Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan R32 monobloc heat pumps: models and specifications

Mitsubishi Electric's Ecodan R32 monobloc range is a run-out line. The company told installers in January 2026 that the R32 range is being phased out, with one year remaining before withdrawal, and encouraged a full transition to R290 systems¹. Anyone weighing an R32 unit now is buying a model with a known end date rather than a current-generation product.

What the range still offers is straightforward. It is a monobloc air source heat pump, meaning a single outdoor unit that is coupled to the heating and hot water inside the house, and it needs no gas supply, no flue and no ventilation². Outputs run from 5.0kW to 14.0kW across three families, and the units are listed as operating at outside temperatures as low as -20c, or -28c for the Zubadan³.

For a household, the appeal is fuel independence: the heat pump runs on electricity alone, so the gas connection and the gas supplier drop out of the picture. What remains is the electricity grid, an electricity supplier, and a manufacturer's app if remote control is wanted. The sections below set out the models, the figures and the conditions.

The range at a glance: Compact, Ultra Quiet PUZ and Zubadan

Three families make up the R32 monobloc line, and they are aimed at different jobs rather than at different budgets.

The Compact PUZ is the small-property model. It is described as designed to satisfy smaller heat demand domestic premises, is listed at 5.0kW, and carries an A+++ efficiency rating in the manufacturer's own case-study material⁶. It is MELCloud enabled, so remote monitoring and control run through the manufacturer's cloud service⁶.

The Ultra Quiet PUZ is the mid-range workhorse, listed at 6.0kW, 8.5kW and 11.2kW⁷. It is described as a self-contained unit with ultra quiet operation and low maintenance⁷. A coastal variant of the Ultra Quiet is also listed, with enhanced corrosion protection of key components for aggressive coastal areas, which matters for anyone within reach of salt spray⁸.

The Zubadan is the cold weather model, listed at 14.0kW³. It uses what the manufacturer calls patented Zubadan technology to maintain a stable heat output at very low temperatures, and it is described as low maintenance with quiet operation³. It is the unit to look at where the design outside temperature is severe.

Sizes and outputs: 5.0kW to 14.0kW

The published sizes across the R32 line are 5.0kW, 6.0kW, 8.5kW, 11.2kW and 14.0kW³. Mitsubishi Electric's own homeowner presentation gives the range as 5, 8.5, 11.2 and 14kW sizes, which is the same span with the 6.0kW unit omitted⁵.

That spread covers most domestic heat loads, but the size a house needs is not chosen from a table. It comes from a heat loss calculation for the individual property, which is why two similar-looking houses can end up with different units. The 5.0kW Compact exists for smaller heat demand premises⁶, and the 14.0kW Zubadan sits at the top of the domestic line³.

The gap between the listed sizes is wide at the top end: 11.2kW to 14.0kW is a large step, and a house sitting between them has to be matched to one or the other. That is a normal consequence of a fixed model range, and it is one reason a heat loss survey matters more than a rule of thumb based on floor area or bedroom count.

For a household, the output figure is the point at which the heat pump either covers the building's demand at design conditions or does not. A unit sized too small will not hold temperature on the coldest days; one sized too large cycles more and runs less efficiently. Neither is a fault of the R32 line specifically, but the narrow choice at the top of the range makes the calculation more consequential.

Efficiency: A+++ at 35°C, with a range of A+++ to D

The efficiency picture across the R32 line is not a single number. The Compact PUZ is listed at A+++ high efficiency in the manufacturer's case-study material⁶. Mitsubishi Electric's general homeowner page describes Ecodan as carrying an A++ rating helping to minimise energy costs⁹. Those two figures sit on different scales and different products.

The A+++ figure is tied to a flow temperature of 35°C, which is the low-temperature operating point used for efficiency labelling. A heat pump running at 35°C flow is doing underfloor heating or well-sized radiator work. Raise the flow temperature and the rating falls away, which is why the same range can be described across a span from A+++ down to D depending on the application and the test basis.

