Wall air conditioner or wall heat pump: what is the difference for me?

The air conditioners on this page are mainly for cooling. None qualify for rebates (per our spec sheets). If you want to heat all winter and aim for LogisVert, look at our wall heat pumps instead: we show the amounts model by model.

How much does it cost to run in summer?

Not much. Example: a 12,000 BTU unit at SEER 19, at full power 8 hours a day for 90 days, uses about 455 kWh, or about $32 at the Rate D base price (7.065¢/kWh, April 1, 2026). In reality the unit modulates and often uses less. Indicative estimate.

Indoors, the models on this page run at 24.5 to 36 dB at low speed, per their spec sheets. A whisper is about 30 dBA. The quietest: the Goodman 19 at 12,000 BTU, at 24.5 dB.

115 V or 220 V: which do I need?

Two models run on 115 V: the Zephyr 12,000 and the Goodman 19 at 12,000 BTU. All others are 220 V. Either way, the unit gets its own circuit: our teams hold RBQ subclass 16 Electrical, so we handle it.

Is WiFi control included?

On the Gree VITA, yes, on all four sizes. On the other brands on this page it is optional. We spell it out in your quote.

How much does an installed wall air conditioner cost?

The price depends on the model, line-set length, outdoor unit mount and electrical work. We measure for free and send you a final written offer before we start. No surprises at the end.

Does a wall air conditioner bring in fresh air?

No. It cools and dries the air already in the room. Renewing the air in your home is the job of an air exchanger (HRV or ERV), which we also install.

Do I need a permit to install a wall air conditioner?

It depends on your city and where the outdoor unit goes. Our Permits and regulations page sums up the rules by city; we also cover it during the visit.

How long does installation take?

It depends on wall access, line-set length and electrical work. The expected time is written in your quote.

Spec sheets updated Sept. 30, 2026

Wall air conditioner · Montreal · Laval · Longueuil · South Shore · North Shore

Wall air conditioners in Montreal, Laval and both Shores: the right BTU, installed by our refrigeration techs.

Six brands, 21 models from 9,000 to 24,000 BTU. Find the right capacity for your room, compare noise and the cost of a summer, add favourites to your request. The on-site estimate is free.

Find my BTU Compare the 21 models

21 models

9,000 to 24,000 BTU, 115 V or 220 V

6 brands

Gree, Goodman, Zephyr, Ameristar, Haxxair, Windair

24.5 dB

quietest indoors (Goodman 19, 12,000)

≈ $23

a full summer for the Gree VITA 9,000 (8 h × 90 days, Rate D)

01 · Our wall air conditioners

Six brands of wall air conditioners. Tap a card for its numbers.

Each card leads to the brand’s collection. The panel below compares its models, bar by bar, from our spec sheets.

See the collection Gree →

See the collection Goodman →

See the collection Zephyr →

See the collection Ameristar →

See the collection Haxxair →

See the collection Windair →

02 · The calculator

What size wall air conditioner does your room need?

Tap a room in the house or set your own. The math follows the official ENERGY STAR chart, then adjusts for sun, people and kitchen.

Living room

420 sq ft

Sun exposure

People

Kitchen?

Estimated need

The ENERGY STAR chart

Base BTU/h

100–150 sq ft

5,000

150–250 sq ft

6,000

250–300 sq ft

7,000

300–350 sq ft

8,000

350–400 sq ft

9,000

400–450 sq ft

10,000

450–550 sq ft

12,000

550–700 sq ft

14,000

700–1,000 sq ft

18,000

Cost of one summer at Hydro-Québec Rate D (7.065¢/kWh), compressor at full power: a ceiling, not an average.

Hours/day

Days

03 · The ranking

All 21 wall air conditioners, ranked by what matters to you.

Sort, filter, add to your request. Every value comes from our spec sheets; “n/a” means the manufacturer does not publish it.

SORT BY

SIZE

OPTIONS

#ModelSEERIndoorWarrantyRequest

04 · The chart

Efficiency to the right, quiet at the top: the wall AC chart.

Each dot is a model. The top-right corner holds the most efficient and quietest. Tap a dot.

More efficient and quieter

24 dB37 dB

SEER 16.5→ more efficientSEER 20

Ameristar does not publish sound data on its sheets, so it is not on the chart.

05 · Day and night

Is a wall air conditioner noisy? Slide the time and listen.

By day the unit runs harder. At night it drops to low speed. Pick a model and compare it with familiar sounds.

Midnight6 hNoon18 h23 h

Indoor sound from our spec sheets: low speed at night (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.), high speed by day. References: NYC DEP scale, in dBA.

06 · Head to head

Two wall air conditioners, head to head. The winner shows in green.

Pick two models. We line up efficiency, noise, warranty and the cost of a summer, row by row.

Model A

Model B

07 · Summer cost

How much does a wall air conditioner cost to run? One summer, in dollars.

