GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF | 24,000 BTU - 2 Zones R32

• Energy Star®: Oui
• WiFi: En Option
• Efficiency: 22.2 SEER
• Warranty (Compressor - Parts - Labor): 12-12-6
• Additional Warranty (10-10-10): Possible
• Voltage: 220V
• Sound Pressure Level (Outdoor): 54.0 dB(A)
• Gas (Freon): R-32

GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF 24,000 BTU, 2 indoor units: a wall unit for the living room, a slim ducted unit for the condo bedrooms

Under the GENERAL brand, this mini-VRF is exactly the twin Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: same AOUK024SSAN7 outdoor unit, paired here with 2 indoor units. The manufacturer has not changed; it has been called GENERAL Inc. since January 1, 2026, and both the manufacturer's brochure and the warranty remain the same.

The scenario is the two-level condo: an open living area downstairs, bedrooms upstairs, no original ductwork and a balcony as the only outdoor space. A wall-mounted unit takes care of the living area. Upstairs, a slim ducted unit hides in a bulkhead in the hallway ceiling and feeds the bedrooms through short duct runs. Outside, the outdoor unit sits on the balcony, below railing height.

Two units, two zones, one machine outside: for a condo, it is a clean way to get heating and cooling on both levels without lining the walls with equipment.

GENERAL or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: the same machine

Fujitsu General Limited became GENERAL Inc. on January 1, 2026, a few months after its acquisition by Paloma Rheem Holdings in August 2025; that group has owned Rheem since 1988. For the machine, it changes strictly nothing: R&D and the head office stay in Kawasaki, as do the factories and the AIRSTAGE products, with their model numbers and the same warranty program.

During the transition, the Fujitsu brand is fading out gradually and the same unit carries two names. You may run into either one when comparing quotes, so we publish both product pages, and the table below sets them column against column. Rheem Canada has managed Canadian sales since February 2026, and we keep buying through Groupe Master.

The version under the former name is on the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE J-7S 24,000 BTU 2-zone page.

The idea behind a J-7S mini-VRF fits in one sentence: one variable refrigerant flow Heat Pump outdoor unit, and indoor units chosen one by one for the room each will serve. Four families make up the range (wall-mounted, compact cassette, slim ducted, multi-position air handler), and none of them connects to anything but a J-7S outdoor unit. In this condo, two of them share the work:

• the ASUA***KSA1 wall-mounted unit in the living room, offered from 4,000 to 14,000 BTU/h, with auto swing louvers, 6 fan speeds and a level as quiet as 22 dB(A) in quiet mode;
• upstairs, the ARUL***KSA1 slim ducted unit: just 198 mm (7-13/16 in.) tall, available from 4,000 to 18,000 BTU/h, with 0.36 in. WC of static pressure to push air through short ducts, 6 fan speeds and a built-in leak detection sensor.

Two wall units would also do the job. The ducted unit has one advantage upstairs, though: a single hidden unit spreads the air between the bedrooms through ceiling grilles, instead of one unit above each bed. The trade-off is clear: the bedrooms then share the same setpoint. If each one needs its own temperature, it takes one unit per bedroom, and that is no longer the same configuration. The bulkhead height, the duct layout and the number of grilles are set at the visit, as is the capacity of each unit, whose total must respect the outdoor unit.

On paper, this system delivers a SEER2 of 22.2, an HSPF2 of 11.3 and an EER2 of 15.7, which are the maximums the brochure gives for the series. At −15 °C, the table shows a heating capacity of 26,200 BTU and a COP of 2.44, both measured at that specific test point. It is ENERGY STAR cold climate certified under ID 3813049.

A balcony exposed to wind off the canal or the river puts the outdoor unit to the test. The J-7S heats down to −26 °C with no low-temperature lockout, according to the brochure cover, and a 2-ton unit like the AOUK024SSAN7 keeps up to 89% of its capacity at −18 °C. Its heated base pan is built in, and its electronics are refrigerant-cooled. In July, when the balcony bakes in the sun, cooling stays reliable up to 50 °C outdoors.

The balcony is exactly where this outdoor unit makes the difference:

• it stands 998 mm (39-5/16 in.) high, low enough to stay below the railing and below a window;
• the current generation weighs 15% less than the previous one and takes 16% less floor space;
• its minimum clearances have been reduced, for example to 100 mm (3-15/16 in.) on several sides, which helps on a narrow balcony;
• its sound level is 54 dB(A), a figure to keep in mind when the neighbour has a balcony too.

In a condominium, work on a balcony or a façade usually goes through the syndicate. Reread your declaration of co-ownership before the visit: we will adapt the location and the refrigerant line route to what it allows.

On safety, R-32 is a low global warming potential refrigerant, and the series holds 12% less of it than the previous generation, for a maximum charge of 6 kg (13.2 lb) per system. The upstairs ducted unit detects leaks on its own with its built-in sensor; for the living-room wall unit, a sensor kit is available as an option. If you want an alarm, it comes through the optional gas sensor kit, audible and visual; if you want to be able to shut off the refrigerant, that is the shut-off valve kit with backup power, also optional.

At installation, we run the refrigerant line, the cable and the drain from the balcony to the wall unit, then up to the upstairs bulkhead. The main piping is 3/8 and 5/8 in., and the series allows up to 120 m (393 ft) of total piping. The bulkhead gets an access panel for maintenance and for the ducted unit's filter. On the electrical side, count on 208/230 V, an MCA of 19 A and a maximum overcurrent protection of 20 A. Before handing over the controls, a refrigeration technician starts up the system.

Each zone can have its own control: a wired remote controller or a wired touch controller in the upstairs hallway, a wireless remote for the living-room wall unit. Wi-Fi can be added as an option.

Maintenance stays simple: the wall unit's filter slides out from the front, the ducted unit's comes out through the access panel. On the balcony, keep the outdoor unit clear of snow and stored items. We can also take care of full maintenance, balcony unit included.

On the money side, the outdoor unit is on the Hydro-Québec list under AHRI number 216372779, and the LogisVert list of October 27, 2026 shows a grant of $2,088 for this system. Add the 12-12-6 warranty, which covers the compressor, parts and labour, in years.

This system is for the owner of a two-level condo, a narrow townhouse or a loft with a mezzanine who wants a well-served living area, comfortable bedrooms and a balcony that stays a balcony.

Official brochures

The manufacturer's brochures are available as PDF files:

• Brochure in French (PDF)
• Brochure in English (PDF)

Condo in Pointe-Saint-Charles: your free quote

From Pointe-Saint-Charles to the rest of Montreal, we come to measure the balcony, look at the hallway ceiling and go over the condo rules with you before proposing a configuration. AirGreen is an HVAC contractor and an AIRSTAGE Elite Plus installer; the quote is free at 514 316-2973.

Outside Montreal, we travel to Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore.