Fujitsu: Zoned Comfort in Any Climate
Fujitsu has been developing innovative heating and cooling solutions for decades. Today, they enjoy a position as a preeminent manufacturer of mini split systems. Their dedication to pioneering and refining comfort technologies is on full display in their line of low-ambient mini split equipment.
The Low-Ambient Difference
Low-ambient heating, or extra-low temperature heating (XLTH), is used in applications where the heat pump condenser will be operating in sub-freezing temperatures on a regular basis. Sounds pretty useful for Chicago, doesn’t it? Fujitsu’s XLTH lineup maintains 100% of the rated heating capacity at an outdoor temperature of 3 degrees Fahrenheit and continues operating down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit, where it provides 73%+ of the rated heating capacity. These condensers are also equipped with base pan heaters and base drainage holes to prevent frozen condensate from affecting performance or operation of the the unit.
Single Zone Solutions
If your clients are looking to add low-ambient heating to an individual space, they have plenty of options with Fujitsu. Fujitsu makes six single-zone XLTH systems, three wall-mounted options and three floor-mounted options. Both mount types are available in 9,000, 12,000, and 15,000 BTU options. The low-ambient heating capabilities of these systems don’t come at the expense of efficiency; SEER ratings of these systems range from 20.3 to a staggering 33 and none of them have an HSPF rating below 11.
The XLTH wall-mounted single zone systems are all equipped with Fujitsu’s ESP energy-saving program. This feature uses sensors in the indoor unit to automatically adjust the temperature level in the room depending on its occupancy. This feature is absent on the floor-mounted models, but they do offer their own unique advantage. Each Fujitsu floor-mounted unit contains two fans, an upper fan and a lower fan. This design is paired with wide airflow capabilities to create a unit capable of blanketing an entire room in comfort from a single point.
Multi-Zone Solutions
If your customer needs a low-ambient system that can handle an entire house, Fujitsu has just what they’re looking for: XLTH multi-zone condensers. The AOU18RLXFZH has a capacity of 18,000 BTU and supports two zones while the AOU24RLXFZH checks in at 24,000 BTU with support for three zones. These models support an increased connectable capacity, allowing you to oversize indoor units to provide additional comfort with the caveat that the condenser’s capacity is still a hard limit for the amount of heating and cooling provided at a given moment.
These condensers may be used with almost every multi-zone compatible indoor unit that Fujitsu manufactures, the only exceptions being the ASU24RLF wall-mounted indoor unit, the ARU24RLF concealed duct indoor unit, and the three RLS2 wall-mounted indoor units. Neither condensers require the use of branch boxes, cutting down on both installation time and costs.
The Bottom Line
Mini splits are an excellent way to provide zoned comfort, but until recently their limitations precluded them from being a total solution in areas with extended periods of freezing temperatures. With the advent of low-ambient technology and the additional tweaks and features of Fujitsu’s engineering team, homeowners in Chicago can now enjoy year round high-efficiency zoned comfort from a mini split system year.