GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF R32 | 36000 BTU - 4 Heads

• Energy Star®: Oui
• WiFi: En Option
• Efficiency: 21.7 SEER
• Warranty (Compressor - Parts - Labor): 12-12-6
• Additional Warranty (10-10-10): Possible
• Voltage: 220V
• Sound Pressure Level (Outdoor): 57.0 dB(A)
• Gas (Freon): R-32

GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF 36,000 BTU, 4 indoor units: the Heat Pump that fits a house without ducts

Under the GENERAL AIRSTAGE label, you are buying exactly what the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE twin page sells: the 3-ton AOUK036SSAN7 outdoor unit and four indoor units from the J-7S range. Only the manufacturer's name has moved. Since January 1, 2026, Fujitsu General Limited has been called GENERAL Inc.; the technical brochure and the warranty that come with the unit have stayed the same.

This page starts from a very common building in Laval: the two-storey house built in the 1960s, heated with electric baseboards or hot water, without a single air duct. In summer, the upstairs bedrooms turn into an oven while the basement keeps its cool. Adding a duct network to a finished house means opening walls and giving up closets. A mini-VRF takes a different route: it does not move air through ducts, it moves refrigerant through small-diameter piping.

That is where piping length matters. The J-7S allows up to 120 m (393 ft) of total piping, 50% more than the previous generation. That margin lets us take the right path rather than the shortest one: through a closet that runs from one floor to the next, through the attic to come down to the bedrooms, through an interior wall rather than across the facade. The four indoor units, so four zones, are split between the two floors.

GENERAL or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: the same machine

Behind the new name, there is a transaction. In August 2025, Paloma Rheem Holdings, which has owned Rheem since 1988, bought Fujitsu General Limited; the company took the name GENERAL Inc. at the start of 2026. The Kawasaki head office and research centre stayed in place, as did the factories, the AIRSTAGE products, the model numbers and the warranty program. GENERAL is a brand the company has used since 1946; it is gradually replacing the Fujitsu name on the units.

During this transition, the same heat pump carries two names depending on the box it arrives in. AirGreen, an AIRSTAGE Elite Plus installer, keeps both pages online so the comparison can be made on the evidence, with the same figures on both sides. Sales in Canada have gone through Rheem Canada since February 2026, and we still buy from Groupe Master.

The Fujitsu AIRSTAGE J-7S page with four indoor units shows the same unit under its former name.

In practice, a variable refrigerant flow system like the J-7S is a single outdoor unit feeding several indoor units, each with its own control. The AOUK036SSAN7 accepts up to nine; this configuration has four, enough to handle the two floors separately along with the rooms that heat up the most. The indoor units are chosen room by room, and only those from the J-7S range connect to this outdoor unit.

In a house without ducts, the wall-mounted ASUA***KSA1 does most of the work. It covers 4,000 to 14,000 BTU/h, runs at 6 fan speeds, spreads air with its auto swing louvers and drops to 22 dB(A) in quiet mode, which matters in a bedroom. Two other families can slip into the plan:

• the slim ducted ARUL***KSA1, only 198 mm (7-13/16 in.) high, 4,000 to 18,000 BTU/h, when a bulkhead already exists or can be built, for example above a hallway;
• the compact cassette AUUA***KSA1, 4,000 to 18,000 BTU/h, with a built-in condensate drain pump, if the basement has a suspended ceiling.

This unit's efficiency: SEER2 of 21.7 in cooling, HSPF2 of 10.8 in heating, EER2 of 13.6. The maximums advertised for the J-7S series, namely SEER2 up to 22.2, HSPF2 up to 11.3, EER2 up to 15.7 and COP2 up to 4.64, apply to the range as a whole, not to your system. In cold weather, the spec sheet shows 36,400 BTU and a COP of 2.14 at −15 °C, as well as 26,200 BTU at −8 °C, two test points we quote without comparing them.

For a house that has gone through decades of winters on baseboards, deep cold is the first worry. The manufacturer's answer: heating down to −26 °C, with no lockout at low temperature, and ENERGY STAR cold climate certification for this system. The base pan heater built into the outdoor unit helps clear ice. We still advise keeping the existing baseboards: they stay in place as backup and ask for nothing. In summer, the J-7S cools reliably up to 50 °C outside.

The piping route deserves a closer look, because it is what separates a discreet installation from a facade covered in line-set covers. At the visit, we look for existing paths: the ground-floor closet sitting under the one upstairs, the attic reached through the hallway hatch. Each wall unit's refrigerant line and cable follow that route; in the attic, the piping is insulated and protected, then the attic insulation is put back in place. The drain, for its part, must stay protected from frost: we run it outside or to the plumbing, depending on the room. The main piping to the outdoor unit is 3/8 and 5/8 in.

The outdoor unit finds its place in the yard, on a pad or bracket that keeps it above the snow. At 998 mm (39-5/16 in.) high, it fits under a kitchen window, and it is 15% lighter with a 16% smaller footprint than the previous generation. Its outdoor sound level is 57 dB(A); we avoid placing it under the neighbour's bedroom window. On the electrical side, it calls for 208/230 V, MCA of 29 A and MOP of 30 A: in a house of that era, the original panel deserves a check by your electrician.

On safety, the J-7S runs on R-32, a low global warming potential refrigerant; the total system charge does not exceed 6 kg (13.2 lb), with 12% less refrigerant than the older generation. On leak detection, a ducted unit has its sensor built in, while a wall unit or cassette gets one as an optional kit. For a child's or an aging parent's bedroom, you can add a gas sensor kit with audible and visual alarm as well as a refrigerant shut-off valve kit with backup power.

Each room is controlled its own way: a wireless remote in the bedrooms, a wired controller or wired touch controller in the living room, all optional, and optional Wi-Fi to adjust the house from your phone.

Maintenance stays simple: the wall units' filters are cleaned regularly, the outdoor unit must be kept clear of snow and leaves, and a visit from a refrigeration technician checks the connections, the drains and the operation of each zone. The 12-12-6 in the table reads like this: the manufacturer warrants the compressor and parts for 12 years, labour for 6 years.

That leaves the grant. The outdoor unit carries AHRI certificate 216372781, listed with Hydro-Québec, and ENERGY STAR ID 3813050. The LogisVert list of October 27, 2026 assigns it $3,144, granted under the rules of Hydro-Québec's program.

This system is for owners of two-storey houses without ducts who want to cool the upstairs bedrooms and heat the ground floor efficiently without taking on ductwork.

Official brochures

The manufacturer's brochures are available as PDF files:

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

A 1960s house in Laval-Ouest: the visit starts in the attic

We go up into the attic and open the closets first, because that is where the piping route gets decided; only then do we choose the four indoor units with you. The quote is free: call AirGreen at 514 316-2973. As an HVAC contractor, we work in Laval-Ouest and across Laval, in Montreal, in Longueuil, on the North Shore and on the South Shore.