Fujitsu RLS3 Versus LG Prestige Ductless Heat Pump
Our two most popular ductless heat pump models are the Fujitsu RLS3 and LG Prestige heat pump.
Each of these units can be a good choice for similar homes and layouts, however there are some feature differences and the price difference between the two is about $550 bucks.
Let’s take a closer look at what the feature differences are.
Sizing and Nominal Heating
The Fujitsu RLS3 comes in 9,000 BTU, 12,000 BTU and 15,000 BTU sizes. The LG Prestige is available in 9,000 BTU, 12,000 BTU, 18,000 BTU and 24,000 BTU models. The most popular size of each is by far the 12,000 BTU model.
The nominal heating values, which is the max amount of heat the unit can produce at “not so cold” outdoor temperatures, is higher in the Fujitsu than the LG by 15%.
Take a look at a screen shot from our Heat Pump Cheat Sheet below. Note the Nominal heating row (3rd row down).
Low Operating Temperature
The LG Prestige, for a lower price, actually operates 4°C lower than the Fujitsu RLS3 model. However, at that lower temperature it does lose approximately 4,000 BTU’s of it’s heating capacity.
Go back to the screen shot above from our cheat sheet and look at the “Heating operating range” row. You’ll see that the Fujitsu RLS3 operates down to -21°C and still generates 15,000 BTU’s of heat.
The LG operates down to -25°C, but produces 9,520 BTU’s of heat.
What do these numbers mean to you?
At low outdoor temperatures, while the Fujitsu isn’t rated to as cold, it will continue to produce more heat. Note, the Fujitsu doesn’t shut off at -21°C, that is just as low as they feel the unit is optimally efficient.
HSPF and other Stats
While I hate dwelling on the stats and metrics of heat pumps, they do tend to give us some insight into the cost to run and efficiency of the machines.
Going back to the cheat sheet image above you can see the row for HSPF. The Fujitsu RLS3 12,000 BTU has a 14.0 HSPF rating, while the LG has an 11.5 HSPF.
What does this number mean to you?
The HSPF measures the cost of heating over a typical heating season between two units. So assuming you had both of these units installed in your home (not at the same time of course) the Fujitsu would cost you slightly less to operate than the LG for the same winter season.
Warranty
This is where the Fujitsu pulls away from the LG. The RLS3 has a 10 year parts and labour warranty. This heat pump warranty is a joint venture between Fujitsu America and Master Group, which is the eastern Canadian distributor of Fujitsu heat pump products.
The LG prestige has a 10 year compressor warranty and 5 year parts warranty. There is an optional 10 year parts and labour warranty that can be purchased for around $400 on top of the purchase price.
Pricing
Up to this point you might be thinking “Geese why wouldn’t I get the Fujitsu?”. Well price may be it, albeit I’ll ask you not to make a heat pump busing decisions based on price alone.
We’ll compare the 12,000 BTU models in this post, but we’ve done an entire post on the Definitive guide to Heat Pump Prices in HRM you can check out also.
12,000 BTU Fujitsu RLS3: $4250.00
12,000 BTU LG Prestige: $3750.00
Both of these ductless heat pumps qualify for the Efficiency Nova Scotia Green Heat rebate program if you currently heat with electricity rather than oil. They also both qualify for financing through Nova Scotia Power’s on-bill lease to own plan.
Want to talk to one of our Home Energy Specialists about which one of these units is the right choice for your home? Give us a call at (902) 461-0600 to book a 30 Minute in-home consult. No pressure, we just want to help you decide if a heat pump is a good idea for your home or not.
