GENERAL AIRSTAGE CENTAURI R32 Ducted Heat Pump | 12000 BTU

GENERAL AIRSTAGE CENTAURI ARUH12KUAS 12,000 BTU Ducted Heat Pump: heating and cooling a 4 ½ condo from the hallway ceiling

The GENERAL AIRSTAGE CENTAURI 12,000 BTU ducted heat pump pairs the ARUH12KUAS indoor unit with the AOUH12KUAS1 outdoor unit. Under the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE name, the exact same pair of units is sold, down to the last character of the model number: same manufacturer, same spec sheet, same warranty. Only the name on the box has changed, since Fujitsu General Limited has been called GENERAL Inc. since January 1, 2026.

This page is about one specific home: the 4 ½ condo where a hallway links the bedroom to the living room, under a dropped ceiling just deep enough to house a unit. The ducted unit hides there. Short ducts run to the bedroom on one side and the living room on the other, and the air comes in through slim grilles. Nothing hangs on the wall, nothing blocks a window.

Two manufacturer values sum up why the system makes sense. At “Quiet” speed, the unit goes as low as 24 dB(A), a whisper you forget about in a bedroom. And heating is rated down to −21 °C outdoors: this is a heat pump built for a Montreal winter, not an air conditioner that sleeps from October to May.

GENERAL or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: the same machine

In August 2025, Paloma Rheem Holdings, owner of Rheem since 1988, acquired Fujitsu General Limited. On January 1, 2026, the company became GENERAL Inc. without moving anything: the head office and the R&D centre stayed in Kawasaki, Japan, the factories did not change, and AIRSTAGE products keep their model numbers as well as their warranty program. The Fujitsu brand is being phased out gradually; in the meantime, one machine is sold under two names.

That is why both pages stay online at AirGreen. Someone searching for “Fujitsu” and someone who read “GENERAL” on a quote need to find the same figures, and the table puts them side by side. Since February 2026, Rheem Canada has handled sales in Canada; Groupe Master remains our distributor, and AirGreen installs this line as an AIRSTAGE Elite Plus installer.

The twin page, with identical values, is here: Fujitsu AIRSTAGE CENTAURI 12,000 BTU ducted unit.

The ducted principle is quick to explain. The indoor unit does not blow into the space where it sits: it draws air through a return, passes it over its ProCore copper coils, which are highly resistant to corrosion, then pushes it through ducts to the grilles. In the hallway of a 4 ½, the return air intake can come from below, with a grille in the hallway ceiling, or from the side. The manufacturer provides both options, and we choose based on what the ceiling allows.

The deciding dimension is height: the ARUH12KUAS is 11.81 in. tall, on a 27.56 in. by 27.56 in. footprint. The hallway ceiling has to offer that depth, plus room for the duct connections and an access hatch for the filter. We measure it during the visit before promising anything. If the clearance is not there, we will tell you and suggest another format rather than force the installation.

Noise plays out on two fronts. Inside, the sound level ranges from 24 dB(A) at “Quiet” speed to 35 dB(A) at maximum, with a 4-speed fan plus Auto mode and a sleep function. The short ducts help too: thanks to automatic static pressure detection, the unit measures the resistance of the duct network and adjusts its airflow, up to 500 CFM. It handles 0.12 to 0.80 in. WC; a hallway network stays at the low end of that range, and the fan does not have to strain. Outside, the AOUH12KUAS1 outdoor unit is rated at 49.0 dB(A), a detail that matters when the neighbour’s balcony is right next door.

For winter, here is what the manufacturer and the certifications allow us to state:

• heating rated down to −21 °C outdoors, with the note “no low temperature cut out”: below that range, the system keeps running, but its capacity has not been tested outside the range;
• for this 12,000 BTU model, the manufacturer claims a rated heating capacity up to 33% higher than nominal capacity;
• 10,700 BTU of heating at −8 °C (COP of 2.93) and, according to NEEP, 15,500 BTU at −15 °C (COP of 2.02), two different test points that should each be read for what they are;
• ENERGY STAR certification with the cold climate designation, SEER2 of 19.1 and HSPF2 of 10.5, under AHRI certificate 215434556.

We will not ask you to disconnect the condo’s electric baseboards. They stay in place as backup for the harshest nights, while the heat pump handles everyday heating, and cooling all summer long.

In a condo, installation follows a set order, and AirGreen handles it from start to finish:

• the location of the outdoor unit, on a pad or a bracket, is first approved with the condo board;
• the refrigerant line (1/4 in. and 3/8 in.), the cable and the drain connect the two units; the manufacturer allows up to 98 ft (30 m) of line, with a minimum of 16 ft (5 m) and a maximum height difference of 49 ft (15 m), and the factory precharge covers 66 ft (20 m);
• the built-in condensate pump lifts the water to the nearest drain, a real advantage in a hallway ceiling far from the plumbing;
• power is 208/230 V, with a minimum circuit ampacity of 12 A and maximum overcurrent protection of 15 A, values to pass on to your electrician;
• a refrigeration technician handles commissioning, then we adjust the grilles with you, room by room.

No control is included: the manufacturer sells them separately. In a condo hallway, the UTY-RNRUZ5 wired touchscreen controller, or the KAGAMI UTY-RVRU, goes near the bedroom door. The IR receiver kit with the UTY-LBTUM wireless remote suits people who want to keep the control on the nightstand, and the UTY-TFSXJ4 Wi-Fi adapter gives access to the AIRSTAGE Mobile app. Depending on the control you choose, you get the weekly timer, the 24-hour timer, and the economy and powerful modes.

Maintenance asks for little, but it cannot be skipped. The filter comes out through the access hatch and is cleaned according to the manufacturer’s guide; left dirty, it raises the noise and lowers the airflow. The built-in refrigerant leak detection sensor monitors the circuit, which is reassuring in an enclosed home. Automatic defrost and automatic restart after a power outage happen without anyone stepping in.

On Hydro-Québec’s list of October 27, 2026, the ARUH12KUAS and AOUH12KUAS1 combination is listed at $1,284 under the LogisVert program; we check eligibility with you before the work. In summer, dehumidification of 1.5 pints/h brings relief in condos where the air gets heavy. The warranty on the spec sheet is 12 years on the compressor, 12 years on parts and 6 years on labour.

This system suits the owner of a 4 ½ who wants to heat and cool the bedroom and living room without installing a wall head, and anyone who sleeps badly at the slightest hum. It is less suited if the hallway ceiling lacks the required depth or if the home has other rooms to serve; the load calculation done during the visit then points to another capacity in the line.

Your CENTAURI ducted unit in Parc-Extension, installed by AirGreen

For a condo in Parc-Extension, everything starts with a visit: measuring the ceiling, laying out the ducts, counting the grilles, choosing the outdoor unit’s location and talking to the condo board if needed. The quote is free, and it tells you frankly whether this 12,000 BTU ducted unit is the right choice for your home. Our HVAC team then takes care of everything, right through commissioning.

Call AirGreen at 514 316-2973. We install in Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore and the South Shore.