Ceiling Cassette ARCOAIRE D5FSCA | 24,000 BTU - R454B
SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)
HSPF2 (Seasonal Heating Efficiency)
EER2 (Instantaneous cooling efficiency)
COP at -8 °C (Heating energy efficiency)
COP at -15 °C (Heating energy efficiency)
COP at -30 °C (MAX)
CFM (Airflow)
A large open area heated efficiently all winter, not just on mild days
In a family home, the open main-floor area is the heart of daily life: the kitchen, the table, the living room, often a patio door and large windows. Heating and cooling it with a single unit takes real capacity and good air distribution. The Ceiling Cassette ARCOAIRE D5FSCA | 24,000 BTU - R454B answers both. The D5FSCAH24XAK cassette is recessed into the ceiling and spreads air on four sides; it is paired with the D5CSHAH24AAK outdoor unit, with a variable-speed compressor and R-454B refrigerant.
Its certified ratings are 20.8 SEER2, 12.0 EER2 and 11.6 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556065, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $2,448 LogisVert grant.
Where winter is really decided
Nights at -30 °C stick in the memory, but they remain rare. Most of the heating season is spent at milder temperatures, between the mild days of November and ordinary January cold. That is where the heat pump builds up its operating hours, and that is where its efficiency matters most. The certificate publishes points measured separately; we report each one as published:
- 20,400 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.78, or 85 % of the nominal capacity;
- 23,800 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 2.23, or 99 % of the nominal capacity;
- 9,500 BTU/h at -30 °C, with a COP of 1.16, or 40 % of the nominal capacity.
At -8 °C, each unit of electricity used becomes nearly three units of heat; at -15 °C, still more than two, while the published capacity stays practically equal to the unit's nominal size. An electric baseboard never gives more than one unit of heat per unit of electricity.
In extreme cold, the picture changes: at -30 °C, the cassette still heats with a COP above 1, but its capacity falls to 40 % of the nominal size. For a large open area, we therefore always plan backup heating, the existing baseboards or another system, set to take over only when the cassette is no longer enough.
The spaces this size is meant for
The 24,000 BTU size is meant for large open areas: the main floor of a two-storey house where the kitchen, dining room and living room follow one another, a large finished basement, or a single open commercial space, office, shop, meeting room. In a recent, well-insulated house, it can carry most of the floor; in an older house with large original windows, the same capacity covers a smaller area.
The load calculation done during the visit accounts for the windows, their orientation, the insulation and the ceiling height. If the area is divided into closed rooms, we say so: a cassette heats the space it is in, and separate rooms sometimes need separate units.
A single point of distribution for a large area
The cassette blows through the louvres around its grille, in four directions. Placed between the kitchen and the living room, it reaches both zones without creating the air corridor seen with a wall-mounted heat pump fixed at the end of the room. We keep it away from the range and the hood, and avoid placing it above the table or the sofa.
In a two-storey house, the open staircase lets some of the heat rise to the upper floor. The effect is real, but it does not replace heating for the upstairs bedrooms. In heating, warm air also tends to stay under the ceiling: the louvre setting helps bring it back down toward the floor, where people live.
What this size asks of the house
A large cassette needs a ceiling able to receive it: enough space between the joists or above a suspended ceiling, a solid structure to hang it from and access for maintenance. We also check what runs through the ceiling, ducts, plumbing, wiring, before setting the location.
On the electrical side, the system needs a dedicated circuit of appropriate capacity. We check during the visit that the panel can take it; if an adjustment is needed, it appears in the written quote. Outdoors, the outdoor unit of this size needs a clear spot where air circulates freely, on a suitable stand or bracket.
Summer, when the whole family is home
A glazed open area warms up quickly in the sun, and the kitchen adds its own heat. 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 variable-speed compressor idles most of the time and speeds up on hot afternoons or during family meals. The EER2 of 12.0 measures full-load efficiency; the SEER2 of 20.8 measures efficiency over the whole season, when the unit spends most of its time at partial load.
R-454B
R-454B is a next-generation refrigerant with a much lower global warming potential than the refrigerants it replaces in new heat pumps. It is classified A2L, meaning mildly flammable; handling it requires suitable tools and methods, which we apply. For the occupants, it changes nothing day to day and places the installation in the current generation of equipment.
The ratings, in plain words
- SEER2 of 20.8: seasonal cooling efficiency. The higher it is, the less the unit uses for the same cooling over the summer.
- EER2 of 12.0: cooling efficiency in hot weather, at full load.
- HSPF2 of 11.6: seasonal heating efficiency, calculated for a reference climate milder than Quebec's; useful for comparing models with each other.
- COP: heat delivered per unit of electricity, at a given temperature. For a Quebec winter, it is the most useful measure.
None of these ratings predicts a bill: insulation, windows and the chosen settings make the difference.
The $2,448 LogisVert grant
The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $2,448 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.
Keep the detailed invoice we give you: it shows the model numbers of the cassette and the outdoor unit and serves as the reference throughout the coverage period.
Installation, step by step
- Visit and load calculation. Survey of the open area, windows and insulation, review of the ceiling and the electrical panel.
- Mounting the cassette. Suspended from the structure, level, between the joists or above a suspended ceiling, with access to the filter and drain. In drywall, the opening is cut to the unit's size and the grille covers it.
- Condensate drain. Continuous drainage slope or, depending on the route, a small pump.
- Outdoor unit. Suitable ground stand or wall bracket, above the snow line, clear of roof runoff and away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'.
- Refrigerant lines and electrical. A single sealed opening, an outdoor line cover if needed, and the connection of the dedicated circuit.
- Commissioning. Leak test, evacuation, checks in heating and cooling, explanation of the settings and of how the backup is set.
Maintenance
Open the grille and rinse the filter every two weeks in season; near a kitchen, more frequent rinsing is justified. 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 | 24,000 BTU - R454B. We survey the open area, check the ceiling and the panel, and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.