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Wall-mounted or floor console: up high or under the window?
Same room, same output: a wall-mounted unit fixed high on the wall, or a console set just above the floor, often under a window. Both examples are 12,000 BTU FUJITSU AIRSTAGE units. Here is where the air starts from for each, the space they need, what you hear and what their certificates say.
ORION XLTH · 12,000 BTU
ASUH12KZAS / AOUH12KZAH1 · AHRI 214888802
View the product page
Manufacturer imageAGUH12KUAS · 12,000 BTU
AGUH12KUAS / AOUH12KUBS1 · AHRI 217753693
Ask for detailsWhat the electricity costs, in dollars, winter and summer
AirGreen estimate for the same 12,000 BTU/h room in Montréal, at 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 room whose heat loss reaches 12,000 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 long. 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), the heat is reduced in the same proportion, for the heat pump and the baseboards alike: this is a simplification that does not account for 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 expected when the heat pump is no longer enough. Electric baseboards: 1 kWh of electricity for 1 kWh of heat.
- Electricity for cooling. 12,000 BTU/h ÷ SEER2 × hours per day × 60 days ÷ 1,000: the method of Hydro-Québec’s air-conditioning calculator, with the SEER2 seasonal 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: this 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 April 1, 2026: 7.065 ¢ per kWh up to 40 kWh per day, 11.142 ¢ above that; the average price, 9.104 ¢, is the one Hydro-Québec’s calculators use. GST and QST included. The grid access charge, the same with or without a heat pump, is not counted.
AirGreen method v1.1, November 9, 2026. An estimate is used to compare units under the same conditions. Your actual bill depends on the house, insulation, settings and use; this amount is not a promise.
Where the air starts from, and the space under the window
A 2.44 m high wall, to scale, with a window. The wall-mounted unit is fixed up high; the console sits near the floor. Choose the mode and set the height of your windowsill: the drawing shows where the air starts from for each unit and whether the example console fits underneath with its clearances.
Six differences you can see at home
Nothing is ticked here: each card says what each form involves, based on the manufacturer’s documents.
How much air each unit moves
Published airflow by fan speed, in cooling, in cubic feet per minute. The wall-mounted unit has six speeds; the console, four. More airflow moves more air in the room, with more sound: the next section gives the decibels at the same speeds.
Sources: ORION XLTH data sheet FG8153D (rev. 4/2025), 12KZAH1 column, and submittal 12KUBS1G (version 20260707A). In heating, the console publishes 353, 283, 218 and 159 CFM. Bars at the same scale: 600 CFM = the full width.
Below −15 °C: every published figure, at its exact temperature
NEEP measures both examples at −15 °C and at their coldest point: −20.6 °C for the console with the AOUH12KUBS1, −26.1 °C for the ORION XLTH wall-mounted unit. At −20.6 °C, the wall unit’s value comes from its technical manual. Here, the difference comes mainly from the outdoor unit, not from the shape of the indoor unit.
Maximum capacity as a percentage of the 12,000 BTU/h rated capacity, published by FUJITSU AIRSTAGE (data sheet FG8153D, rev. 4/2025), outside the certificate; dark line: 100%. The console’s submittal does not publish an equivalent percentage.
What FUJITSU AIRSTAGE states about each one
Based on the ORION XLTH wall unit’s data sheet and the console’s submittal.
Wall-mounted: backlit remote included; built-in Wi-Fi.
Console: optional wireless remote (UTY-LNXUZ1); built-in Wi-Fi, AIRSTAGE Mobile app; wired wall controls available.
Wall-mounted: economy mode, energy saving, powerful mode, minimum heat, automatic defrost and restart.
Console: the same modes, plus weekly timer, 24-hour timer and sleep mode.
Wall-mounted: one outlet, at the bottom of the front.
Console: two outlets, top and bottom; the manufacturer’s air velocity measurements are made with both.
Wall-mounted: surface-mounted on the wall.
Console: surface-mounted, or half-recessed with the UTR-STA kit; in a recessed installation, the top outlet is set in a fixed position, according to the manual.
Wall-mounted: not indicated in the documents consulted.
Console: built-in leak sensor, according to the submittal.
Wall-mounted: built-in external input and output, according to the data sheet.
Console: built-in external input and output (fire alarm, door contact, auxiliary heat); group control.
How loud each one is, according to FUJITSU AIRSTAGE
The manufacturer measures both indoor units in an anechoic chamber, at each published speed. The console is just above the floor; the wall-mounted unit, up high: where you sit, the distance is not the same.
How to read these figures. dB(A) measures a noise level as the ear perceives it: the lower the number, the quieter the unit. Each dot is a published fan speed.
Why this is not a ranking. The speeds do not move the same airflow from one unit to the other (see above), and the manufacturer states that a real installation can be louder than the test chamber.
Indoor units, in cooling
Published sound pressure, manufacturer’s anechoic chamber
Outdoor units, outside
Published sound pressure
Measurements published by the same manufacturer for both. Read them as reference points, not as a ranking.
Two indoor units at the same scale
The console is narrower than the wall-mounted unit, but more than twice as tall. The example outdoor units have the same published dimensions; the allowed piping, however, changes.
