Ducted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSDA | 24,000 BTU - R454B
SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)
HSPF2 (Seasonal Heating Efficiency)
EER2 (Instantaneous cooling efficiency)
COP at -8 °C (Heating energy efficiency)
COP at -15 °C (Heating energy efficiency)
COP at -30 °C (MAX)
CFM (Airflow)
A whole floor heated and cooled, without a furnace or a large duct network
A house heated with baseboards has neither a furnace nor a duct network. To install a heat pump there, people often hesitate between several wall units, one per room, and a central system that would require building an entire network. The Ducted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE D5FSDA | 24,000 BTU - R454B sits between the two. The D5FSDAH24XHK indoor unit is hidden in the basement ceiling, in a closet or in a bulkhead, and supplies an entire floor through a small network of short ducts; only the grilles remain visible. It is paired with the D5CSHAH24AAK outdoor unit, with a variable-speed compressor and R-454B refrigerant.
Its certified ratings are 19.2 SEER2, 12.0 EER2 and 11.7 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556067, its certificate still lists heating capacity at -30 °C, and it qualifies for a $2,592 LogisVert grant.
Between the wall-mounted heat pump and the central system
A wall-mounted heat pump heats the room it is in very well, and the closed rooms around it much less. A central system covers the whole house, but it requires a furnace or an air handler and a complete duct network, often missing in a house heated with baseboards. The large ducted unit creates a local network, limited to one floor or a group of neighbouring rooms, with a single unit, a single outdoor unit and short ducts.
It is the solution we often propose for a single-storey house heated entirely with baseboards, or for a floor of a house where you do not want to see any unit in the rooms.
The spaces this size is meant for
The 24,000 BTU size serves a complete floor of medium size: the main floor of a bungalow with its living area and bedrooms, the upper floor of a two-storey house, a large condo. In a well-insulated house with recent windows, it can provide most of the floor's heating and cooling. In an original house, under a poorly insulated attic or with large old windows, the same capacity covers fewer rooms. The load calculation, done room by room during the visit, sets both the size and the air distribution.
Where to house the unit
In a bungalow with a basement, the unit can be installed between the joists of the basement ceiling and supply the main floor through floor grilles under the windows. On the upper floor of a two-storey house or in a condo, it is instead housed at the top of a central closet or in a bulkhead in the hallway ceiling, with grilles in the ceiling of each room.
In every case, we favour a location inside the heated envelope: a unit or ducts in a cold attic lose part of their heat in winter and expose the drain to freezing. An access panel reaches the filter, drain and connections. On the electrical side, a unit of this size needs a dedicated circuit of appropriate capacity; we check the panel during the visit, and any adjustment needed appears in the written quote.
Designing the network before installing it
With a whole floor to serve, the duct network makes the difference between even comfort and forgotten rooms. Each room receives its supply duct and grille; each duct is sized for the room it serves, and a damper lets us balance the airflow at commissioning. The network stays short and in proportion to the unit, because a duct that is too long or too narrow reduces airflow. Ducts that cross an unheated space are insulated.
Return air is planned from the start: one or more return grilles in the common areas, and a path for the air of closed bedrooms, a transfer grille or clearance under the door. The floor operates with a single set point; balancing corrects the differences between rooms, but each bedroom is not set separately. We place the control in a room representative of the floor, away from direct sun and heat sources.
Winter, according to the certificate
The certificate publishes three heating points, measured separately; we report each one as published.
- 21,600 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), with a COP of 2.71, or 90 % of the nominal capacity.
- 24,000 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), with a COP of 2.18, or 100 % of the nominal capacity.
- 10,200 BTU/h at -30 °C, with a COP of 1.28.
At -8 °C, each unit of electricity used becomes more than two and a half times as much heat; at -15 °C, the published capacity equals the unit's nominal size, with a COP still above 2. The two points come from separate tests and do not form a curve. At -30 °C, the system is still heating, with a COP above 1, but at a little less than half of its nominal capacity. For a whole floor, we recommend keeping the existing baseboards as backup, set to come on only when the heat pump is no longer enough.
Summer across the whole floor
In cooling, the ducted unit cools all the connected rooms at once, bedrooms included, without a window air conditioner. It also removes moisture from the air, which condenses on the coil and flows out through the drain. The variable-speed compressor idles most of the time and speeds up on hot days. The SEER2 of 19.2 measures efficiency over the season; the EER2 of 12.0, full-load efficiency during the hottest hours. Since the unit is outside the living spaces, all you hear there is the air passing through the grilles.
The technology, the refrigerant 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 19.2: seasonal cooling efficiency.
- EER2 of 12.0: cooling efficiency at full load.
- HSPF2 of 11.7: seasonal heating efficiency, calculated for a reference climate milder than Quebec's; useful for comparing models with each other.
- COP: heat delivered per unit of electricity at a given temperature; an electric baseboard is at 1.
None of these ratings predicts a bill: insulation, duct tightness and settings make the difference.
The $2,592 LogisVert grant
The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $2,592 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
- Visit and plan. Room-by-room load calculation, plan of the duct network and return air, choice of the unit's location, check of the electrical panel.
- Unit. Installation in an accessible space inside the heated envelope, level, with an access panel to the filter, drain and connections.
- Duct network. Supply ducts to each room, insulated where required, floor or ceiling grilles, balancing dampers, return and transfer grilles.
- Drain. Continuous drainage slope for condensate or a small pump if the route requires it.
- Outdoor unit and lines. Suitable ground stand or wall bracket, above the snow line, clear of roof runoff and away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'; lines through a single sealed opening, line cover if needed.
- Electrical and commissioning. Connection of the dedicated circuit, leak test, evacuation, checks in heating and cooling, room-by-room balancing and explanation of the settings.
Maintenance
The filter is at the return air: rinse it every two weeks in season. It serves the whole floor, and a dirty filter reduces airflow in every room. 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 | 24,000 BTU - R454B. We assess the floor room by room, design the duct network and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.