits the building and the budget.
Where VRF Makes Sense
- ✓ Office buildings and professional suites
- ✓ Medical and dental clinics
- ✓ Retail with several tenant units
- ✓ Mixed-use buildings with stores below and suites above
- ✓ Multi-unit residential and small apartment buildings
- ✓ Renovations where there is no room for ductwork
🧰 What We Handle
- ✓ Heating and cooling load calculation for each zone
- ✓ System selection, piping layout and indoor unit types
- ✓ Refrigerant piping, brazing, pressure testing and evacuation
- ✓ Indoor unit mounting, condensate drains and controls wiring
- ✓ Outdoor unit placement on roof, pad or brackets
- ✓ Fresh air from HRV or ERV systems, which VRF does not provide on its own
- ✓ Refrigerant safety requirements for occupied spaces, checked during design
- ✓ Startup, commissioning and controls setup for the building manager
Building a multiplex? Separate systems per unit are often the better choice so each tenant pays their own bills. See multi-unit residential HVAC.
📐 How a VRF Project Works
1. Review
Drawings, building use and zone list.
2. Design
Loads, outdoor unit sizing, piping and controls.
3. Written quote
Equipment, scope, schedule and price.
4. Rough-in
Refrigerant piping, drains and wiring during construction.
5. Equipment
Outdoor and indoor units set and connected.
6. Commissioning
Pressure test, evacuation, charge, startup and controls handover.
Why Choose Bison Air
- ✓ TSSA Certified HVAC Contractor, WSIB, licensed and insured
- ✓ Authorized AirQuest dealer for rooftop units, plus Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Bosch and Amana
- ✓ One point of contact from quote to handover
- ✓ Work scheduled around tenants, trades and crane windows
- ✓ Clean installations built to be serviced
- ✓ 1-year labour warranty on every installation
Related
- ✓ Commercial HVAC Services
- ✓ Commercial HVAC Installation
- ✓ Rooftop Units
- ✓ Commercial Boilers
- ✓ Multi-Unit Residential HVAC
- ✓ HVAC Contractor for Builders
- ✓ New Construction HVAC
- ✓ Multi-Zone Ductless
- ✓ HRV & ERV
- ✓ Gas Line Installation
- ✓ Contact Us
Areas We Serve
VRF system installation throughout Toronto and the GTA:
Toronto · North York · Scarborough · Etobicoke · Vaughan · Markham · Richmond Hill · Aurora · Newmarket · East Gwillimbury · King City · Stouffville · Mississauga · Brampton · Oakville · Milton · Burlington · Barrie · Innisfil · Orillia · Bradford · Keswick · Ajax · Pickering · Whitby · Oshawa · Orangeville
Get a VRF Quote
Send your drawings or tell us about the building. We will recommend the right system and give you a written price.
Call 416-652-4323 Send Us Your Drawings
Serving Toronto & the GTA