What drives the real figure in a fitted system is the flow temperature the emitters allow, not the badge. A house with large radiators or underfloor heating can run low and hold a high seasonal performance; a house with undersized radiators needs a higher flow temperature and gets less from the same unit. Independent work on the Electrification of Heat demonstration project points the same way, noting improvements in refrigerant use such as R290 and R32 that contribute to improved efficiency¹⁰.

The practical consequence for independence is that the heat pump's running cost is set by the building and the emitters, not by the model name. A household that fits an R32 Ecodan into a well-insulated house with generous emitters gets close to the headline; one that does not will see the lower end of the range.

Cold weather performance: down to -20c, and -28c for Zubadan

Cold weather capability is where the three families separate most clearly. The Ultra Quiet PUZ is listed as operating with outside temperatures as low as -20c⁷. The Zubadan PUZ is listed as operating with outside temperatures as low as -28c³.

The Zubadan also carries optimised low ambient defrost control and operation down to -15c, which is a separate figure from the operating limit and concerns how the unit manages frost build-up on the outdoor coil at low ambient temperatures³. Defrost cycles are the point at which a heat pump's output dips in cold weather, so the control strategy matters as much as the headline minimum.

The Compact PUZ is described as maintaining full heating capacity at low temperatures⁶. That is a claim about output retention rather than about a minimum operating temperature, and it is the more useful of the two for a household: a heat pump that runs at -20c but at half output is less useful than one that holds its rated capacity.

For a UK household, the practical question is whether the unit covers the design condition for the location. In most of the UK the design outside temperature is well above -20c, so the Ultra Quiet's limit is not the binding constraint. In exposed upland areas, the Zubadan's -28c figure and its stable output claim are the reason it exists³.

Noise and permitted development under MCS020

An air source heat pump is normally permitted development in England, but only if it complies with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Planning Standards, known as MCS 020, because heat pumps can be noisy¹². That is the rule that decides whether a household needs a planning application.

The MCS 020 assessment sets a permitted development noise limit of 42.0 dB(A) as the final result at an assessment position, and a maximum absolute level of 37.7 dBA is permitted for air source heat pumps by the calculation¹³. The assessment assumes a background noise level of 40 dBA¹³. The Welsh Government's own review notes that the noise assessment prescribed in MCS 020 presents an obstacle to installations proceeding, which is a candid acknowledgement from an official source that the standard is not always easy to satisfy¹³.

That position has been revised. MCS 020(a) features a revised acoustic assessment methodology, supports installations closer to property boundaries subject to acoustic compliance, and improved installer guidance on noise assessments¹⁴. For a household with a tight side return or a neighbouring window close to the proposed unit position, the revised methodology is the difference between permitted development and a planning application.

The rules are not uniform across the UK. The Welsh Government has consulted on changes to permitted development rights and published a summary of responses¹⁴. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regimes. The manufacturer's own claim for the Ultra Quiet family is ultra quiet operation⁷, and the Compact is listed with low noise levels⁶, but a manufacturer's description is not the same as a pass under the assessment.

Cylinders and controls: the FTC6 packaged range

The R32 monobloc pairs with the FTC6 packaged cylinder range, which comes pre-plumbed with integrated hydraulic components and advanced controls⁶. Three cylinder shapes are listed: standard cylinders at 150L, 170L, 210L, 250L and 300L; slimline cylinders at 150L and 170L; and solar cylinders at 210L, 250L and 300L². The slimline versions are designed to minimise floor space and footprint while still offering optimum performance¹⁵.

Controls run through the FTC6 flow controller. Optional two-zone energy efficient space heating control is listed across the range², and energy monitoring is standard³. MEL Cloud Wi-Fi connectivity is listed on the pre-plumbed slimline cylinder, which is the route to remote control and monitoring².

The successor generation, the FTC7 monobloc packaged cylinder, is listed with a colour touch screen control, flexible product placement and what the manufacturer calls plug and play simple installation¹⁶. It is described as the perfect renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuel boilers¹⁶. That is the control platform a household buying into the newer R290 line would get.

The hybrid function is the notable feature for anyone not ready to remove a boiler. The FTC6 monobloc packaged cylinder is listed with a hybrid function for use with conventional boilers². That allows the heat pump to run alongside an existing boiler rather than replacing it outright, which suits a staged retrofit.

