Packaged Heat Pump System York PH3 5 Ton | Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, South Shore and North Shore

A large open-concept home: planning the capacity, the electrical service and the backup heat

Kitchen, dining room and living room in one continuous space, open ceilings, large windows: an open-concept layout has plenty of charm, but it also means a large volume of air to cool and to heat. The YORK PH3 5 ton heat pump, with a rated capacity of 60,000 BTU/h, is the largest single-phase model in the series. Choosing this unit well means planning three things at the same time: the home's electrical capacity, the backup heat and the distribution of 1,920 CFM of air. AirGreen guides the owners of large homes through each of these steps, in the Montreal, Laval and Longueuil area as well as on the North Shore and the South Shore.

A single outdoor unit for the whole living space

In a packaged heat pump, the compressor, the coils and the blower that feeds the ducts are all in the same cabinet, outdoors, on a pad or on a roof curb. There is no furnace and no air handler to fit in the basement, which frees up space in a home where every room has a purpose. The cabinet, which measures 45.75 x 51.25 x 55 in. (width x depth x height), takes up the same floor area as the 3 and 4 ton models; only its height increases. It weighs 499 lb in operation and carries an AHRI 270 sound rating of 70.7 dBA.

The performance of the 5 ton PH3

The model carries the number PH3E60N00S21 and its rated airflow is 1,920 CFM (ft³/min). It runs on 208/230 V single-phase, 60 Hz, and uses R-454B refrigerant, an A2L fluid with a low GWP (global warming potential), monitored by a factory-mounted refrigerant detection system.

Planning the electrical capacity on single-phase

A home heated with electricity often already carries a heavy demand: range, water heater, baseboards, sometimes a charging station. Before adding a 5 ton heat pump and its backup heat, you have to know the numbers. According to the YORK guide, the 5 ton PH3 requires, without a heat kit, a circuit with a minimum circuit ampacity (MCA) of 43.5 A at 208 V or 39.3 A at 230 V, with a maximum overcurrent protection (MOP) of 70 A or 60 A. That protection takes the form of an HACR breaker or a time-delay fuse, completed by a field-installed disconnect.

The heat kit changes these values considerably. At 230 V, on a single power supply with a 20 kW kit, the minimum circuit ampacity climbs to 135.1 A and the maximum protection to 150 A. That is why we examine your panel and your electrical service before recommending a kit size, not after.

Sizing the backup heat: the 6HK kits from 5 to 25 kW

The heating capacity of a heat pump drops as the outdoor temperature falls: the 5 ton PH3 goes from 56,000 BTU/h at 47 °F to 33,700 BTU/h at 17 °F. The 6HK electric kit, installed inside the unit, fills the gap between that capacity and the heat loss of the home in cold weather. Here is what each kit actually delivers, depending on the supply voltage:

Three points guide our choice. First, the actual voltage of your service: at 208 V, a kit gives noticeably less heat than at 230 V. Second, the wiring method: up to 20 kW, a single-point wiring kit (S1-2SPWK005 at 230 V) can group the power supply, while the 25 kW kit requires multiple circuits. Third, the installation: with the 20 and 25 kW kits, the supply duct has to keep a 1 in. clearance over its first three feet, and the blower has to respect the minimum speed YORK prescribes for each kit. The two-stage kits bring the backup heat on in steps rather than all at once.

Through the winter, on the heat pump side

In heating mode, the outdoor coil builds up frost. The PH3 handles it with a demand defrost board in which YORK has preloaded defrost curves matched to the capacities of the unit, so that it defrosts when needed rather than at fixed intervals. As for the backup heat kits, the guide requires them to be certified to the UL 60335-2-40 standard; the 6HK models are offered with a built-in service disconnect, depending on the version chosen.

Distributing 1,920 CFM through an open-concept space

In a large space without partitions, the air has to travel long distances before it reaches the reading corner or the picture window. The indoor blower of the 5 ton PH3 is driven directly by a 1 HP ECM motor, and its cooling and heating speeds, set at the factory, are adjusted on site. We place the supply grilles where the heat gains and losses are greatest, near the glazed surfaces, and we plan a return grille large enough not to restrict the airflow. YORK also advises against connecting the unit to a duct system whose resistance, measured as external static pressure, exceeds 0.8 in. w.c.

On the heat exchange side, the air passes through a four-row indoor coil made entirely of aluminum. The outdoor coil, the largest in the series with 26.4 ft² of face area, has two rows of internally grooved copper tubes with enhanced-surface aluminum fins.

From the electrical service to commissioning: the AirGreen approach

For a large home, we take the project in order. During the free on-site estimate, we measure the open space, note the windows and the insulation, inspect the electrical panel and assess the ducts already in place or still to be built. We then calculate the heat gains and losses to confirm that 5 tons is the right size, and we choose the 6HK kit that completes the heat pump without overloading your electrical service. Our crews carry out the installation, the hookup and the commissioning, then we handle the maintenance of the unit season after season.

Our team covers the island of Montreal, Laval, Longueuil as well as the North Shore and the South Shore. To book your free on-site estimate, call 514 316-2973 or send your request through the form on airgreen.ca: a member of our team will get back to you quickly.