Central Heat Pump CONFORTO MHSD | 1.5 Tons - 18,000 BTU - R410A
A central heat pump sized right for a small ducted home
In a home that already has ductwork, a central heat pump handles the cooling for the whole house and most of the heating, with a single thermostat and no equipment visible in the rooms. The Central Heat Pump CONFORTO MHSD | 1.5 Tons - 18,000 BTU - R410A pairs the MHSD118DACFC outdoor unit with the MHAH118DACFC indoor unit, an air handler that takes the place of the old furnace and pushes warm or cool air through the existing duct system.
Its certified ratings are 18.0 SEER2, 12.4 EER2 and 9.3 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3892545, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $1,620 LogisVert grant. At 1.5 tons, this size is meant for homes where a bigger unit would run in short bursts and never really pull the moisture out of the air.
Which homes the 1.5-ton size suits
An 18,000 BTU/h central heat pump suits compact homes that already have ducts: a two-level townhouse, a small well-insulated bungalow, a condo or a semi-detached house whose old electric furnace is reaching the end of its life. It also suits a dwelling served by its own duct system, such as the upper unit of a duplex that has its own furnace.
Floor area alone is not enough to choose. Two homes of the same size can have very different needs depending on wall and attic insulation, window age, orientation and how airtight the envelope is. An unrenovated home from the sixties may need the next size up; a recent, well-sealed home often does fine with this one. A room-by-room load calculation settles it, and we do it before proposing a size.
Why the right size heats and cools better
For years, air conditioners were chosen "a little bigger, to be safe." With a heat pump, that habit costs comfort. An oversized unit reaches the set point too quickly, stops, then starts again: these short cycles wear out components, leave temperature differences between rooms and, in summer, shut off the cooling before the coil has had time to remove moisture. The house is cool, but clammy.
A properly sized system runs for long periods at low speed. Air moves continuously through the ducts, the upstairs bedrooms get their share and moisture is removed over the hours. In a small home, the 1.5-ton size is often the one that allows this calm, steady operation, summer and winter.
How the variable-speed heat pump works
A heat pump does not make heat, it moves it. In winter, the refrigerant captures heat from the outdoor air, even very cold air; the compressor concentrates it and sends it to the indoor unit's coil, and the blower distributes it through the ducts. In summer, a reversing valve flips the cycle: heat from the house is released outdoors.
The compressor is variable-speed (inverter technology). Instead of running flat out or not at all, it adjusts its speed to the actual demand: it slows down in mild weather and speeds up as the cold sets in. The system runs on R-410A, a refrigerant that refrigeration technicians know well.
Quebec winters, according to the certificate
The certificate lists 13,500 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F) with a COP of 2.60, and 16,500 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F) with a COP of 2.04. The two points are measured separately; we report each one as published, without extrapolating. At -15 °C, the listed capacity is about 92% of the 18,000 BTU/h nominal size.
The certificate goes further: at -30 °C, it still lists 10,500 BTU/h with a COP of 1.53. The heat pump therefore keeps heating through the coldest nights of a Montreal winter, with an efficiency that remains higher than ordinary electric heating.
During deep cold snaps, however, the home's demand can exceed what the outdoor unit supplies. In an all-electric central installation, backup heat usually comes from heating elements housed in the indoor unit, which only switch on when the heat pump is no longer enough. We size them according to the load calculation and list them in the quote.
What SEER2, EER2, HSPF2 and COP mean
These ratings are measured under standardized protocols and are used to compare units with one another. Here is how to read them for this system.
- SEER2 (18.0): seasonal cooling efficiency over a typical summer. The higher it is, the less cooling weighs on the summer bill.
- EER2 (12.4): cooling efficiency on a hot day, at full demand. This is the rating that matters during heat waves.
- HSPF2 (9.3): seasonal heating efficiency, the most telling rating for a home that is heated most of the year.
- COP: the ratio between heat delivered and electricity used at a given temperature. An electric baseboard has a COP of 1; with a COP of 2.04 at -15 °C, the heat pump delivers about twice as much heat as the electricity it uses.
Cooling and dehumidification
In summer, the same unit cools the whole house. The variable-speed compressor slows down once the temperature is reached and holds the set point without the stops and restarts of a conventional air conditioner. The coil stays cold longer, which removes more moisture: the air feels cooler at the same temperature, and a basement served by the ducts stays less damp.
In a townhouse, the upstairs bedrooms are often the warmest rooms. Cool air reaches them through the existing registers; we check that each room has a supply and that the air return is sufficient, because a closed bedroom without a return stays warmer than the rest of the house.
The $1,620 LogisVert grant
The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $1,620 for the owner of an existing home, according to the list in effect on the installation date. The amount is tied to the certified pairing: the MHSD118DACFC outdoor unit with the MHAH118DACFC indoor unit, under certificate AHRI 216683748 published by NEEP. That is why we install exactly this pairing, with no substitution.
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 by AirGreen in a ducted home
From the site visit to commissioning
A central heat pump only reaches its ratings if the installation is right. Here are the steps on our job sites.
- Site visit and load calculation: we measure the rooms, note the insulation and windows, and confirm that the 1.5-ton size is the right one.
- Duct check: main ducts, number of registers, air return and filter location. A variable-speed heat pump only delivers its full efficiency if the airflow keeps up.
- Indoor unit: the air handler takes the place of the old furnace and connects to the existing plenum, with a condensate drain to a floor drain or a pump.
- Outdoor unit: on a wall bracket or a stand, above the snow line, away from roof drip and dryer vents.
- Refrigerant connection: insulated copper line set, brazing, pressure test and vacuum before the valves are opened.
- Electrical: dedicated circuit, outdoor disconnect and thermostat wiring.
- Commissioning: check of the refrigerant charge, airflow, defrost and thermostat settings, then a walkthrough of how the system works.
Maintenance
A central system needs little maintenance, but it needs it regularly. Check the indoor unit's filter every month during the heating and cooling seasons, and replace it according to its format: a clogged filter reduces airflow and efficiency. Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow, ice and leaves, and do not cover it in winter, since it runs all year.
Plan annual HVAC maintenance: coil cleaning, and a check of the condensate drain, the electrical connections and operation in both heating and cooling. In winter, the white vapour that escapes from the outdoor unit during defrost is normal.
Warranty
Warranty: 10 years on the compressor, 10 years on parts and 6 years on labor.
Keep the invoice and the commissioning report with the serial numbers of both units: they serve as the reference for any warranty service request.
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.
These three licences match the three parts of a central heat pump job: the ductwork, the refrigerant circuit and the electrical connection.
Request your free estimate for the Central Heat Pump CONFORTO MHSD | 1.5 Tons - 18,000 BTU - R410A. We assess the home room by room and confirm the right size and your LogisVert grant eligibility before signing.