Wall-Mounted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE Duracomfort | 12,000 BTU - R454B

A small home heated and cooled by a single wall head

In a small apartment or a condo, electric baseboards heat each room separately, dry out the air along the walls and do nothing in summer. The Wall-Mounted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE Duracomfort | 12,000 BTU - R454B takes over where you actually live: the living room, the dining area and the open kitchen. Its variable-speed compressor slows down when the home is at the set point and speeds up when the door opens or the cold sets in, which keeps the temperature steady and the bill low.

Its certified ratings are 25.5 SEER2, 13.5 EER2 and 10.5 HSPF2. The system is ENERGY STAR certified with the cold-climate designation under ENERGY STAR ID 3556051, and the certificate still lists its capacity at -30 °C. It qualifies for a $1,440 LogisVert grant.

The right setting: living room, open kitchen, small home

A nominal capacity of 12,000 BTU/h typically suits a spacious living room, an open living-kitchen area or a small, well-insulated home whose rooms open widely onto one another. The wall head installed in the main room covers the living space, and air reaches the neighbouring rooms through the open doors.

One limit must be stated clearly, though: a single head does not heat a bedroom whose door stays closed all night. In a two-bedroom apartment, the bedrooms often keep their baseboards as backup, or get their own head if you want to cool them. We discuss this during the visit, with the floor plan in front of us, before proposing a configuration.

What changes when the baseboards take a back seat

A baseboard heats the air along the wall, under the window, then the warm air rises to the ceiling. The room warms up in layers, and you often feel a difference between top and bottom. The wall-mounted heat pump gently circulates the air of the whole room: the temperature becomes more even, and the compressor adjusts its speed continuously rather than switching on and off.

The baseboards do not disappear, however. Set a few degrees below the heat pump's set point, they stay cold for most of the winter and only kick in during deep cold or in closed rooms. It is this tandem operation that delivers both comfort and electricity savings.

Full capacity at -8 °C

The certificate lists 12,000 BTU/h at -8 °C (17 °F), about 100% of nominal capacity, with a COP of 2.51, and 11,500 BTU/h at -15 °C (5 °F), about 96%, with a COP of 1.80. The two points are measured separately; we report each one as published.

In other words, the heat pump keeps practically all of its nominal capacity at the temperatures of an ordinary Montreal winter. For a well-insulated home, this means you can count on it as the main heat source for most of the season. When the baseboards take a back seat, this is the figure to look at: the capacity available when it is cold, not just the nominal capacity in the product name.

And when it is -30 °C

The certificate also publishes the maximum capacity at -30 °C (-22 °F): 5,900 BTU/h, about 49% of nominal capacity, with a COP of 1.25. The heat pump therefore keeps heating and still delivers more heat than it consumes in electricity, but at these temperatures the baseboards take on part of the work. The ENERGY STAR cold-climate designation confirms that the pairing was evaluated for this climate.

On those days, frost can form on the outdoor unit. The heat pump then briefly pauses heating for a defrost cycle; the white vapour coming from the unit is normal.

Cooling and drier air in summer

In cooling mode, the nominal capacity is 12,000 BTU/h, enough for an open area where the kitchen and windows add heat in the afternoon. The 13.5 EER2 rating measures efficiency in hot weather. At low speed, the indoor coil condenses moisture from the air, which drains away: dehumidification happens continuously, and the home stays comfortable without being frigid.

In a high-rise condo or a south-facing apartment, heat comes in mostly through the windows in the afternoon. Closing the blinds on the sunny side and letting the heat pump hold a steady set point, rather than turning it off when you leave in the morning, keeps the home comfortable when you get back, with no full-power restart.

The ratings, one by one

• SEER2 of 25.5: cooling efficiency over the whole season.
• EER2 of 13.5: cooling efficiency at the hottest moment.
• HSPF2 of 10.5: heating efficiency over the season, the most important one for a Quebec home.
• COP: heat delivered per unit of electricity. A baseboard delivers one unit of heat for one unit of electricity; this pairing delivers 2.51 at -8 °C, according to the certificate.

These figures come from certificate AHRI 215324111, published by NEEP. The heat pump uses R-454B refrigerant, from the new generation, with a much lower global warming potential than the previous one.

The $1,440 LogisVert grant

The system is listed in Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program, with $1,440 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.

Installation, step by step

Visit and head location

We start with a free visit and a load calculation that takes into account insulation, windows and the layout of the rooms. The wall head goes in the main room, up high, on a wall that lets the airflow cover the living room and reach the kitchen and hallway. It is secured to the framing with a drainage slope for condensate.

Condo or house: the outdoor unit

In a house, the outdoor unit goes on a ground or wall stand, above the snow line, away from bedroom windows, including the neighbours'. In a condo, it is often placed on a balcony or an exterior wall, and the location generally has to be approved by the condo board: we provide the technical information useful for that request. The refrigerant lines, the cable and the drain go through a single sealed opening, and a line cover can finish the run.

Electrical and commissioning

The system needs a dedicated circuit: we check the panel capacity during the visit. At commissioning, the circuit is evacuated and checked for tightness, then we test heating, cooling and the drain, and set with you the heat pump's set point and the baseboards' so they work together.

Maintenance and warranty

Rinse the indoor filters every two weeks in season, 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.

Warranty: 10 years on the compressor, 10 years on parts and 6 years on labor.

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 Wall-Mounted Heat Pump ARCOAIRE Duracomfort | 12,000 BTU - R454B. We assess your home room by room and confirm the right size and your grant eligibility before signing.