3-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 36,000 BTU - R454B

Three rooms cooled and heated, without a single window air conditioner

Every spring, the same units come up from the basement to be hoisted into the windows of the living room, the bedroom and the office; every fall, they go back down. The 3-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 36,000 BTU - R454B replaces that routine with three fixed wall-mounted heat pump heads that cool in summer and heat in winter. Its 3-ton D5CMHAH36EAK condenser serves 3 zones (up to 4 at most) and is built with the D5FSHAH09XAK, D5FSHAH12XAK and D5FSHAH18XAK heads.

Its ratings are 23.1 SEER2, 13.1 EER2 and 10.7 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3620813. The certificate still lists its capacity at -30 °C, and the system qualifies for a $4,560 LogisVert grant.

What a multi-zone system replaces

Window air conditioners have their limits: they block part of the view and the light, let air through around the frame, can be heard at night and must be removed before winter. They do not heat either, so the electric baseboards take over all the work from October to April. A multi-zone system handles both seasons at once: the heads stay on the wall all year, the condenser stays outside, and the same installation provides cooling in July and most of the heat in January. The windows get their function back, and the baseboards serve only as backup.

A typical configuration: open area, primary bedroom, office

In a two-storey house in Longueuil or on the South Shore, the most common combination puts a D5FSHAH18XAK head, the largest on the list, in the open ground-floor area, a D5FSHAH12XAK in the primary bedroom and a D5FSHAH09XAK in the office. Each head's code indicates its size, and the final choice depends on the real size of the rooms, their windows and their insulation. The total of the three heads must stay within the combinations the manufacturer allows; we check this in the load calculation.

The home office, a zone in its own right

The office keeps a schedule the rest of the house does not. It is occupied during the day, often with the door closed, with a computer, screens and sometimes a printer giving off their own heat. With its own head, it can warm up before the workday in winter and stay cool in the afternoon in summer, without imposing the same set point on the bedroom or the living room. In the evening, the office set point drops while the bedroom takes over: the condenser follows these shifts and modulates its speed accordingly.

Sharing 3 tons among three heads

The three heads share the capacity of the same condenser, which meters the refrigerant sent to each one according to its demand. This sharing works well precisely because the zones are used at different times: the office by day, the living room in the evening, the bedroom at night. The sizing scenario, however, remains the one where all three call together, on a cold morning or a heat-wave afternoon. Note: the three heads work in the same mode at any given time, heating or cooling, each at its own temperature.

Winter: the published values

The certificate lists 38,000 BTU/h at -8 °C and 36,000 BTU/h at -15 °C. The two points are measured separately; we report each one as published.

• COP of 2.12 at the -8 °C point (17 °F)
• COP of 2.00 at the -15 °C point (5 °F)
• Maximum capacity at -30 °C: 22,400 BTU/h, COP of 1.47
• Heating certified down to -30 °C

At -8 °C, the published capacity exceeds the nominal 36,000 BTU size, and at -15 °C it holds at that level: for three well-insulated rooms, the system carries most of the heating through the usual cold. Near -30 °C, the published capacity drops and the baseboards you keep serve as backup. These figures come from certificate AHRI 215357147, published by NEEP.

A fourth head is possible

The D5CMHAH36EAK accepts up to four zones. A child's bedroom, a guest room or a finished basement can be added later on the same condenser, provided the combination of four heads remains allowed. If that project is already in your plans, mention it during the visit: we will take it into account in choosing the first three heads and in the line route.

SEER2, EER2, HSPF2: what they change

The 23.1 SEER2 measures cooling efficiency over the whole season; it is the rating that replaces, on your summer bill, the consumption of the old window units. The 13.1 EER2 measures efficiency on the hottest days. The 10.7 HSPF2 sums up the heating season, the most expensive one in Quebec. COP, published at each cold point, reads simply: at 2.00, the heat pump delivers two units of heat for each unit of electricity, where a baseboard delivers only one.

Inverter and R-454B

The inverter compressor varies its speed continuously instead of starting and stopping. It speeds up when several zones call, slows down as soon as the set points are reached and spends most of its time at low speed, where it consumes the least and where the coil removes humidity best. Each head's dehumidification mode completes the job on muggy days. The new-generation R-454B refrigerant has a global warming potential markedly lower than the fluids it replaces; mildly flammable, it is handled according to precise rules.

The $4,560 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $4,560 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, support

How the job unfolds

The in-home assessment sets the size of the three heads, their locations and the condenser's. On installation day, the condenser is mounted on a stand or a wall bracket, above the snow line and away from snow falling off the roof. Each head gets its refrigerant line set, communication cable and drain; outside, the lines from the upper floor and the ground floor are grouped under a finishing cover. The drain flows by gravity or through a condensate pump depending on the route. The condenser is connected to a dedicated circuit, after checking the capacity of the electrical panel. Then come the leak test, the vacuum, commissioning of the three zones and programming the remotes with you. The old window units can then leave the house for good.

Maintenance

Rinse the filters of the three heads every two weeks in season; the office filter may need more frequent rinsing if the room is heavily used. Keep the condenser clear of snow and leaves, without covering it in winter. An annual HVAC maintenance visit cleans the coils and blower wheels, checks the drains and tightens the 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 3-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5CMHA | 36,000 BTU - R454B. We assess your three rooms, choose the size of each head and confirm your grant eligibility before signing.

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