What the R32 phase-out means for buyers

The phase-out is the single most important fact about this range. Mitsubishi Electric told installers in January 2026 that Ecodan R32 is being phased out, with one year remaining before withdrawal, and encouraged a full transition to R290 systems now¹. That places the end of the line around early 2027, though no final order date has been published.

The successor is the Ecodan R290 range. Quiet Mark lists Mitsubishi Ecodan R290 air source heat pumps at 8.5kW and 12kW, both described as utilising the refrigerant properties of R290⁴. R290 is described as a low GWP refrigerant¹⁸. In the same January 2026 announcement, Mitsubishi Electric cut the list price of its 5kW R290 unit by £200 to make R290 more competitive for smaller properties and retrofit installations, and lifted restrictions on grooves, waste-water systems, sewer and waste-water shaft inlets and downpipes within the R290 protection zone following a technical and safety review¹.

The refrigerant change is driven by regulation rather than by product fashion. R32 was itself the replacement for R410A¹⁹, and the current direction of travel is toward lower global warming potential fluids. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has consulted on reform of the fluorinated gas phasedown in Great Britain, including a proposed reduction in hydrofluorocarbons placed on the market for the first time of 98.6% from the 2015 to 2019 baseline by the final step down in 2048¹¹.

For a household, the practical reading is this. An R32 unit bought now will be serviceable and supported, but it is a generation behind the current line, spares and installer familiarity will follow the R290 range over time, and the price advantage of the run-out stock is the compensation. Anyone planning to stay in the house for fifteen years is buying into the end of a product cycle.

Costs: standalone units and pre-plumbed cylinder packages, ex-VAT

There is no published list price for the R32 monobloc units. Mitsubishi Electric does not publish a price for a supplied and fitted R32 heat pump, and the figures that exist are either worked examples or installer quotes.

The one figure in the manufacturer's own material is a worked example: an 8.5kW Ecodan installation in a four bedroom detached house built in 1985, reusing existing radiators and the existing hot water cylinder, at £8,640 for installation and commissioning⁵. That is a specific case, not a range, and it should be read as an illustration of what one installation cost rather than as a guide to what any other house will pay.

The £200 list price reduction on the 5kW R290 unit announced in January 2026 is a list price change on the successor model, not a fitted price, and it does not apply to the R32 line¹.

Three things move a quote on an R32 unit: the output and family chosen, whether the system type is changing, and the cylinder arrangement. A pre-plumbed packaged cylinder reduces on-site labour because the hydraulic components and controls arrive assembled⁶, while a slimline cylinder is chosen where floor space is tight¹⁵. A hybrid installation alongside an existing boiler is a different job again from a full replacement.

VAT treatment is not stated in the figure above, so it should be read as quoted rather than as confirmed VAT-inclusive. Prices for this range are installer-quoted after a survey.

Where the R32 range has limits

The limits are worth setting out plainly, because the range is being withdrawn and the successor changes the picture.

The first is availability. With one year remaining as of January 2026, stock will thin and model choice will narrow before the line ends¹. A household that settles on a specific output and family may find it unavailable by the time an installation is booked.

The second is the refrigerant. R32 is a generation behind R290, and the regulatory direction is toward lower global warming potential fluids¹¹. That does not make an R32 unit unsafe or inefficient, but it does mean the installed base will eventually be the older one.

The third is the dependence that remains. A monobloc heat pump needs no gas supply, no flue and no ventilation², and the Ultra Quiet unit requires only water and an electric connection². That removes the gas grid and the gas supplier from the household's energy position. What replaces them is the electricity grid and an electricity supplier, plus a dependence on the manufacturer for controls and, where MEL Cloud is used, on a broadband connection and the manufacturer's servers².

The fourth is the hybrid option. Where the FTC6 packaged cylinder is used with a conventional boiler², the household keeps the gas connection and its standing charge. That is a deliberate trade for a staged retrofit, but it is not independence from gas.

For a household weighing this range, the position is that the R32 Ecodan delivers fuel independence from gas at the cost of a product line with a known end date, and that the R290 successor is where the manufacturer's development effort now sits.