Pick the size and your summer. The math uses each model’s SEER and Hydro-Québec Rate D as of April 1, 2026.

Format

Hours per day

Cooling days

Electricity price

Rate D: 7.065¢/kWh up to 40 kWh a day, 11.142¢ above, plus 46.154¢ a day for grid access (already on your bill). Formula: BTU × hours ÷ (SEER × 1,000) = kWh. Compressor assumed at full power: this is a ceiling.

08 · How it works

How a wall air conditioner cools your room.

Four steps, on a loop. Let it play or tap a step.

General principle of a two-unit air conditioner.

09 · Read a spec sheet

Read a wall air conditioner’s spec sheet in 30 seconds.

Here is the real sheet of the Gree VITA 12,000 BTU. Tap a row: we explain what it means for you.

BTU

12,000

Cooling capacity, in BTU per hour. 12,000 BTU/h is one “ton” of air conditioning.

10 · The right unit

Wall air conditioner or wall heat pump? Three questions.

The difference matters for your winter bill and for rebates. Answer and we point you the right way.

1. Mainly, you want to…

2. Does a rebate matter to you?

3. How many rooms to cool?

Your recommendation appears here after the last answer.

Wall ACWall heat pump

Rebates (LogisVert)Not eligible (our sheets)By model, amount shown

ENERGY STARNo, on all 21By model

RefrigerantR-410AR-32 or R-454B on newer models

Sizes on our site9,000 to 24,000 BTU6,000 to 36,000 BTU

11 · The air you breathe

Wall air conditioner and air exchanger: one cools, the other renews.

A wall air conditioner cools and dries the air already in the room. It does not bring in fresh air. An air exchanger removes stale air and brings in filtered outdoor air, recovering its heat (HRV) or also some of its humidity (ERV).

Wall ACAir exchanger

Cools and dries the airYesNo

Brings in fresh airNoYes

Removes stale airNoYes

Recovers heat from outgoing air—Yes (HRV, ERV)

Recovers some humidity—ERV only

Same air, cooled on a loop. Odours, kitchen humidity and CO₂ stay in the house.

VanEELifebreathFantechBroan-NuToneGreenTekVenmarDirect Air

See air exchangers

Ventilation: subclass 15.8 of our RBQ licence. The AC and the exchanger can be planned in the same visit.

12 · True or false

True or false? Six common beliefs about wall air conditioners.

Answer: the reply shows with its source.

STATEMENT 1

A wall air conditioner brings in fresh air.

STATEMENT 2

The air conditioners on this page qualify for a rebate.

STATEMENT 3

Some models run on 115 V.

STATEMENT 4

The quietest is quieter than a whisper.

STATEMENT 5

A summer of cooling costs hundreds of dollars.

STATEMENT 6

Bigger is always better.

13 · Installation

Installing a wall air conditioner, from the call to your first cool summer.

Our refrigeration techs install, start up and show you the unit. No subcontractors. Follow the dot, or tap a step.

Our installation service Permits and regulations by city Financing Our warranty

14 · Frequently asked questions

Wall air conditioners: what people ask us before buying.

One question at a time. The numbers come from our spec sheets and the sources at the bottom of the page.

We start from the floor area with the official ENERGY STAR chart: for example, 350 to 400 sq ft need about 9,000 BTU/h, 450 to 550 sq ft about 12,000. Then we adjust: −10% if heavily shaded, +10% if very sunny, +600 BTU/h per person beyond two, +4,000 for a kitchen. We always confirm on site.

15 · 30 answers

All about wall air conditioners: 30 answers from our techs.

Search a word (the articles are in French): emplacement, bruit, entretien, garantie… Each answer opens the full article.

30 / 30

16 · Let’s visit you

The right unit, on the right wall, installed by our techs.

We come see the room, measure, check the electrical and the outdoor location. You get a final written offer before any work starts.

Book my free estimate 514 316-2973

RBQ 5645-9605-01Subclasses 15.8 Ventilation, 15.10 Refrigeration, 16 Electrical.

On-site estimateFree, across Greater Montreal and both Shores.

Final written offerSent before the work. No surprises at the end.

$5M insuranceLiability coverage from start to finish.

Showroom1370, rue Joliot-Curie, Boucherville · 514 316-3007

Montréal4951 Sainte-Catherine St. East · 514 316-2973

Sources checked September 30, 2026. AirGreen spec sheets for the 21 models (BTU, SEER, voltage, sound, warranty, eligibility). ENERGY STAR, room air conditioner sizing chart (June 2003). Hydro-Québec, Electricity rates effective April 1, 2026, Rate D. NYC DEP, sound level chart. Goodman : goodmanmfg.com (Daikin Comfort Technologies North America). Ameristar : ameristarhvac.com (American Standard, Trane Technologies). Costs and capacities shown are estimates; only the on-site visit confirms the right unit.