3-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE DLCMHB | 36,000 BTU - R410A
Jusqu’à épuisement des stocks
The Arcoaire DLCMHB 36 000 multi-zone heat pump heats and cools 3 rooms with a single outdoor unit. ENERGY STAR cold-climate certified, it delivers 35,000 BTU/h at −8 °C and qualifies for a $4,200 LogisVert grant. Installed by AirGreen in Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore.
3 rooms, one outdoor unit.
Figures come from the manufacturer’s data and the AHRI certification.
The parts that make a multi-zone system.
Tap a part to learn more.
Outdoor unit
One compressor for the whole house. It supplies up to 4 heads.
Base pan heater
A heater keeps the outdoor unit’s base pan free of ice below 1 °C and during defrost (NEEP).
Refrigerant lines
One pair of lines per head.
Indoor heads
One head per room, each with its own remote and temperature. The combination is chosen in the “Zones” menu.
Control
Each zone is set separately.
Turn rooms on and off. Watch the power being shared.
One outdoor unit supplies every head: when several rooms call at once, they share its capacity. Pick an outdoor temperature.
Tell us your rooms. We tell you if this size is enough.
Pick the number of rooms and their size. The estimate targets a −15 °C day; it is a guide, the real calculation is done room by room at your home.
The whole series at a glance: find the box that fits you.
Each box is a product: the outdoor unit’s size, and the number of heads.
At −15 °C, it still delivers 100 % of its rated capacity.
Tap a temperature: capacity, efficiency and the cost of one hour of heating.
At every temperature, cheaper than baseboards.
Cost of one hour at full output, for the same heat delivered. Hydro-Québec Rate D, second tier: 11.142 ¢/kWh.
The official ratings, on the same scales as before.
SEER2, HSPF2 and EER2 come from the AHRI certification.
A grant you can calculate, not guess.
The capacity at −8 °C. $120 per 1,000 BTU/h is the rate for ENERGY STAR cold-climate heat pumps (guide v1.10).
One multi-zone or several wall units? Both sides, honestly.
We compare both options on your floor plan during the estimate.
What to know before installing a multi-zone system.
Dimensions, wiring and lines, drawn. Then our six steps.
What is particular about this machine.
Only facts published by ENERGY STAR, NEEP or the manufacturer.
Every number, and where it comes from.
Each line carries its source; a line with no published value is not shown.
Everything we have written about this system.
A two-storey house in three zones, from the living room to the bedrooms, with no loss of capacity in deep cold
In a two-storey house, the ground floor and the upper floor do not live in the same climate. Downstairs, the living room and kitchen lose their heat through large windows; upstairs, the bedrooms collect the warm air rising up the staircase. The 3-Zone Heat Pump ARCOAIRE DLCMHB | 36,000 BTU - R410A treats the two floors separately, with three wall heads connected to a single DLCMHBH36DAK condenser.
The 3-ton condenser serves 3 zones here and accepts up to 4 at most. The wall heads intended for it are the DLFSHCH09XAK, the DLFSHCH12XAK and the DLFSHCH18XAK. Its certified ratings are 20.0 SEER2, 12.5 EER2 and 9.7 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 2411692, and it qualifies for a $4,200 LogisVert grant.
Two floors, three different needs
The ground floor of a two-storey house is often one large living space, open from the front door to the backyard. The upper floor is divided into closed bedrooms, used mostly in the evening and at night. A single head in the living room cannot serve the bedrooms, and a single head upstairs does not warm the ground floor. Three zones resolve this mismatch: the living space downstairs, the main bedroom and a second bedroom or an office upstairs.
This size also suits a good-sized semi-detached or a bungalow with a finished basement, as soon as three spaces have different schedules and exposures. The home's insulation remains the deciding factor: it determines whether the three heads will carry all the heating or whether backup should be kept.
One head downstairs, two upstairs: the usual split
The DLFSHCH18XAK, the largest of the three heads, usually goes on the ground floor, where the living space asks the most. Upstairs, the main bedroom gets the DLFSHCH12XAK and the smallest room the DLFSHCH09XAK. This split is only a starting point: a very glassy bedroom or an office above the garage may need more, and the load calculation decides.
The three heads share the condenser's capacity. During the day, the living space takes the largest share; at night, the bedrooms do. When all three call at full demand, it is split between them. With 3 zones out of a maximum of 4, one connection remains available for a basement or a room added later, after checking the remaining capacity.
The staircase, an ally in winter, an adversary in summer
Warm air rises. In winter, part of the ground floor's heat reaches the upper floor through the staircase, and the bedroom heads work less hard; you can set a lower set point there without losing comfort. In summer, it is the reverse: heat builds up upstairs, under the roof, and the bedroom heads carry most of the cooling. Being able to set each zone separately is what makes a two-storey house comfortable in both seasons.
January cold according to the certificate
The certificate lists 35,000 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.35, and 36,000 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 1.90. The maximum published capacity is 36,000 BTU/h at -15 °C. The two points are measured separately; we report each one as published.
For a two-storey house, this means the three heads still have the condenser's full nominal size available when it is -15 °C outside. Each kilowatt-hour consumed then returns 1.90 kilowatt-hours of heat, where an electric baseboard returns one. ENERGY STAR's cold-climate designation confirms this low-temperature performance.
The certificate does not publish a colder point. For nights of extreme cold, and during the defrost cycles of a few minutes that briefly interrupt the heat, we recommend keeping the existing electric baseboards as backup, set slightly below the heads' set point.
These figures come from certificate AHRI 207643002, published by NEEP.
The inverter condenser and its three circuits
The condenser's inverter compressor does not run on an on-off cycle: it speeds up when several heads call, then slows down as the set points are reached. It meters the R-410A refrigerant sent to each head according to its demand. Shutting off a zone, a guest room for example, leaves the other two running normally.
As on any multi-zone system of this type, the three heads work in the same mode, heating or cooling. In a two-storey house, both floors live through the same season; this rule is hardly noticeable.
Cooling and dehumidification upstairs
In cooling, the system is built around a nominal size of 36,000 BTU/h for the three zones. The upstairs bedrooms get the largest share on hot evenings, when the living space cools down on its own. The compressor runs for long periods at low speed, which removes moisture from the air and lets you sleep cool without cold air blowing on the bed. Each head also offers a dehumidification mode.
Reading this system's ratings
The SEER2 of 20.0 measures cooling efficiency over a whole summer. The EER2 of 12.5 measures cooling at full load, during heat waves, when the upper floor of a two-storey house gets hottest. The HSPF2 of 9.7 measures heating efficiency over the whole cold season; in Quebec, it is the rating that weighs most on the bill. The COP expresses efficiency at a specific temperature.
The $4,200 LogisVert grant
The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $4,200 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 on two floors
Three heads, three line routes
After the visit and the load calculation, we plan the route of the three refrigerant line sets. The one for the ground-floor head is short; the upstairs ones run up the facade in a painted line cover, or go through a closet or the attic when the house allows it. We show you the routes before drilling. Each head gets its own condensate drain, sloped toward the outside.
The condenser is installed above the snow line, on a wall bracket or a stand, away from snow sliding off the roof. It is connected to a dedicated circuit checked at the panel during the visit. At commissioning, we pull a vacuum and run a leak test, check each zone, then set up the remotes with you.
Maintenance
Rinse the filters of all three heads every two weeks in season; the upstairs ones often fill up faster in summer. Keep the condenser clear of snow and leaves, without covering it in winter. One HVAC maintenance visit per year cleans the coils, fans and drains. Our cleaning service takes over when you prefer to hand off the annual visit.
Warranty
Warranty: 10 years on the compressor, 10 years on parts and 6 years on labor.
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 DLCMHB | 36,000 BTU - R410A. We assess both floors and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.
Available while supplies last.
What people ask us about multi-zone systems.
Can I heat one room and cool another at the same time?
No. On a multi-zone system like this one, every head works in the same mode, heating or cooling. Each room still keeps its own set temperature.
What happens when every room calls for heat?
They share the outdoor unit’s capacity: 35,000 BTU/h at −8 °C, 36,000 at −15 °C.
How many heads can I connect?
Up to 4 on this outdoor unit. This product is configured for 3 heads.
How much is the LogisVert grant?
$4,200. The grant never exceeds 100 % of the cost before taxes; apply within 9 months of installation.
Is it ENERGY STAR certified?
Yes, cold climate, ID 2411692.
Why a multi-zone instead of several wall units?
One outdoor unit on the wall and one circuit. In return, the rooms share the capacity, and if the outdoor unit stops, every zone stops.
What does the warranty cover?
Our sheet lists 10 years on the compressor and 10 years on parts. AirGreen extended warranty: possible.
A multi-zone system is planned room by room. At your home.
We measure every room, draw the line route and choose the right head for each zone. The on-site estimate is free and the quote arrives within 24 h.