Indoor units, height at the same scale
Both photos are at the same height scale: 279 mm for the wall-mounted unit, 600 mm for the console. The console is seen in three-quarter view: its published width is 740 mm, the wall unit’s 979 mm.
| Installation | ORION XLTH wall-mounted unit | AGUH12KUAS console |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor unit W × H × D, weight | 38 9/16 × 11 × 9 7/16 in, 28 lb | 29 1/8 × 23 5/8 × 7 7/8 in, 31 lb |
| Maximum piping length | 82 ft | 98 ft |
| Precharged length | 49 ft | 65 ft |
| Maximum height difference | 66 ft | 49 ft |
| Liquid – gas diameters | 1/4 – 3/8 in | 1/4 – 3/8 in |
| Outdoor unit W × H × D, weight | 31 7/16 × 24 7/8 × 11 7/16 in, 86 lb | 31 7/16 × 24 7/8 × 11 7/16 in, 84 lb |
| Electrical protectionPer the manufacturer | 15 A breaker | Max. 15 A breaker (MCA 14.2 A) |
| Dehumidification | 1.9 L/h | 2.2 L/h |
| Stated heating / cooling range | −26 to 24 °C / −10 to 50 °C | −21 to 24 °C / −21 to 50 °C |
Sources: ORION XLTH data sheet FG8153D (rev. 4/2025), 12KZAH1 column, and technical manual DR_AS233ES_02 for the wall-mounted unit; FUJITSU AIRSTAGE submittal 12KUBS1G (version 20260707A) and design manual DR_AG010ES_02 for the console. The submittal publishes dimensions as height × width × depth: 600 × 740 × 200 mm for the console, 632 × 799 × 290 mm for the outdoor unit; minimum piping of 17 ft.
What people ask us about the console
Does a console only go under a window?
No: under a window is often the only free section of wall. The console is fixed to the wall, near the floor (bottom of the unit 150 mm or less from the floor, according to the design manual), anywhere the wall has room with the required clearances: 100 mm above and 80 mm on each side, or about 900 mm of width for a 740 mm console.
Can the console be recessed into the wall?
The manufacturer offers a half-recess kit (UTR-STA). In a recessed installation, the manual calls for setting the top air outlet in a fixed, horizontal position, so that air does not build up in the recess.
Why does the console have two air outlets?
FUJITSU AIRSTAGE describes it with one outlet at the top and one at the bottom; its air velocity measurements are made with both. The diagram on this page shows where the air starts from; it does not measure the room temperature.
Does the console heat as well in extreme cold?
With the example outdoor unit (AOUH12KUBS1), heating is stated down to −21 °C. With the AOUH12KUAH1, the same console is certified at −26.1 °C. The outdoor unit matters more than the shape of the indoor unit.
Can furniture sit in front of the console?
The manual calls for clearances around the unit and for not covering its front, especially the top, where the air comes out. As with the wall-mounted unit, furniture placed in front blocks the airflow.
Do both cost the same to run?
No: their certified efficiencies differ (HSPF2 region V 10.1 for the wall-mounted unit, 8.8 for the console). The estimate at the top of the page shows the difference in dollars, with the same method for both.
All AHRI and NEEP values for both examples
| Certified value | ORION XLTH wall-mounted unit | AGUH12KUAS console |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling | ||
| Rated capacity at 35 °C | 12,000 BTU/h | 12,000 BTU/h |
| SEER2 | 30.5 | 25 |
| EER2 | 16 | 13.5 |
| Heating, same conditions | ||
| HSPF2 region IV / V | 12.7 / 10.1 | 11.2 / 8.8 |
| 8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 3,500 / 16,000 / 23,600 | 3,100 / 16,000 / 18,000 |
| 8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 5.13 / 4.64 / 3.07 | 4.33 / 3.40 / 3.24 |
| −8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 2,200 / 10,000 / 18,700 | 2,040 / 10,500 / 16,400 |
| −8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 3.39 / 3.45 / 2.44 | 3.52 / 2.80 / 2.09 |
| −15 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 1,950 / 16,600 / 16,600 | 1,950 / 15,500 / 15,500 |
| −15 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 3.36 / 2.16 / 2.16 | 3.17 / 1.94 / 1.94 |
| Coldest point — different temperatures, not highlighted | ||
| Test temperature | −26.1 °C (−15 °F) | −20.6 °C (−5 °F) |
| Capacity min. / max. | 1,400 / 12,200 BTU/h | 1,710 / 13,900 BTU/h |
| COP min. / max. | 2.74 / 1.81 | 2.78 / 1.77 |
| Listings and refrigerant | ||
| ENERGY STAR / cold climate (NEEP) | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| AHRI certificate · NEEP listing | 214888802 · 392122 | 217753693 · 370488 |
| RefrigerantGWP per IPCC (AR4); ASHRAE 34 class | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L |
higher marks the highest value of the same measurement, under the same conditions. It is not a recommendation. Capacities and COPs by point are not highlighted: the order changes depending on the point read.
AirGreen offers both.
Wall-mounted or console: bring a photo of the wall you have in mind, the height of the windowsill and your current heating, and talk it over with our team.
Where each figure comes from
Data verified on November 9, 2026. Performance: AHRI certificates and the NEEP database. Dimensions, sound, piping and features: per the manufacturer. When a source contradicts the AHRI certificate, the certificate prevails. This guide explains two types of units using two examples; it does not rank any unit. Other models have other values.
Trademarks. FUJITSU AIRSTAGE, ORION XLTH and AIRSTAGE are trademarks of their respective owners. Logos are used only to identify the products shown. AirGreen is a retailer of the brand; this page is not produced, sponsored or endorsed by the manufacturer. FUJITSU AIRSTAGE systems are also sold under the GENERAL AIRSTAGE name.
Photos: AirGreen and manufacturer, for identification purposes.
Does a figure look wrong to you? Write to us: every reported figure is checked again.