GENERAL AIRSTAGE Centauri Heat Pump | Ceiling Suspended System | 24000 BTU

GENERAL AIRSTAGE Centauri ABUH24KUAS 24,000 BTU: a ceiling-suspended Heat Pump that heats and cools the basement family room

Meet the ABUH24KUAS indoor unit and the AOUH24KUAS1 outdoor unit, combined into a GENERAL AIRSTAGE Centauri 24,000 BTU system. If those numbers look familiar, that’s normal: they belong to the twin Fujitsu AIRSTAGE system, character for character. The manufacturer took the name GENERAL Inc. on January 1, 2026, but the machine, its certifications and its warranty have not moved an inch.

This system targets one specific room: the large family room of a finished basement, with its drywall ceiling, its sectional sofa, its TV and its small high windows. The walls are taken, and so is the floor. The ceiling, however, is free. The ceiling-suspended unit hangs there, under the drywall, and takes care of both seasons: winter heating down to −21 °C outdoors and summer cooling, with a single indoor unit.

Hydro-Québec has also placed this model on its LogisVert list of October 27, 2026, with a $2,136 grant. For a Repentigny family finishing its basement, or finally wanting to make it pleasant twelve months a year, that amount weighs heavily in the project budget.

GENERAL or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE: the same machine

The name change comes from a transaction. The buyer, Paloma Rheem Holdings, has controlled Rheem since 1988; the acquisition of Fujitsu General Limited closed in August 2025, and the company became GENERAL Inc. on January 1, 2026. Nothing moved: management and R&D still work in Kawasaki, Japan, the production lines have not changed, and every AIRSTAGE product keeps its model number and its warranty program.

While the Fujitsu brand is gradually withdrawn, both names circulate on one and the same machine. So we chose to keep both product pages online, so you can compare without wondering whether one of the versions hides a difference. It hides none, and the table proves it.

To check with your own eyes, open the Fujitsu AIRSTAGE Centauri 24,000 BTU page: you will find identical values there.

A basement has its own rules. The concrete slab stays cold in January, humidity settles in during July, and the electric baseboards lined up along the walls heat the room without ever cooling it. A heat pump on the ceiling handles both seasons at once, and it frees the lower walls for furniture.

In heating, the values certified by NEEP for AHRI certificate 215434549 are as follows:

• nominal capacity of 17,800 BTU at −8 °C, with a COP of 3.26;
• NEEP value of 23,600 BTU at the −15 °C test point, COP of 2.08;
• 21,000 BTU at the coldest certified point, −21 °C, COP of 1.85;
• HSPF2 of 10.8 for seasonal heating efficiency.

Each of these values corresponds to its own test point; we present them as they are, with no percentage from one to the other. A COP of 3.26 means the heat pump supplies as heat 3.26 times the electrical energy it draws from the grid. According to the manufacturer, the machine can put out as much as 20% extra heat beyond what its nominal label states, and the brochure provides for no shut-off device in cold weather.

In summer, humidity makes a basement unpleasant far more than heat does. The 24,000 BTU Centauri offers dehumidification of 6.1 pints per hour, with a SEER2 of 21.7 and an EER2 of 12.8 in cooling. Drier air is felt quickly: the room becomes a place where you want to spend the evening again.

On the ceiling, the indoor unit measures only 9.25 in high; it mounts under the drywall, visible, without having to open the ceiling to recess it. It delivers 724 CFM from the top of the room, and the fan can be set to four speeds or Auto. Placed above the walkway rather than above the sofa, it heats and cools without blowing on the people sitting down.

As for noise, the indoor unit runs between 29 and 41 dB(A). At low speed, you forget it during a movie; the high value corresponds to full speed, when you want to raise the temperature quickly. The outdoor unit, compact in size, shows 54.0 dB(A) and includes a quiet mode for summer evenings on the patio.

In Repentigny as elsewhere on the North Shore, the outdoor unit can go behind the house, on a ground base or a bracket. Three elements connect it to the basement ceiling: the 1/4 in and 1/2 in refrigerant line, the drain and the power wire. On this model, the allowed line length goes up to 50 m (164 ft) and the height difference between the two units up to 30 m (98 ft); the factory charge covers 20 m (66 ft). Inside a finished basement, the whole art lies in choosing the right path, between the joists or inside a bulkhead, to keep a clean ceiling.

The drain needs particular attention below grade, since it has to reach a discharge point. Gravity is enough when the slope is good; otherwise, the optional drain pump is added. We describe the planned route in the quote. Electrical: 208/230 V, MCA of 16 A, MOP of 20 A.

The system arrives without a controller: you choose. Three options suit a family room well:

• the UTY-LBTUH wireless remote with its IR receiver kit, sold separately, which stays on the coffee table;
• the UTY-TFSXJ4 Wi-Fi adapter and the AIRSTAGE Mobile app, to preheat the basement before going downstairs;
• a wired touchscreen at the foot of the stairs, the UTY-RNRUZ5 model or the KAGAMI UTY-RVRU.

Simple wired controllers and a 24 V thermostat interface are also available, if you prefer a classic wall thermostat.

The manufacturer’s modes all have their use in a home. Economy mode suits evenings when nobody goes downstairs, minimum heat keeps the basement from cooling down during a week of vacation, and powerful mode gives a boost of heat before a kids’ party. After a power outage, auto restart puts the system back into operation, and automatic defrost looks after the outdoor unit during storms.

Inside, the ProCore copper coils stand up to corrosion, and R-32 lowers global warming potential by about 68% compared with R-410A, while requiring less refrigerant. The indoor unit’s filters are easy to clean; the refrigeration technician shows you how on commissioning day.

Let’s talk money. ENERGY STAR certified (ID 3627233) and recognized as cold climate, this system appears on the LogisVert list of October 27, 2026, which assigns it $2,136. We go over the program conditions with you at the quote stage. The warranty is identical under both names: 12 years for the compressor, 12 years for parts and 6 years for labour.

This system is made for homeowners who want a single ceiling unit for a large basement room: family room, playroom, home theatre, or an open area that combines all of these at once.

Basement in Repentigny (North Shore): let’s talk about your project

Dial 514 316-2973 and ask for your free quote. Describe the room, the ceiling height, where the outdoor unit could go and the controller you prefer; we come back with a complete price for the 24,000 BTU Centauri, LogisVert grant explained.

AirGreen is a Montreal HVAC company that also installs in Laval, in Longueuil, on the North Shore and on the South Shore. GENERAL AIRSTAGE or Fujitsu AIRSTAGE, the name on the box is your call; the quality of the installation is our business.