Floor Console Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSFA | 12,000 BTU - R454B

Taking the baseboard's place, under the living-room window

If electric baseboards have always been installed under windows, it is no accident: that is where the cold enters a room. The Floor Console Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSFA | 12,000 BTU - R454B takes exactly that spot, with the efficiency of a heat pump and cooling as a bonus. The D5FSFAH12XAK console sits at the bottom of the wall and works with the D5CSHAH12AAK outdoor unit, which has a variable-speed compressor and is charged with R-454B.

Its certified ratings are 25.0 SEER2, 12.7 EER2 and 10.6 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556054, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $1,176 LogisVert grant.

Replacing the baseboard as the main heating

The console becomes the room's main heating. It works from fall to spring, and the baseboard, if kept elsewhere in the room or in the next room, serves only as backup in extreme cold. The 12,000 BTU size suits a medium-sized room: a living room, a family room, a dining room, or a modest open living area.

Insulation and windows determine the area actually covered. A living room with recent windows in a well-insulated house needs less than an original living room with large single-pane windows. The load calculation done during the visit, room by room, confirms whether this size is the right one.

The living room of a plex or an older house

In Montreal plexes and older houses, living rooms often have large windows, high ceilings, mouldings and woodwork. The wall above the windows is narrow, and hanging a wall unit above woodwork or a mantelpiece is not always desirable. The console is installed under the window, at the height of the old baseboards, and respects the character of the room.

High ceilings raise another issue: warm air collects up there. A wall unit blowing from above often leaves a layer of warm air near the ceiling and cold feet. The console heats from the floor; the air then rises on its own through the room, which reduces the temperature difference between floor and ceiling.

Condos glazed from floor to ceiling

In many recent condos, the living room's outside wall is almost entirely glass. Only a low wall or a strip of wall remains under the glazing: the console finds its natural place there, where a wall unit would have none.

In a condominium, the outdoor unit's location and the wall opening generally require the syndicate's approval. We provide the technical information useful for your request, and we schedule the installation once approval is obtained.

Heat at floor level

The console sends warm air out at floor level. Feet warm up first, the floor loses its chill, and the heat rises gently. Placed under the window, it also counters the cold draft that slides down the glass, as the baseboard did, but using less electricity for the same heat.

The variable-speed compressor adjusts its speed continuously: it slows down once the room is at the set point and holds the temperature without the on-off cycling of a baseboard thermostat.

Winter, according to the certificate

The certificate publishes three heating points, measured separately; we report each one as published.

• 9,800 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.71.
• 11,300 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 1.88, or 94 % of the nominal capacity.
• 4,800 BTU/h at -30 °C, with a COP of 1.04, or 40 % of the nominal capacity.

At -8 °C, each unit of electricity used becomes more than two and a half times as much heat; the baseboard gives exactly one. The first two points come from separate tests and are not read as a curve. At -30 °C, the console is still heating, with a COP above 1, but its capacity drops markedly: electric backup in the room or nearby remains recommended for those nights.

Summer in the living room

In cooling, the console posts a SEER2 of 25.0, a high seasonal rating, and an EER2 of 12.7 at full load in hot weather. It also removes moisture from the air, which condenses on the coil and flows out through the drain. In a south- or west-facing living room with large windows, it is what keeps the room pleasant at the end of the day, without the noise or clutter of a window air conditioner.

The technology and its ratings

A heat pump moves heat instead of producing it with a resistance element: in winter, the refrigerant captures heat from the outdoor air and the console releases it; in summer, the cycle reverses. R-454B is a next-generation refrigerant with a much lower global warming potential than the refrigerants it replaces. Classified A2L, mildly flammable, it requires suitable tools and methods, which we apply.

• SEER2 of 25.0: seasonal cooling efficiency; the higher it is, the less the unit uses over the summer.
• EER2 of 12.7: cooling efficiency at full load.
• HSPF2 of 10.6: seasonal heating efficiency, calculated for a reference climate milder than ours; useful for comparing models.
• COP: heat delivered per unit of electricity at a given temperature; the most concrete indicator for a Quebec winter.

These ratings do not predict a bill: insulation, windows and your settings make the difference.

The $1,176 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $1,176 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.

Warranty

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

Keep the detailed invoice we give you: it carries the model numbers of the console and the outdoor unit and serves as the reference during the coverage period.

Installation, step by step

1. Visit. Load calculation, choice of wall, check of the electrical panel and, in a condominium, of the syndicate's constraints.
2. Removing or relocating the baseboard. As you prefer, the baseboard under the window is removed to free up the space, or relocated to serve as backup.
3. Installing the console. At the bottom of the outside wall, as close as possible to the outdoor unit, level, with the front kept clear of any furniture or curtain.
4. Lines and drain. The refrigerant lines go through a single sealed opening, often directly behind the console, and a line cover can finish the outdoor run. The drain follows a continuous slope to the outside, or a small pump if the route requires it.
5. Outdoor unit. Wall bracket or ground stand, above the snow line, clear of roof runoff and away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'.
6. Electrical and commissioning. Dedicated circuit, leak test, evacuation, checks in heating and cooling, explanation of the settings.

Maintenance

The filter is at the front of the console, within easy reach: rinse it every two weeks in season and vacuum around the unit. Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow and leaves, and plan annual HVAC maintenance of the coils, drain and 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 Floor Console Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSFA | 12,000 BTU - R454B. We assess the living room and its windows and confirm the right size and your LogisVert grant eligibility before signing.