GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S Mini-VRF R32 | 36000 BTU - 9 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 with 9 indoor units: nine rooms, one Heat Pump, no capacity left to chance

The Fujitsu AIRSTAGE twin page and this GENERAL AIRSTAGE J-7S describe the same equipment: the AOUK036SSAN7 outdoor unit and nine indoor units, the maximum this unit accepts. The switch from Fujitsu General Limited to GENERAL Inc., on January 1, 2026, touched neither the machine, nor the manufacturer's brochure, nor the warranty.

Nine units on 3 tons is the most heavily loaded configuration for this outdoor unit, and this page exists for it. It is aimed at the small office building where each tenant wants their own setting, or the nine-room seniors' residence where every resident feels the cold differently. Nine independent zones, a single outdoor unit. The work comes down to choosing the capacity of each indoor unit, room by room, so that the total stays within what the 3-ton unit can supply.

GENERAL or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: the same machine

The manufacturer of this system changed its name, nothing else. The acquisition by Paloma Rheem Holdings, owner of Rheem since 1988, dates from August 2025; the new name took effect on January 1, 2026. The head office and the research and development centre in Kawasaki, Japan, the factories, the AIRSTAGE range, the model numbers and the warranty program are the same as before. The company, founded in 1936, marks the 90th anniversary of its founding this year, and it is gradually replacing the Fujitsu brand with GENERAL; until the transition ends, the same machine is sold under both names.

We publish both pages so the comparison is made on identical values. AirGreen is an AIRSTAGE Elite Plus installer; Canadian sales have been handled by Rheem Canada since February 2026, and our distributor remains Groupe Master.

The twin system is described on the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE J-7S page with nine indoor units.

In a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, the outdoor unit distributes refrigerant to each indoor unit according to its room's demand. The indoor units connect only to J-7S outdoor units, and the AOUK036SSAN7 accepts nine at most. This page therefore uses all of the connection capacity: there will be no tenth room on this system.

The heart of the file is the capacity budget. Adding up nine units without watching the total quickly goes beyond what the outdoor unit accepts. The compatibility table in the brochure provides indoor units of 4,000, 7,000, 9,000, 12,000, 14,000 and 18,000 BTU/h, then 24,000 to 48,000 BTU/h for the largest; the smallest capacities exist precisely for modest-sized bedrooms and offices. A well-insulated senior's room doesn't need the same unit as the common room facing due west. We do this calculation at the visit, room by room, and the quote specifies the capacity selected for each. No combination is set or promised on this page.

The indoor unit families suit both kinds of building:

• Wall-mounted ASUA***KSA1 for the bedrooms: 4,000 to 14,000 BTU/h, it fades into the background at 22 dB(A) in quiet mode and spreads air with its auto swing louvers, over 6 fan speeds.
• Compact cassette AUUA***KSA1 for the common room or an office: its size follows the standard suspended ceiling format, its condensate drain pump is built in, and its capacity runs from 4,000 to 18,000 BTU/h.
• Slim ducted ARUL***KSA1, 4,000 to 18,000 BTU/h: 198 mm (7-13/16 in.) high, built-in leak detection sensor. For a hallway or a room where you only want to see grilles.
• Multi-position air handler ARUX***KSA1, 12,000 to 60,000 BTU/h: S, M and L chassis, for a larger area connected to existing ducts.

In a seniors' residence, the control matters as much as the unit. A wired controller or wired touch controller fixed to the wall doesn't get lost in a drawer; a wireless remote remains possible for the resident who prefers one. At the staff station, a touch panel controller, a system controller or a central remote controller gives a view of all nine zones. Each of these controls is optional, and so is Wi-Fi. In an office building, the same logic applies: each tenant sets their own space, the owner keeps the overall view.

The efficiency listed for this system: SEER2 of 21.7, HSPF2 of 10.8, EER2 of 13.6. Don't confuse it with the J-7S series maximums the brochure quotes, a SEER2 that can reach 22.2, an HSPF2 of 11.3, an EER2 of 15.7 and a COP2 of 4.64. In heating, the spec sheet gives, at −15 °C, 36,400 BTU and a COP of 2.14, and, at −8 °C, 26,200 BTU: different test points, presented as published.

Seniors should not be cold in January. The manufacturer rates heating down to −26 °C with no lockout at low temperature, and the system is ENERGY STAR cold climate certified; the built-in base pan heater protects the outdoor unit from ice. We still recommend keeping a backup heat source in a building that houses vulnerable people. Frail residents cope poorly with heat too: the manufacturer states reliable cooling up to 50 °C outdoors.

With nine bedrooms or offices that are often small and closed, the refrigerant deserves particular attention. The refrigerant in all nine units is R-32, with low global warming potential; the whole system's charge does not exceed 6 kg (13.2 lb), and the current generation needs 12% less of it than the previous one. On detection, ducted units leave the factory with their leak sensor, wall units and cassettes get one through an optional kit, and two more kits can complete the setup: gas sensor with audible and visual alarm, refrigerant shut-off valve with backup power. We review each room at the design stage, according to the requirements that apply to your building.

The piping calls for the same discipline as the capacities. The 120 m (393 ft) of total length allowed is shared among the nine units: an efficient route, through a central hallway or a service space, beats nine detours. The nine units then connect off the main piping, 3/8 and 5/8 in. In Auteuil, a residential neighbourhood, we place the outdoor unit away from bedroom windows; its outdoor sound level is 57 dB(A), and its 998 mm (39-5/16 in.) height lets it fit under a window or on a balcony below the railing. For the outdoor unit, allow 208/230 V, an MCA of 29 A and an MOP of 30 A on the building's electrical panel.

Maintenance of nine units is planned with the residents or tenants: filters, drains, the cassettes' condensate pumps, the outdoor unit. The complete system is covered for 12 years on the compressor and parts, 6 years on labour. The outdoor unit appears on the Hydro-Québec list under AHRI certificate 216372781, ENERGY STAR ID 3813050, and the LogisVert list of October 27, 2026 assigns it $3,144; for a residence or offices, Hydro-Québec determines eligibility under its own rules.

If your building has more than nine rooms to serve, or if the calculation exceeds what 3 tons can deliver, the 48,000 BTU VRF version accepts up to twelve indoor units.

Official brochures

The manufacturer's brochures are available as PDF files:

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

A residence or offices in Auteuil: let's calculate your nine rooms

We visit each room, work out the capacity budget and hand you a free quote that names the indoor unit planned for each one. Call AirGreen at 514 316-2973. Our HVAC company covers Auteuil, the whole of Laval, Montreal, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore.