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SAMSUNG WindFree Standard R32 and WindFree MaxHeat R32: what changes from one series to the other
Two 12,000 BTU SAMSUNG series, with the same seasonal cooling efficiency (SEER2 24.0) and the same HSPF2 Region V (8.5). What sets them apart shows up in the cold: the WindFree Standard is certified down to −20.6 °C, the WindFree MaxHeat down to −30 °C. Here is what “MaxHeat” adds, according to the certificates and SAMSUNG’s documents.
SAMSUNGWindFree Standard R32 · 12,000 BTU
AR12DXFAMWKN / AR12DXFAMWKX · AHRI 215399297
See the product page
SAMSUNGWindFree MaxHeat R32 · 12,000 BTU
AR12DXDABWKN / AR12DXDACWKX · AHRI 215399291
See the product pageSpan of the test temperatures certified by NEEP, starting at 8.3 °C. Key: SAMSUNG blue for the Standard, AirGreen green for the MaxHeat.
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.
Why the two amounts are identical. Our method uses two values from the AHRI certificate: HSPF2 Region V for winter and SEER2 for summer. Both series have exactly the same ones (8.5 and 24.0). The difference between them therefore does not show in this seasonal calculation; it shows in the heating range and in the extreme-cold test points, below.
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.
Two certified curves, one that stops earlier
Each point is a NEEP-certified value. The shaded zone under each curve extends to the record’s last test point: −20.6 °C for the WindFree Standard, −30 °C for the WindFree MaxHeat.
Below −15 °C: where each series was measured
NEEP certifies the WindFree Standard at −15 and −20.6 °C, the WindFree MaxHeat at −15 and −30 °C. For the MaxHeat, the SAMSUNG Technical Data Book v1.2 adds average values. Below the Standard’s last point, we show that last value and the heating range SAMSUNG states.
At −20.6 °C, both units have a value, but not of the same kind: a NEEP-certified point for the Standard (10,000 BTU/h maximum), a Technical Data Book average value for the MaxHeat (12,300 BTU/h). At −15 °C, both are NEEP certified. At −30 °C, only the MaxHeat has published values.
What SAMSUNG’s documents allow us to say
The two units look alike in the photos. The question is what they really share. We answer only with the model numbers and the values published by SAMSUNG and NEEP.
- SEER2 24.0 and HSPF2 Region V 8.5 (AHRI certificates).
- Rated cooling capacity: 12,000 BTU/h.
- R-32 refrigerant.
- WindFree mode and SmartThings app, per SAMSUNG.
- Indoor unit: AR12DXFAMWKN (Standard) and AR12DXDABWKN (MaxHeat).
- Outdoor unit: AR12DXFAMWKX and AR12DXDACWKX.
- AHRI certificates: 215399297 and 215399291; NEEP series “WindFree - Standard (RAC)” and “WindFree - Max heat (RAC)”.
- Heating range: down to −20.5 °C (Standard) and −30 °C (MaxHeat); cooling down to −10 °C and −18 °C.
- HSPF2 Region IV: 9.0 and 10.5.
Our reading. The indoor and outdoor model numbers differ at SAMSUNG. The documents we read do not allow us to say it is the same chassis; they show two separate combinations, with two separate certificates.
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.
The main difference between the two series.
Useful for a room that overheats in the shoulder season.
Helps defrost water drain instead of freezing.
Managing backup heat in extreme cold.
Same principle in both series, per SAMSUNG.
To adjust the unit remotely.
| Documented feature | WindFree Standard R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Stated heating / cooling range | −20.5 to 24 °C / −10 to 46 °C | −30 to 24 °C / −18 to 46 °C |
| Base pan heater | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG page and NEEP record | Yes standard; 150 W, starts at −8 °C in heating per the NEEP record |
| Wi-Fi app | Yes SmartThings | Yes SmartThings, built-in Wi-Fi |
| Remote control | Yes solar cell | Yes solar cell or USB-C |
| WindFree mode, cooling without a draft | Yes | Yes |
Indoor unit sound, fan speed by fan speed
Published indoor sound pressure
Each point is a fan speed published by SAMSUNG.
WindFree Standard R32 : SAMSUNG does not publish the sound pressure of the 12,000 BTU model in the documents we could find (series page, no 12K submittal sheet). We do not reuse a figure from another source.
