Home / Comparisons / 12,000 BTU wall-mounted heat pumps
LG ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 and SAMSUNG WindFree MaxHeat R32, figure by figure
The NEEP record of the ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 goes down to −35 °C, a rare test point. The WindFree MaxHeat’s stops at −30 °C. This page explains what a point certified at −35 °C means and what it does not mean, and compares the two units where they were measured the same way.
LGARTCOOL DELUXE R32 · 12,000 BTU
KNSAL121A / KUSAL121A · AHRI 216368960
See the product page
SAMSUNGWindFree MaxHeat R32 · 12,000 BTU
AR12DXDABWKN / AR12DXDACWKX · AHRI 215399291
See the product pageLG ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 : NEEP points from 8.3 to −35 °C · SAMSUNG WindFree MaxHeat R32 : from 8.3 to −30 °C. Each bar covers the span of certified test temperatures, not capacity.
What the electricity costs, in dollars, winter and summer
AirGreen estimate for the same 12,000 BTU/h zone in Montréal, on Hydro-Québec Rate D, taxes included. Both heat pumps are calculated 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 12,000 BTU/h (3.52 kW) at −23.1 °C, Montréal’s design temperature: 3.52 kW × 24 h × 4,167 degree-days ÷ (18 − (−23.1)) = 8,558 kWh of heat for round-the-clock heating, all winter. Heating degree-days (18 °C base) and design temperature: Natural Resources Canada, HOT2000 climate data, Montréal Intl station. With fewer hours a day (“Heating” slider), the heat is reduced in the same proportion, for the heat pump and for the baseboards alike: a simplification that ignores the recovery after a temperature setback.
- Electricity for heating. Heat pump: heat × 3.412 ÷ HSPF2 Region V, the value of the AHRI certificate published by NEEP. Region V is the coldest in the standard, and its calculation includes the backup electric heat expected when the heat pump can no longer keep up. Electric baseboards: 1 kWh of electricity for 1 kWh of heat.
- Electricity for cooling. 12,000 BTU/h ÷ SEER2 × hours a 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 long: 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 effect on April 1, 2026: 7.065¢ per kWh up to 40 kWh a day, 11.142¢ above that; the average price, 9.104¢, is the one Hydro-Québec’s calculators use. GST and QST included. Grid access charges, the same with or without a heat pump, are not counted.
AirGreen method v1.1, November 9, 2026. An estimate is for comparing units under the same conditions. The actual bill depends on the house, its insulation, the settings and how it is used; this amount is not a promise.
What a point certified at −35 °C means
For each unit, the gauge shows the span of temperatures where NEEP publishes at least one certified value. Move the slider: at each temperature, you see what each record or manufacturer publishes, or the two published values on either side.
Below −15 °C: every published value, down to −35 °C
In its 2025 brochure, LG publishes the maximum capacity of the ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 at −18, −20 and −25 °C; NEEP certifies −15 and −35 °C. For the WindFree MaxHeat, NEEP certifies −15 and −30 °C, and the SAMSUNG Technical Data Book gives average values. Between two published values, we show the range; nothing is calculated.
From −15 to −35 °C, the only temperature where both units have a value of the same kind is −15 °C (NEEP for both). At −30 °C, the WindFree MaxHeat has a certified point and the ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 a range between 13,000 BTU/h at −25 °C (LG brochure) and 9,100 BTU/h at −35 °C (NEEP). At −35 °C, only the LG record has a value.
What each manufacturer writes, feature by feature
Only the features named in the documents we read are listed. When a document says nothing about one, we say so: that does not mean the feature does not exist.
LG states 5 °C more toward the cold; this is an operating range, not a capacity.
The manufacturer describes a sensor built into the indoor unit.
Both name an automatic cleaning feature; LG adds Freeze Clean, controlled from the ThinQ app.
Both manufacturers describe a twin rotary compressor.
How each manufacturer describes the air outlet.
SAMSUNG describes built-in Wi-Fi; the LG brochure names ThinQ only for Freeze Clean.
| Documented feature | ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Base pan heater | Yes NEEP record: 90 W, on at 0 °C and below, in heating mode | Yes standard; 150 W, starts at −8 °C in heating per the NEEP record |
| Built-in occupancy sensor | Yes Built-in Occupancy Sensor | Not published by the manufacturer sheet 10072024A |
| Filter and automatic cleaning | Yes Auto Clean+ | Yes Auto Clean |
| Wi-Fi app | Not published by the manufacturer ThinQ named for Freeze Clean | Yes SmartThings, built-in Wi-Fi |
| Compressor | Twin rotary brochure 04_25 | Twin rotary BLDC submittal sheet |
Indoor unit sound, fan speed by fan speed
Published indoor sound pressure
Each point is a fan speed published by the manufacturer.
How to read these figures. The lower the decibels, the quieter the unit. Each point is one published fan speed. A rise of 10 dB(A) is heard as roughly twice as loud.
Why this is not a ranking. LG and SAMSUNG publish a sound pressure in dB(A), without giving the measuring distance or room. LG publishes every fan speed; SAMSUNG only the lowest and the highest.
Measured by each manufacturer with its own method: different methods — not comparable point by point.
