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FUJITSU AIRSTAGE AQUILA XLTH and LG Multi F LGRED in 2 zones, number by number
One outdoor unit, two 9,000 BTU wall heads, one room each. Both systems are ENERGY STAR cold climate certified and deliver the same certified maximum capacity at −15 °C. Their differences lie elsewhere: seasonal efficiency, coldest point tested, what each certificate says.
AQUILA XLTH R32, 2 zones
AOUH18KWAH2 + 2 × ASUH09KPAS · AHRI 215447691
See the product page
What the electricity costs, in dollars, winter and summer
AirGreen estimate for the same 18,000 BTU/h zone in Montréal, at Hydro-Québec rate D, taxes included. Both heat pumps are calculated in exactly the same way, with the same method as on all our comparison pages; only their certified efficiencies change. Electric baseboards serve as the reference point.
How this amount is calculated
- Heat needed over the winter. A zone whose heat loss reaches 18,000 BTU/h ( kW) at −23.1 °C, the Montréal design temperature: kW × 24 h × 4,167 degree-days ÷ (18 − (−23.1)) = kWh of heat for 24-hour heating, all winter. Heating degree-days (base 18 °C) and design temperature: Natural Resources Canada, HOT2000 climate data, Montréal Intl station. With fewer hours per day (“Heating” slider), heat is reduced in the same proportion, for the heat pump as for the baseboards: this is a simplification that ignores the recovery after a temperature setback.
- Electricity for heating. Heat pump: heat × 3.412 ÷ HSPF2 region V, the AHRI certificate value published by NEEP. Region V is the coldest in the standard, and its calculation includes the electric backup planned for when the heat pump is no longer enough. Electric baseboards: 1 kWh of electricity for 1 kWh of heat.
- Electricity for cooling. 18,000 BTU/h ÷ SEER2 × hours per day × 60 days ÷ 1,000: the method of Hydro-Québec’s air conditioning calculator, with the seasonal SEER2 efficiency from the AHRI certificate. The number of hours is a scenario, adjustable above from 1 to 24 h. At 24 h, the calculation assumes rated capacity all day: that is a maximum, since a variable-speed unit slows down once the room is at the right temperature.
- Price. Hydro-Québec rate D in force on April 1, 2026: 7.065 ¢ per kWh up to 40 kWh per day, 11.142 ¢ beyond; the average price, 9.104 ¢, is the one Hydro-Québec’s calculators use. GST and QST included. Network access charges, the same with or without a heat pump, are not counted.
AirGreen method v1.1, November 9, 2026. An estimate is used to compare units under the same conditions. The actual bill depends on the house, the insulation, the settings and the use; this amount is not a promise.
Turn one head on, then the other, and choose the outdoor temperature
The living room and the bedroom each have their own wall head. The outdoor unit supplies both. The AHRI certificate quantifies what the outdoor unit delivers to the complete system; it does not say how the heat is shared between the rooms.
Plan: diagram. The units are not to scale on the plan. Maximum heating capacity of the outdoor unit, 21.1 °C indoors. A hatched value is a range between two published values, each at its own temperature.
One certificate for the outdoor unit, not for each head
NEEP classifies both certificates in the same category: “Multizone All Non-Ducted”, one outdoor unit connected to ductless heads. The NEEP listing names no head. Each manufacturer says, in its own documents, with which heads the values were measured.
AQUILA XLTH
Reference combination: 2 × ASUH09KPAS
The FUJITSU AIRSTAGE service manual SR_MU008ES_02 (p. 9) gives, for the AOUH18KWAH2, the “standard combination” ASUH09KPAS × 2, with the same capacities as the NEEP listing: 22,000 BTU/h at 8.3 °C, 14,800 at −8.3 °C, 22,000 at −15 °C. These are the two 9,000 BTU heads on this page.
Multi F LGRED
Rating points put in bold by LG: 7,000 + 12,000
In its performance data manual (table 2, p. 570), LG puts in bold the rating points of the combination 7,000 + 12,000 : 22.00 kBtu/h at 8.3 °C and 13.90 at −8.3 °C, the rated values of the NEEP listing. For 2 × 9,000, LG’s maximum capacity table (p. 759) gives the same maximum values as the NEEP listing: 22.00 kBtu/h at −15 °C and 17.83 at −25 °C.
The key point: certified values are those of the complete system. With two 9,000 BTU heads, FUJITSU AIRSTAGE publishes exactly the certified combination; for 2 × 9,000, LG publishes the same maximum values as the certificate, but not its rated values.
Below −15 °C: every published number, at its exact temperature
At −15 °C, NEEP certifies the same maximum capacity for both: 22,000 BTU/h. Lower down, the two certificates stop at different temperatures, 1.1 °C apart: −26.1 °C for the AQUILA XLTH, −25 °C for the Multi F LGRED. Each number is placed at its temperature, with its source.
At −15 °C, the two certified points overlap on the chart: 22,000 BTU/h each. At −20 °C, the Multi F LGRED value comes from LG’s maximum capacity table for 2 × 9,000 BTU (21.1 °C indoors), whose other lines repeat the NEEP points exactly.
What each manufacturer names
FUJITSU AIRSTAGE brochure FG2057B (KPAS heads and XLTH units), LG submittal for the KNUAB091A head and LG engineering manual for the KUMXA181A. Each line repeats what the manufacturer writes.
AQUILA XLTH: heating down to −26 °C, “no lockout”; base heater, activated below 2 °C.
Multi F LGRED: heating down to −25 °C (−13 °F, wet bulb); factory-installed base pan heater; “Defrost / Deicing”.
AQUILA XLTH: down to −10 °C outdoors.
Multi F LGRED: down to −10 °C; −20 °C with the ZLABGP04A wind baffle, sold separately.
AQUILA XLTH: Economy, Minimum Heat, Quiet Mode, Sleep, Dry, Weekly.
Multi F LGRED: Jet Cool / Jet Heat, sleep mode, 24-hour timer.
AQUILA XLTH: “Wi-Fi Capable” (adapter); “I/O” inputs and outputs.
Multi F LGRED: Built-in Wi-Fi, LG ThinQ app; AKB76044208 remote included; group control.
AQUILA XLTH: “Restart”.
Multi F LGRED: “Auto restart”; 3-minute restart delay.
AQUILA XLTH: “Blue Fin” outdoor heat exchanger.
Multi F LGRED: washable pre-filter and “3M Micro Dust” filter; automatic coil cleaning; R-32 leak sensor in the head.
A feature missing from a column means the document consulted does not name it, not that it is absent. Icons in the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE brochure without explanatory text (“Ion”, “Sensor”, “Cold”, “3rd Party”) are not included.
The noise of each head, according to its manufacturer
FUJITSU AIRSTAGE publishes six speeds for the ASUH09KPAS head. LG publishes three speeds for the KNUAB091A head. Both give a sound pressure in dB(A), for one head.
How to read these numbers. dB(A) measures a noise level as the ear perceives it: the lower the number, the quieter the unit. Each dot is a fan speed published by the manufacturer, from slowest to fastest.
Why this is not a ranking. LG states a tolerance of ±3 dB(A) for its heads and measures its outdoor units to ISO 3745. FUJITSU AIRSTAGE publishes neither the distance nor the standard in the brochure. A gap of a few dB(A) can come from the method as much as from the unit.
One 9,000 BTU head, in the room
Cooling, all published speeds
Outdoor unit, outdoors
Heating, published value
Measurements taken by each manufacturer with its own method: read them separately, not as a ranking.
Sources: FUJITSU AIRSTAGE brochure FG2057B (head: 21 to 40 dB(A) in cooling, 22 to 42 in heating; outdoor unit: 47 and 49 dB(A)); LG submittal KNUAB091A (36 / 32 / 27 dB(A), ±3) and LG KUMXA181A sheet (50 and 54 dB(A), ISO 3745).
On the wall, outdoors, in the piping
Wall heads to scale
Same width within 1/8 in. The LG head is taller (12 1/8 vs 10 5/8 in) and shallower (7 9/16 vs 8 3/4 in).
Outdoor units to scale
32 5/16 × 34 13/16 × 12 3/8 in · 117 lb
37 13/32 × 32 27/32 × 13 in · 147.7 lb
Widths at the same scale (W × H × D). Photos: AirGreen images of the units sold.
Piping: the total length of the two lines
FUJITSU AIRSTAGE: 98 ft precharged in total, 164 ft maximum, 16 to 82 ft per head. LG: no refrigerant to add up to 82 ft in total, then 0.22 oz per foot; 164 ft maximum, 9.8 to 82 ft per head. Each line must also respect the per-head limit.
| Installation | AQUILA XLTH | Multi F LGRED |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum piping length | 164 ft in total, 82 ft per head | 164 ft in total, 82 ft per head |
| Precharged length | 98 ft in total | 82 ft in totalLG engineering manual: length with no refrigerant to add; 0.22 oz/ft beyond. |
| Maximum height difference | 49 ft33 ft between the two heads. | 49.2 ft24.6 ft between the two heads. |
| Liquid – gas diameters | 1/4 – 3/8 in, one pair per head | 1/4 – 3/8 in, one pair per head |
| Outdoor unit W × H × D, weight | 32 5/16 × 34 13/16 × 12 3/8 in, 117 lb | 37 13/32 × 32 27/32 × 13 in, 147.7 lb |
| Indoor unit, weightOne 9,000 BTU head | 21 lb | 19.73 lb |
| Electrical protectionAccording to the manufacturer | 20 A breaker (minimum circuit ampacity 19.9 A) | MOP 30 A (MCA 22.7 A) |
| DehumidificationOne 9,000 BTU head | Not published by the manufacturer. | 1.28 L/h2.70 pints/h according to LG. |
| Advertised heating / cooling range | −26 to 24 °C / −10 to 50 °C | −25 to 18 °C / −10 to 48 °CHeating in wet bulb (−13 to 64 °F). |
Sources: FUJITSU AIRSTAGE brochure FG2057B and service manual SR_MU008ES_02; LG engineering manual for the KUMXA181A, LG KUMXA181A submittal and LG KNUAB091A submittal. Clearances around the outdoor unit are in each installation manual; the installer confirms them on site.
