Ceiling Cassette ARCOAIRE D5FSCA | 18,000 BTU - R454B

Heating a single-storey home through the ceiling, with the attic on your side

The bungalow and the single-storey house have an asset people forget: above the main-floor ceiling, there is an accessible attic. Lines, drain and wiring can run through it without opening walls or finished ceilings. The Ceiling Cassette ARCOAIRE D5FSCA | 18,000 BTU - R454B takes advantage of this layout. The D5FSCAH18XAK cassette is recessed between the ceiling joists and works with the D5CSHAH18AAK outdoor unit, which has a variable-speed compressor and is charged with R-454B refrigerant.

Its certified ratings are 20.0 SEER2, 12.5 EER2 and 12.4 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556059, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $1,788 LogisVert grant.

Why a single-storey home suits a cassette

In a bungalow, the open main-floor area, kitchen, dining room and living room, is often the largest and most glazed space in the house. Its walls hold the cabinets, the windows and the fireplace; the ceiling stays free. Through the attic, we can work above the room: the cassette is fastened between the joists, and the lines reach the outside wall with no visible run inside.

The attic does call for care, however. It is a cold space in winter, insulated above the ceiling. Around the cassette, we rebuild the air barrier and the insulation to prevent heat loss and condensation. The condensate drain must not be left exposed to the cold: we route it through the heated space or protect it along its path. The refrigerant lines are insulated along their entire length.

The spaces this size is meant for

The 18,000 BTU size suits a large open area: the main floor of a bungalow, the living area of a single-storey house, a single-level commercial space, a meeting room. In a well-insulated house with recent windows, it can carry most of the living area; in an original house, with a poorly insulated attic and large old windows, it covers a smaller area.

An honest clarification: a cassette heats and cools the space it is in. Closed bedrooms at the end of the hallway will not reliably receive its air with the doors shut. For them, we propose a separate solution or discuss it during the visit. The load calculation, done room by room, confirms the size.

A size built for winter

The HSPF2 of 12.4 is this pairing's seasonal heating rating. It is calculated for a reference climate milder than Quebec's, but a high value signals a system that is efficient in heating. For our winters, the certified points are more concrete; they are measured separately and we report each one as published:

• 14,900 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.70;
• 17,000 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 1.90, or 94 % of the nominal capacity;
• 8,100 BTU/h at -30 °C, with a COP of 1.25, or 45 % of the nominal capacity.

At -8 °C, each unit of electricity used becomes more than two and a half times as much heat; an electric baseboard gives only one. At -15 °C, the published capacity stays close to the unit's nominal size. At -30 °C, the cassette is still heating, with a COP above 1, but its capacity drops by more than half: we recommend keeping the existing baseboards as backup for the coldest nights.

Four-way distribution in an open area

The cassette blows through the louvres around its grille, in four directions. On an open main floor, we place it between the kitchen and the living room, away from the range and the hood, and not above the table or the sofa. The air spreads toward the walls before coming back down, which avoids the warm and cold zones often seen with a unit installed at the end of the room. In heating, warm air tends to stay high: the louvre setting helps bring it back down to the floor.

Summer under the roof

In a single-storey house, the main-floor ceiling is also the one that receives the heat from the roof. On July afternoons, the open area warms up quickly. In cooling, the cassette removes that heat and the moisture in the air, which condenses on the coil and flows out through the drain. The EER2 of 12.5 measures this hot-weather efficiency, at full load. The variable-speed compressor slows down once the room is comfortable and holds the set point with long, steady cycles.

R-454B

R-454B is one of the next-generation refrigerants now used in new heat pumps. Its global warming potential is much lower than that of the refrigerants it replaces. It is classified A2L, meaning mildly flammable: handling it requires suitable tools and methods, which we apply at installation and during maintenance. For you, at home, nothing changes.

The ratings, in plain words

• 20.0 SEER2: seasonal cooling efficiency. The higher it is, the less the unit uses for the same cooling over the whole summer.
• 12.5 EER2: cooling efficiency on hot days.
• 12.4 HSPF2: seasonal heating efficiency, useful for comparing models with each other.
• COP: the amount of heat delivered for each unit of electricity, at a given temperature.

None of these ratings predicts a bill. The attic insulation, the condition of the windows and your settings weigh as much as the unit.

The $1,788 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $1,788 for the owner of an existing home, according to the list in effect on the installation date. We confirm eligibility before signing and prepare the detailed invoice, model numbers and proof of payment. Our page on the efficient heat pump grant summarizes the program's conditions.

Warranty

Warranty: 10 years on the compressor, 10 years on parts and 6 years on labor.

The detailed invoice we give you carries the model numbers of the cassette and the outdoor unit; keep it, as it serves as the reference throughout the coverage period.

Installation, step by step

1. Visit. Load calculation, inspection of the attic and insulation, locating the joists, checking the panel capacity.
2. Cassette. Opening cut in the ceiling, cassette fastened to the structure and level, access kept to the filter and drain. Air barrier and insulation rebuilt around the unit, on the attic side.
3. Lines and drain. Lines insulated along their entire length, exiting through a single sealed opening, with an outdoor line cover if needed. Drain on a continuous slope, protected from the cold, or a small pump if the route requires it.
4. Outdoor unit. Wall bracket or ground stand, above the snow line, clear of roof runoff and away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'.
5. Electrical. A dedicated circuit, connected to code.
6. Commissioning. Leak test, evacuation, checks in heating and cooling, explanation of the settings.

Maintenance

The filter sits behind the grille: open it and rinse the filter every two weeks in season. Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow and leaves, and plan annual HVAC maintenance of the coils, drain and electrical connections. In winter, white vapour during defrost and a short pause in heating are normal. Our cleaning service takes over when you prefer to hand off the annual visit.

AirGreen, for the life of the installation

A family business active for more than fifteen years in Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore, we hold RBQ licences for ventilation, refrigeration and electrical work and carry $5,000,000 in liability insurance. The in-home assessment is free, the quote is in writing, and our financing options let you choose the right unit rather than the cheapest one.

Request your free estimate for the Ceiling Cassette ARCOAIRE D5FSCA | 18,000 BTU - R454B. We inspect the open area and the attic and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.