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. Only one of the two units has a published value in the documents we read; there is nothing to put side by side.
Measured by each manufacturer with its own method: only one of the two series has a published value here.
Installation: what SAMSUNG publishes for each series
SAMSUNG’s submittal sheet for the WindFree MaxHeat (version 10072024A) gives every installation figure. For the 12,000 BTU WindFree Standard, we found no public SAMSUNG submittal sheet; the series page gives only the operating ranges. The empty cells say so, rather than repeating an unverified figure.
| Installation, per the manufacturers’ documents | WindFree Standard R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum piping length | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 66 ft |
| Precharged length | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 24.6 ft |
| Maximum height difference | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 49 ft |
| Liquid – gas line diameters | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 1/4 – 3/8 in |
| Outdoor unit W × H × D, weight | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 31 1/8 × 21 9/16 × 11 1/4 in, 71 lb |
| Indoor unit, weight | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | 35 × 11 3/4 × 8 7/16 in, 23.1 lb |
| Electrical protection | Not published by the manufacturer SAMSUNG documents consulted | MCA 12 A · max. breaker 20 A |
| Stated heating / cooling range | −20.5 to 24 °C / −10 to 46 °C | −30 to 24 °C / −18 to 46 °C |
Questions about this pair
What does “MaxHeat” add to the WindFree Standard?
According to SAMSUNG and NEEP: a heating range that goes down to −30 °C instead of −20.5 °C, a certified test point at −30 °C, a higher HSPF2 Region IV (10.5 against 9.0), a base pan heater as standard and cooling possible down to −18 °C outdoors.
Why is the estimated cost the same for both?
Our method uses HSPF2 Region V and SEER2 from the AHRI certificate. Both series have the same values (8.5 and 24.0), hence the same estimate.
Does the Standard heat more at −20.6 °C than the MaxHeat at −30 °C?
These two values do not compare: they were measured 9.4 °C apart. At −15 °C, same temperature and same source, the MaxHeat has the higher value (9,000 against 8,000 BTU/h).
Do the two series share the same AHRI certificate?
No. According to the documents, the indoor and outdoor units carry different SAMSUNG model numbers and the AHRI certificates are separate. Both share the same SEER2 and HSPF2 Region V.
Is the Standard ENERGY STAR cold climate certified?
According to NEEP on November 9, 2026, the 12,000 BTU WindFree Standard (AHRI 215399297) is ENERGY STAR, without the cold climate designation. The WindFree MaxHeat (AHRI 215399291) carries both.
What about the warranty?
SAMSUNG publishes its own terms. The warranty documents come with the quote.
AHRI certificate values, as published by NEEP
| Certified value | WindFree Standard R32 | WindFree MaxHeat R32 |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal efficiencies | ||
| SEER2 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
| EER2 | 13.25 | 14.1 |
| HSPF2 Region IV | 9.0 | 10.5 |
| HSPF2 Region V | 8.5 | 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 | 2,200 / 12,000 / 15,000 | 2,600 / 12,000 / 15,500 |
| Min. / rated / max. capacity at −8.3 °C | 1,600 / 10,900 / 10,900 | 1,600 / 10,600 / 10,600 |
| Min. / rated / max. capacity at −15 °C | 2,400 / 8,000 / 8,000 | 2,400 / 9,000 / 9,000 |
| Min. / rated / max. COP at 8.3 °C | 4.61 / 3.82 / 2.84 | 4.76 / 4.34 / 3.36 |
| Min. / rated / max. COP at −15 °C | 2.93 / 1.76 / 1.76 | 2.93 / 2.09 / 2.09 |
| Coldest point (different temperatures) | ||
| Test temperature | −20.6 °C (−5 °F) | −30 °C (−22 °F) |
| Max. capacity at the coldest point | 10,000 BTU/h | 6,800 BTU/h |
| Max. COP at the coldest point | 1.81 | 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 | ENERGY STAR yes · cold climate no NEEP, Nov. 9, 2026 | Yes NEEP, Nov. 9, 2026 |
| AHRI certificate · NEEP record | 215399297 · 389381 | 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.
SAMSUNG, WindFree and SmartThings 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.