2-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 24,000 BTU - R454B

Two zones today, a third in reserve

Most homes heated with baseboards have two rooms where people really live: the open ground-floor area by day, the primary bedroom at night. The 2-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 24,000 BTU - R454B targets exactly those two rooms. Its 2-ton D5CMHAH24DAK condenser serves 2 zones and accepts up to 3 at most, which leaves a free port for later. The system is built with the D5FSHAH06XAK, D5FSHAH09XAK and D5FSHAH12XAK wall-mounted heat pump heads: three head sizes to match each zone to the room it serves.

Its ratings are 24.0 SEER2, 13.0 EER2 and 10.0 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3722876. The certificate still lists its capacity at -30 °C, and the system qualifies for a $3,480 LogisVert grant.

Living room and primary bedroom: the most common pair

In a bungalow, a semi-detached house or a 5 ½, the living room and kitchen often form a single large room, and the primary bedroom sits at the end of the hallway. A single wall unit in the living room does not reach the bedroom once the door is closed; two independent units mean two condensers outside. This system settles the question with one condenser and two heads, each with its own set point.

It is also the most common configuration for replacing electric baseboard heating in the living spaces. The baseboards stay in place as backup for deep cold and for secondary rooms, but the heat pump takes on most of the season's heating. Heat is spread by the head's fan rather than by a hot strip along the wall, which evens out the temperature between floor and ceiling. The real size of each room, its insulation and its exposure decide the head size; we measure them during the visit.

Three head sizes for two rooms of different sizes

The number in the middle of each head's model code indicates its size: 06 for the most compact, 09 for the intermediate size, 12 for the largest on this list. Since the two rooms involved are almost never the same size, the combination is chosen room by room: the largest head in the open area, a smaller head in the bedroom. Oversizing a bedroom head does not make it more comfortable; it cycles more often and dehumidifies less well.

The total of connected heads must also stay within the combinations the manufacturer allows for this condenser. That check, made during the load calculation, is what lets each room receive its share when both zones call at the same time.

The free port: preparing the third zone at installation

The D5CMHAH24DAK accepts a third head. If a basement office, a child's bedroom or a playroom is added in a few years, the zone can be connected without changing the condenser, provided the combination of three heads remains allowed. We take this into account from the first installation: the condenser location, the planned route for a third line and the capacity of the electrical circuit are chosen so the addition can be done cleanly. If you already know a third room will follow, say so during the visit; the choice of the first two heads may depend on it.

Inverter, R-454B and sharing between heads

The condenser does not work on an all-or-nothing basis. Its inverter compressor speeds up when both heads call on a cold morning and slows down when a single room is holding its set point in the afternoon. It meters the refrigerant sent to each head according to its demand, then settles at low speed, where it consumes the least. Both heads do, however, work in the same mode at any given time, heating or cooling, each at its own temperature.

R-454B is the new-generation refrigerant adopted for residential heat pumps, with a global warming potential markedly lower than that of the fluids it replaces. It is classified as mildly flammable and calls for installers who apply its handling rules.

What the certificate shows for winter

The certificate lists 23,600 BTU/h at -8 °C and 25,000 BTU/h at -15 °C. The two points are measured separately; we report each one as published, even though the value at -15 °C is higher than the one at -8 °C.

• COP of 2.50 at the -8 °C point (17 °F)
• COP of 2.00 at the -15 °C point (5 °F)
• Maximum capacity at -30 °C: 14,000 BTU/h, COP of 1.30
• Heating certified down to -30 °C

For the living room and bedroom of a well-insulated home in the Montreal area, these points cover the vast majority of winter days. The closer the temperature gets to -30 °C, the lower the published capacity; the baseboards you keep then take over in the most exposed rooms. These figures come from certificate AHRI 215357131, published by NEEP.

Reading the 24.0 SEER2, 13.0 EER2 and 10.0 HSPF2 ratings

These three ratings answer three different questions. SEER2 tells you what cooling costs over a whole season, from mild mornings to heat-wave afternoons. EER2 isolates the hottest condition: it is the efficiency when the sun is beating on the living room windows. HSPF2 sums up the heating season, the one that weighs most on the bill in Quebec. COP, published at each cold point, completes the picture: at 2.50, the heat pump delivers two and a half times more heat than the electricity it consumes, where a baseboard delivers exactly what it consumes.

Summer: cooling and humidity in the open area

An open area piles up heat gains: cooking, appliances, large windows. The living room head should therefore be placed to push air along the length of the room, ideally on a wall from which the airflow does not aim straight at the counter or the sofa. In the bedroom, the priority is different: gentle airflow and dry air for sleeping. The variable-speed compressor runs for long periods at low speed, which gives the coil time to remove moisture, and the dehumidification mode is useful on muggy days when the temperature does not justify full cooling.

The $3,480 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $3,480 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.

Installation, maintenance and follow-up

How the installation goes

After the visit and the load calculation, we set the condenser location: on a wall bracket or a stand, above the snow line, away from roof run-off and dryer vents, with the clearance needed for airflow and service. Each head is installed on a wall chosen for air distribution, then connected to the condenser by its own refrigerant line set, communication cable and drain. Outside, the lines run in a finishing cover; the drain flows by gravity, or through a small condensate pump when the route requires it. The condenser is connected to a dedicated circuit with a disconnect, after checking the electrical panel. At commissioning, we perform the leak test, the vacuum, a check of each zone and programming of the remotes with you.

Simple maintenance, two heads at a time

The head filters are rinsed in lukewarm water every two weeks during the heating and cooling seasons. Outside, the condenser must stay clear: no snow piled against the sides, no leaves in the coil, no cover in winter. An annual HVAC maintenance visit cleans the coils and the heads' blower wheels and checks the drain flow and the electrical connections. During cold spells, 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 2-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 24,000 BTU - R454B. We choose the size of each head with you, plan the third zone if one is coming and confirm your grant eligibility before signing.

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