Almost the same width on the wall
The two indoor units, widths to the same scale
Width of the unit only, per the manufacturer. The clearances around the indoor unit are given in each manufacturer’s installation manual.
| Installation, per the manufacturers’ documents | ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum piping length | 65.6 ft minimum 9.8 ft | 66 ft |
| Precharged length | 41 ft 0.16 oz per ft beyond | 24.6 ft |
| Maximum height difference | 39.4 ft | 49 ft |
| Liquid – gas line diameters | 1/4 – 3/8 in | 1/4 – 3/8 in |
| Outdoor unit W × H × D, weight | 34 1/4 × 25 19/32 × 13 in, 99.2 lb | 31 1/8 × 21 9/16 × 11 1/4 in, 71 lb |
| Indoor unit, weight | 35 1/4 × 12 3/32 × 9 1/4 in, 24.3 lb | 35 × 11 3/4 × 8 7/16 in, 23.1 lb |
| Electrical protection | MCA 15 A · MOCP 20 A | MCA 12 A · max. breaker 20 A |
| Dehumidification | 1.7 L/h 3.59 US pints/h per LG | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Stated heating / cooling range | −35 to 18 °C / −10 to 48 °C heating at wet-bulb temperature; 18.3 and 47.8 °C per LG | −30 to 24 °C / −18 to 46 °C |
Questions about this pair
What does “certified at −35 °C” mean?
That NEEP publishes, with AHRI certificate 216368960, a test point at −35 °C (−31 °F): 9,100 BTU/h maximum and a COP of 1.33 for the ARTCOOL DELUXE R32. Few wall-mounted heat pumps have a test point that cold.
Does the ARTCOOL DELUXE heat more than the WindFree MaxHeat in extreme cold?
At −15 °C, same temperature and same source: 14,700 BTU/h against 9,000 BTU/h maximum, per NEEP. The coldest points (−35 °C for LG, −30 °C for SAMSUNG) do not compare directly.
Why does the LG sheet say 113% at −15 °C?
LG expresses the maximum capacity relative to the rated heating capacity of 13,000 BTU/h given in its brochure (14,700 ÷ 13,000 = 113%). 14,700 BTU/h is also the value NEEP certifies at 5 °F.
Which one costs less to run?
With our method, the amounts are very close: HSPF2 Region V of 8.4 and 8.5, SEER2 of 25.5 and 24.0. The “Cost by season” module shows the exact gap for your hours of use.
Are the two indoor units the same width?
Almost: 35 1/4 in for the ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 and 35 in for the WindFree MaxHeat, per the manufacturers.
What about the warranty?
Each manufacturer publishes its own terms. The warranty documents come with the quote.
AHRI certificate values, as published by NEEP
| Certified value | ARTCOOL DELUXE R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal efficiencies | ||
| SEER2 | 25.5 | 24.0 |
| EER2 | 13.8 | 14.1 |
| HSPF2 Region IV | 11.2 | 10.5 |
| HSPF2 Region V | 8.4 | 8.5 |
| Rated capacity at 35 °C (cooling) | 12,000 BTU/h | 12,000 BTU/h |
| Heating, min. / rated / max. capacity | ||
| Min. / rated / max. capacity at 8.3 °C | 3,070 / 13,000 / 20,000 | 2,600 / 12,000 / 15,500 |
| Min. / rated / max. capacity at −8.3 °C | 2,627 / 8,400 / 16,820 | 1,600 / 10,600 / 10,600 |
| Min. / rated / max. capacity at −15 °C | 2,388 / 14,700 / 14,700 | 2,400 / 9,000 / 9,000 |
| Min. / rated / max. COP at 8.3 °C | 4.74 / 4.10 / 2.93 | 4.76 / 4.34 / 3.36 |
| Min. / rated / max. COP at −15 °C | 1.79 / 2.05 / 2.05 | 2.93 / 2.09 / 2.09 |
| Coldest point (different temperatures) | ||
| Test temperature | −35 °C (−31 °F) | −30 °C (−22 °F) |
| Max. capacity at the coldest point | 9,100 BTU/h | 6,800 BTU/h |
| Max. COP at the coldest point | 1.33 | 1.73 |
| Certification | ||
| Refrigerant | R-32 GWP 675 (IPCC AR4), class A2L (ASHRAE 34) | R-32 GWP 675 (IPCC AR4), class A2L (ASHRAE 34) |
| ENERGY STAR · cold climate | Yes NEEP, Nov. 9, 2026 | Yes NEEP, Nov. 9, 2026 |
| AHRI certificate · NEEP record | 216368960 · 383065 | 215399291 · 389387 |
“higher” marks the higher value of the same measurement, under the same conditions. It is not a recommendation.
Both are on the AirGreen site.
For an estimate visit or a quote on either of these units.
Documents consulted
Data checked on November 9, 2026. Certified values: AHRI certificates published by NEEP. Declared values (sound, dimensions, piping, features): the manufacturers’ documents cited above. When two sources differ, the AHRI certificate prevails.
LG, ARTCOOL, SAMSUNG and WindFree are trademarks of their respective owners. Logos are used only to identify the products. AirGreen is a retailer of these brands; this page is not produced, sponsored or endorsed by the manufacturers.
Photos: AirGreen and manufacturers, for identification.
Does a figure look wrong? Write to us at sales@airgreen.ca.