Central Heat Pump ADD-ON ARCOAIRE H4H5S ION | 2.5 Tons - 30,000 BTU (Coil EVD4X 17.5 in.) - R410A
An electric furnace that keeps its elements for the deep cold
Many homes in Greater Montreal are heated by an electric furnace: heating elements in a cabinet, a blower and a network of ducts. The ADD-ON system connects to it without removing anything: a coil is installed on the furnace and an outdoor unit heats and cools through the same ducts. The furnace is only used as backup, and its elements only come on when the heat pump is no longer enough.
The Central Heat Pump ADD-ON ARCOAIRE H4H5S ION | 2.5 Tons - 30,000 BTU (Coil EVD4X 17.5 in.) - R410A pairs the H4H5S30AKAAA outdoor unit, from the ION series, with the EVD4X30M17A coil. In a home heated by an electric furnace, the heat pump changes the very way electricity becomes heat.
Two ways to heat with electricity
A heating element turns electricity into heat, no more and no less: what it consumes, it gives back. A heat pump works differently. It uses electricity to run a compressor, which captures the heat already present in the outdoor air and carries it inside. In mild weather, it thus delivers more heat than it consumes in electricity, which no element can do.
The colder it gets, the less heat there is to capture outside, and the more the house loses. That is where the furnace's elements take back their role. This pairing does not carry the cold-climate designation: in an ADD-ON system, the electric furnace covers the coldest nights.
The heat pump cycle
In winter, the refrigerant, R-410A, evaporates in the outdoor unit as it captures heat from the air, then the compressor compresses it and sends it to the coil sitting on the furnace. The furnace blower passes the house air through that coil, which gives up its heat to it, then pushes it into the ducts. In summer, a reversing valve flips the cycle: the coil turns cold, removes heat and humidity from the air, and the outdoor unit rejects that heat outdoors.
Elements as backup
A compatible thermostat decides when the heat pump heats alone and when the furnace's elements take over. In fall, in spring and through a good part of winter, the heat pump is enough. When it can no longer hold the setpoint, the thermostat calls on the elements. During defrost, they may also heat for a few minutes so that the air from the grilles stays warm.
With an electric furnace, the rule is simple: the heat pump keeps control as long as it is enough for the house, since every hour it heats alone is an hour the elements stay off. The setting is therefore made mainly for comfort. We set it with you at commissioning and show you how to read the thermostat screen, so you always know which appliance is heating.
You will notice a difference to the touch: when the heat pump is heating, the air coming out of the grilles is milder than the elements' air, and the system runs in longer cycles. The house is no less warm for it; the heat arrives more gently and more continuously. If the air feels cool near a grille, the airflow or location of that grille often deserves a second look, and we check it at commissioning.
Which homes this size suits
The 2.5-ton size is aimed at roomier homes: a bungalow with a finished basement, a family-sized cottage, a split-level house or a generous semi-detached house. With an ADD-ON system, the heat pump is sized first on cooling, since the furnace covers the deep cold. A unit larger than needed would cool in fits and starts and remove humidity poorly.
At equal size, a well-insulated house and a house that loses a lot of heat do not have the same needs. The room-by-room load calculation takes into account the walls, the attic, the windows and the orientation; it confirms the size before the quote.
The electric furnace as a base
We check the condition of the furnace, the airflow of its blower and the duct sizes before the quote. An electric furnace in good condition makes an excellent base: its cabinet, its elements and its blower stay in place, and that blower now serves both heating modes and cooling. That blower must, however, be able to move the airflow of a 2.5-ton coil, and its settings must be adapted to the new system. If the furnace shows signs of advanced wear, we tell you before you sign.
The electrical panel
In an all-electric home, the panel already carries the furnace, the water heater, the range and the rest. The outdoor unit requires one more dedicated circuit, with a nearby disconnect. During the visit, we check the panel's free space and capacity. If work is needed, it appears in the quote, so that nothing surprises you on installation day.
Cooling and humidity
In summer, the heat pump cools every room served by the ducts. The water the coil removes from the air flows through a drain to a floor drain or a pump. A right-sized unit runs long enough on each cycle to dry the air well. We also check the return air: a closed bedroom without a return stays warmer than the rest of the house.
System ratings
The pairing of the H4H5S30AKAAA outdoor unit and the EVD4X30M17A coil is not listed with SEER2 ratings in the AHRI certification directory. We confirm the ratings of the complete system before the quote; they also determine grant eligibility. This page therefore publishes no rating figure.
LogisVert
This pairing does not carry an amount on Hydro-Québec's LogisVert list of October 19, 2026. If the grant matters for your project, we will point you to an eligible pairing of comparable size. Our page on the grant for efficient heat pumps summarizes the program's conditions.
Installation on the electric furnace
The 17.5 in. coil and the work
The 17.5 in. coil is set on the furnace's air outlet and connected to the supply plenum; if it does not line up with the furnace, we fabricate a sealed transition. Its condensate drain is routed to a floor drain or a pump. The outdoor unit is installed on a bracket or a pad, above the snow line, away from roof drips and dryer vents, where defrost water will not freeze on a walkway.
The insulated copper line is brazed, pressure tested and put under vacuum before the valves are opened. The thermostat is replaced and wired to the furnace and the outdoor unit. At commissioning, we check the refrigerant charge, airflow, defrost and the switch from the heat pump to the elements.
Maintenance and warranty
The furnace filter now works all year: check it every month and replace it according to its format. Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow and leaves, without covering it in winter since it heats. Plan annual HVAC maintenance of the coil, the condensate drain, the electrical connections and the furnace. In winter, white vapour during defrost is normal.
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 Central Heat Pump ADD-ON ARCOAIRE H4H5S ION | 2.5 Tons - 30,000 BTU (Coil EVD4X 17.5 in.) - R410A. We assess the home room by room, check your furnace and your electrical panel, and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.
Available while supplies last.