What people ask us about these two systems
Why talk about the outdoor unit rather than each head?
Because the AHRI certificate of a multi-zone system covers the outdoor unit connected to its heads, not each head. The capacities on this page are those of the complete system, at a given outdoor temperature. Neither FUJITSU AIRSTAGE nor LG publishes the share that goes to each room: it depends on the settings, the line lengths and each room’s demand.
Are the two 9,000 BTU heads the ones in the certificate?
For the AQUILA XLTH, yes: the FUJITSU AIRSTAGE service manual gives 2 × ASUH09KPAS as the reference combination, with the NEEP listing values. For the Multi F LGRED, LG puts a 7,000 + 12,000 combination in bold for its rated values; for 2 × 9,000, its maximum capacity table gives the same maximums as the certificate. The “What the certificate covers” section shows both cases.
What happens colder than −25 °C or −26 °C?
FUJITSU AIRSTAGE advertises heating down to −26 °C and “no lockout” for its XLTH units, without giving capacity below that. LG advertises a heating range down to −25 °C (−13 °F, wet bulb) and publishes nothing colder. The “Extreme cold” table shows, for each temperature, the last published value and what the manufacturer says.
Can a 12,000 BTU head be used instead of a 9,000?
Both outdoor units accept other head combinations. FUJITSU AIRSTAGE publishes combinations from 14,000 to 24,000 BTU/h in total for the AOUH18KWAH2. LG also publishes several combinations for the KUMXA181A. The values on this page remain those of two 9,000 BTU heads; another combination is checked in the manufacturer’s tables at quote time.
Why does the cost estimate use 18,000 BTU/h for both?
Both certificates give a rated cooling capacity of 18,000 BTU/h. The calculation applies the same zone, the same rate and the same method to both; only each certificate’s HSPF2 region V (9.3 and 8.1) and SEER2 (22.0 and 20.0) change.
Are these systems eligible for rebates?
Eligibility depends on the official lists in force on the date of purchase, such as Hydro-Québec’s LogisVert list. We check the chosen system at quote time; no amount is promised on this page.
All AHRI and NEEP values
| Certified value | AQUILA XLTH | Multi F LGRED |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling | ||
| Rated capacity at 35 °C | 18,000 BTU/h | 18,000 BTU/h |
| SEER2 | 22.0 | 20.0 |
| EER2 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| Heating, same conditions | ||
| HSPF2 region IV / V | 11.0 / 9.3 | 9.8 / 8.1 |
| 8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 6,800 / 22,000 / 25,000 | 10,248 / 22,000 / 24,000 |
| 8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 4.53 / 4.39 / 4.39 | 3.00 / 3.60 / 2.80 |
| −8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 4,700 / 14,800 / 22,800 | 7,511 / 13,900 / 23,600 |
| −8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 3.28 / 3.24 / 2.58 | 2.50 / 2.59 / 2.56 |
| −15 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 3,900 / 22,000 / 22,000 | 6,262 / 19,800 / 22,000 |
| −15 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 2.79 / 2.18 / 2.18 | 2.16 / 1.85 / 2.25 |
| Coldest point — different temperatures, not highlighted | ||
| Test temperature | −26.1 °C (−15 °F) | −25 °C (−13 °F) |
| Capacity min. / max. | 2,500 / 12,060 BTU/h | 4,636 / 17,830 BTU/h |
| COP at maximum capacity | 2.02 | 2.31 |
| Certifications and refrigerant | ||
| ENERGY STAR / cold climate (NEEP) | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| ENERGY STAR directory, markets listed | United States, Canada | United States, Canada |
| AHRI certificate · NEEP listing | 215447691 · 455168Multi-zone, ductless heads | 214848473 · 392659Multi-zone, ductless heads |
| RefrigerantGWP according to the IPCC (AR4); ASHRAE 34 class | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L |
highest marks the highest value of a given measurement, under the same conditions. It is not a recommendation. Capacities and COPs per point are not highlighted: the order changes depending on the point read.
Both are on the AirGreen website.
To choose for your two rooms, talk to our team: bring the size of each room, the planned outdoor location and the distance to each head.
Where each number comes from
Data verified on November 9, 2026. Performance: AHRI certificates and NEEP database. Dimensions, sound, piping and features: according to the manufacturer. When a source contradicts the AHRI certificate, the certificate prevails.
Trademarks. FUJITSU AIRSTAGE, AQUILA, LG, Multi F and LGRED are trademarks of their respective owners. Logos are used only to identify the products compared. AirGreen is a retailer of both brands; this page is not produced, sponsored or approved by the manufacturers.
Photos: AirGreen and manufacturers, for identification.
Does a data point look wrong? Write to us : every reported data point is checked again.