Installation of a GREE FreeMatch R32 2-Head Wall-Mounted Heat Pump in Rougemont

When the façade sets the rules: a project chronicle in Montérégie

Rougemont is not Montreal. Winds sweep freely down Mount Rougemont, January nights regularly drop below -25 °C, and old brick houses create constraints that suburban bungalows can ignore. This is exactly the context in which we stepped in to install a GREE FreeMatch R32 2-head system, a multi-zone heat pump capable of heating down to -30 °C without constant electric backup.

This project deserves to be told—not because the equipment is exotic, but because the location of the outdoor unit required three technical decisions that many installers gloss over.

The starting point: two zones, one compressor

The client owned a two-story brick house heated by electric baseboards. Two areas posed problems:

• The main living room on the ground floor, overheated in summer because of large southwest-facing windows.
• The upstairs primary bedroom, consistently 4 to 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the house in July, and cold in February.

Installing two independent wall-mounted air conditioners would have meant two outdoor units, two sets of refrigerant lines, two façade penetrations, and two dedicated electrical circuits. On an original brick façade, each additional penetration is an irreversible decision.

The GREE FreeMatch R32 solves this problem with its multi-zone design: a single outdoor unit supplies power and refrigerant to the indoor heads. The indoor units are powered by the outdoor unit, which significantly reduces electrical work inside finished walls—a major advantage in renovations.

The actual technical data of the installed system

Here is what we installed, without rounding:

The key point is the modulation range. Between 7,500 and 31,400 BTU/h, the G10 inverter compressor continuously adjusts its speed instead of cycling. In practical terms, on an October evening at 8°C, the unit runs at 25% of its capacity, quietly, without the temperature swings of an on/off system. This is where real comfort is achieved, far more than in the nominal rating.

The three technical decisions made on the project

1. Raise the outdoor unit—and not by 6 inches

In the site photo, the unit rests on galvanized steel wall brackets anchored directly into the load-bearing structure, rather than on a ground base. This choice is not aesthetic.

In Rougemont, snow accumulation at the foot of a north-facing wall can exceed 60 cm, and roofs without snow guards dump their load exactly where one might be tempted to install a base. A buried outdoor unit means:

• a blocked heat exchanger, resulting in a loss of heating capacity precisely when it is needed;
• repeated defrost cycles that reduce actual seasonal efficiency;
• defrost water that freezes beneath the unit and eventually lifts the base.

We therefore mounted the unit high enough, with sufficient clearance beneath the chassis so that defrost water can drain freely and snow can pass through. The brackets are anchored into the foundation, not just into the brick veneer—a common mistake that, with vibrations and freeze-thaw cycles, eventually cracks the veneer.

Mistake to avoid: screwing a heat pump bracket into 4-inch brick veneer without reaching the structure. The brick is not structural. We regularly see this defect during service calls in Montreal, Laval, and the South Shore.

2. Working around the overhanging wooden structure

The unit is installed under a wooden structure—a gallery. This requires two checks that we systematically perform:

• Clearance above the unit. A blocked vertical air discharge causes air recirculation: the unit draws back in the air it has just cooled (in heating mode), and its efficiency plummets. We always verify the minimum clearance required by the manufacturer before drilling the first anchor hole.
• Dripping water. An unsealed gallery lets water through and forms ice stalactites on top of the housing. We orient the unit and position the brackets so that water never falls directly onto the top grille.

3. The electrical disconnect within reach

Visible on the right in the image, the outdoor disconnect switch is mounted less than 1 metre from the unit, on the same wall plane, with the cable running downward in a drip loop. This is not decorative: it is a safety requirement that allows a technician to disconnect the power locally without looking for the panel in the basement.

For this model, the MCA is 19.5 A and the maximum overcurrent protection is 25 A at 208/230 V. The circuit breaker and wire gauge are sized based on these values, not an approximation. An undersized circuit shows up as random trips during peak heating, often months after installation — and the customer then blames the heat pump.

R32 and the A2L leak detector: what this means for you

The unit's label clearly displays A2L R32. It is the new refrigerant standard, replacing R410A.

