Ducted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSDA | 12,000 BTU - R454B

Two bedrooms heated and cooled, with no unit on the wall

Many people hesitate to install a wall-mounted heat pump in a bedroom: the unit is visible, it takes up the wall above the bed, and you would need one in every room. The Ducted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSDA | 12,000 BTU - R454B offers another approach. The D5FSDAH12XAK indoor unit is hidden at the top of a closet, in a ceiling bulkhead in the hallway or in a mechanical space, and distributes the air through short ducts to one or more neighbouring rooms. In the bedrooms, all you see is a grille. It is paired with the D5CSHAH12AAK outdoor unit, with a variable-speed compressor and R-454B refrigerant.

Its certified ratings are 20.0 SEER2, 12.0 EER2 and 10.2 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556055, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $1,152 LogisVert grant.

The rooms this size serves

The 12,000 BTU size suits a small group of neighbouring rooms: two modest bedrooms on the upper floor of a two-storey house, a bedroom and an office, the bedroom wing of a condo, or two bedrooms finished in the basement. In a well-insulated house, it heats and cools these rooms easily; under a poorly insulated roof or with large old windows, the same capacity covers less.

The load calculation is done room by room. It confirms the size, but it also sets the air distribution: a south-facing bedroom and a north-facing one do not need the same airflow, and the duct network has to account for that.

Where to hide the unit

The ducted unit needs an enclosed space large enough to hold it with its connections, and above all accessible for maintenance. The most common locations are the top of a hallway closet, a bulkhead built into the hallway ceiling between the bedrooms or, in the basement, the space between the joists above a suspended ceiling.

We favour a location inside the heated envelope of the house. A unit and ducts placed in a cold attic lose part of their heat in winter and expose the drain to freezing. Whatever the location, we provide an access panel that reaches the filter, drain and connections without demolishing anything.

Short ducts and a well-planned return air path

The principle relies on short ducts: the unit sits very close to the rooms it serves. Each supply duct ends in a grille in the ceiling or high on a wall, and a damper lets us balance the airflow between rooms at commissioning. Ducts that cross an unheated space are insulated.

Return air matters as much as supply. The air blown into a bedroom must be able to get back to the unit, even with the door closed. Depending on the case, we provide a return grille in each bedroom, a transfer grille above the door or enough clearance under the door. Without that return path, a closed bedroom receives less air and is poorly conditioned.

One setting for the rooms served

A ducted unit works with a single set point for all the rooms it serves. The connected bedrooms therefore share the same base temperature; balancing the dampers corrects the differences between them, but each bedroom is not set separately. That is why we group rooms with similar needs, and we say so frankly if a room deserves its own unit.

Winter, according to the certificate

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

• 9,600 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.49, or 80 % of the nominal capacity.
• 11,800 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 1.90, or 98 % of the nominal capacity.
• 6,400 BTU/h at -30 °C, with a COP of 1.28, or 53 % of the nominal capacity.

At -8 °C, each unit of electricity used becomes nearly two and a half units of heat; an electric baseboard gives one. The first two points come from separate tests and do not form a curve. At -30 °C, the system keeps more than half of its nominal size with a COP of 1.28; the existing bedroom baseboards still remain useful as backup for extreme nights.

Summer upstairs

Upstairs bedrooms are often the hottest rooms in the house in summer: heat rises and the roof stores it. That is where a ducted unit is most useful. In cooling, it removes the heat and the moisture in the air, which condenses on the coil and flows out through the drain. The variable-speed compressor slows down once the bedrooms are comfortable and holds the set point with long, steady cycles. Since the unit is outside the bedrooms, its operation stays discreet there; you only hear the air passing through the grilles.

The technology and the ratings

A heat pump moves heat instead of producing it with a resistance element: in winter, the refrigerant captures heat from the outdoor air; 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 20.0: seasonal cooling efficiency; the higher it is, the less the unit uses over the summer.
• EER2 of 12.0: cooling efficiency at full load, in hot weather.
• HSPF2 of 10.2: 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.

These ratings do not predict a bill; insulation, duct tightness and your settings make the difference.

The $1,152 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $1,152 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: it carries the model numbers of the ducted unit and the outdoor unit and serves as the reference throughout the coverage period.

Installation, step by step

1. Visit. Room-by-room load calculation, choice of the unit's location, layout of the ducts and the return air, check of the electrical panel.
2. Unit and access. The ducted unit is installed in an accessible space, level, with an access panel to the filter, drain and connections. A bulkhead is built if needed.
3. Ducts and grilles. Short ducts to each room, insulated where required, supply grilles, balancing dampers and a well-placed return grille.
4. Drain. Continuous drainage slope for condensate or, if the route requires it, a small pump.
5. Outdoor unit and lines. Wall bracket or ground stand, above the snow line, clear of roof runoff and away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'. The refrigerant lines go through a single sealed opening, and a line cover can finish the run.
6. Electrical and commissioning. Dedicated circuit, leak test, evacuation, checks in heating and cooling, balancing of the dampers and explanation of the settings.

Maintenance

The filter of a ducted unit is at the return air, behind the grille or in the unit: rinse it every two weeks in season. A dirty filter reduces airflow in every room at once. 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 Ducted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSDA | 12,000 BTU - R454B. We assess the rooms to be served, find where to house the unit and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.