What you need to know in practical terms:

• R32 has a global warming potential approximately three times lower than R410A, and it is more thermodynamically efficient, which partly explains the SEER2 21 ratings.
• It is classified as slightly flammable (A2L). This is not a concern during normal use, but it imposes strict rules: ventilation during brazing, compatible tools, and above all, minimum room volumes for each indoor head based on the system charge.
• GREE includes an A2L leak detection sensor in the system. In the event of a leak, the unit reacts automatically.

This is where the choice of contractor becomes critical. Calculating the charge per room for an A2L system is not optional — installing a high-capacity head in a small enclosed bedroom may violate the manufacturer's requirements. At AirGreen, we validate this point before even proposing a head configuration.

What we have learned from our multi-zone installations in Rougemont and elsewhere in Montérégie

The multi-zone sizing trap

The most common mistake we correct on the South Shore: adding up the BTUs of the indoor heads and assuming that the outdoor unit must match that total.

That is not how a multi-zone system works. The two zones almost never reach their peak simultaneously. A 24,000 BTU/h unit serves two indoor heads very well even when their combined rated capacity exceeds its capacity, because the compressor modulates and redistributes.

Conversely, an oversized system costs more, runs too often at its minimum speed, dehumidifies poorly in summer, and cycles more frequently. Oversizing an air-conditioning system produces a cold, humid home—the worst of both worlds.

We therefore calculate the required charge room by room, considering orientation, glazed area, insulation, infiltration, and floor. In Rougemont, where homes are often older than the housing stock in Longueuil or on the North Shore, air infiltration is the factor that most distorts quick estimates.

Piping length: the detail that costs dearly

The GWHD(24) comes precharged for 30 metres of total piping, with a maximum limit of 60 m and a maximum elevation difference of 15 m. Beyond the precharged length, 20 g of R32 per additional metre must be added.

An installer who does not weigh the additional charge delivers a system that works—for two summers. Then performance collapses for no apparent reason. We always weigh the charge and record the final amount.

Vacuum procedure: non-negotiable

With the R32Residual moisture in the lines is even more damaging than it was with older refrigerants. Cutting a vacuum procedure short by 20 minutes to “finish before the rain” is the silent cause of many of the compressor failures we diagnose three or four years later in equipment installed by others.

We use a micron gauge and verify that the vacuum holds before opening the valves. That's twenty extra minutes on a job site. It's ten years of service life.

Eligibility for financial assistance

The GREE specification sheet indicates that these units are eligible for local rebates, and the system is ENERGY STAR certified. Depending on your situation — the type of heating being replaced, your electricity provider, and the programs in effect when the work is carried out — a multi-zone wall-mounted heat pump may qualify for provincial incentives.

Conditions and amounts change. We never promise a specific amount before validating your file: we verify actual eligibility before the work and provide the installation documentation required for applications.

Our approach, from the first call to commissioning

1. Visit and load calculation — room by room, not by guesswork.
2. Head configuration — wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, console, or ducted, depending on the room and A2L constraints.
3. Piping route planning — we choose the shortest, least invasive route while preserving the façade.
4. Installation — supports anchored to the structure, compliant disconnect switch, brazing under nitrogen.
5. Vacuum evacuation and charge weighing — documented.
6. Commissioning and customer training — modes, remote control, and filter maintenance.

We serve Rougemont, throughout Montérégie, as well as Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore, and the South Shore.

And afterward? Maintenance that protects your investment

A well-maintained inverter system easily lasts more than fifteen years. The steps that matter:

• Clean the filters on the indoor heads every 4 to 6 weeks during periods of intensive use. A clogged filter reduces airflow, causes the evaporator to freeze, and strains the compressor.
• Clear snow from the outdoor unit after every significant snowfall, especially from the side grilles.
• Have the indoor heat exchanger thoroughly cleaned every two to three years. Dust that sticks to the blower wheel is invisible from the filter.
• Check the pressure and tightness of the connections during an annual professional maintenance service.

A HVAC system is not an appliance you can forget about. It is mechanical equipment that operates 3,000 hours a year.

Are you considering a multi-zone heat pump for your home in Rougemont or elsewhere in Montérégie? Contact us: we will start with a load calculation, not the price.