Brand guide · United States · checked October 19, 2026
Ruud heat pumps
Ruud is part of the Paloma Rheem Holdings family. ENERGY STAR lists 91 Ruud outdoor models certified for the US, 56 of them cold-climate, and its best certified pairing heats at a COP of 2.60 at 5°F.
Ruud at a glance
- Who owns it
- Rheem Manufacturing Company, owned by Paloma Co., Ltd. (Nagoya, Japan). No ownership change found for 2024-2026.
- Sister brands
- Rheem, Friedrich, Sure Comfort, WeatherKing, Frigidaire (HVAC, licensed), Maytag (HVAC, licensed), Gibson, Intertherm
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Rheem Manufacturing); parent Paloma in Nagoya, Japan
- How it's sold
- Contractor-installed
- Price tier
- Mid-range. Editorial judgement, not price data: Ruud publishes no prices; its Endeavor range runs from Choice/Achiever single-stage to Ultra variable-speed models, sold through contractors.
- What it makes
- ducted central, ductless mini-split, multi-zone, ducted mini-split, packaged
- Names on ENERGY STAR's list
- Ruud (certified by Rheem Sales Company, Inc.; Rheem-Ruud Manufacturing)
Product lines
The current residential heat pump lines we found on Ruud's own pages, with the low-temperature claim in the maker's words. 1 of 8 are sold as cold-climate.
| Line | Type | Cold-climate | Maker's low-temperature claim | Refrigerant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Line Ultra Series RD18AY Universal Heat Pump (side discharge) | ducted central | No | Rheem's spec sheet for the same RD18AY model lists 'Heating: -22–70°F' (Ruud's own page gives no temperature figure); up to 10.0 HSPF2 | R-454B |
| Endeavor Line Ultra Series UP19AY heat pump | ducted central | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-454B |
| Endeavor Line Achiever Plus Series RP17AY Top-Discharge Universal Heat Pump | ducted central | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-454B |
| Endeavor Line Achiever Plus Series RP15AY heat pump | ducted central | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-454B |
| Endeavor Line Achiever Series RP14AY heat pump | ducted central | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-454B |
| Floating Air Ultra ductless (single- and multi-zone; wall, cassette, concealed-duct and air-handler indoor units) | ductless mini-split | Yes | Ruud says Ultra single-zone systems heat down to -22°F and multi-zone down to -13°F, and that Ultra models maintain 100% heating capacity at 5°F (paraphrased from ruud.com; exact wording not captured) | R-454B |
| Floating Air Achiever Plus ductless (single-zone, wall-mounted) | ductless mini-split | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-454B |
| Floating Air Achiever ductless (single-zone, wall-mounted) | ductless mini-split | No | No low-temperature figure published | R-32 |
Certified models with the best cold-weather numbers
From ENERGY STAR's list for the US (updated October 19, 2026): each row is one outdoor unit with its best certified pairing. 64 of 91 Ruud outdoor models use R-454B or R-32; the tables show those.
Mini-splits and multi-splits (20 models)
| Outdoor / indoor model | Size | Heat at 5°F | COP at 5°F | HSPF2 | SEER2 | Refrigerant | AHRI # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSHSR18B3D FAHFW18A3D Floating Air Acheiver | 18,000 BTU/h 1.5-ton | 13,700 BTU/h 76% of rated | 2.50 | 9.8 | 21.0 | R-32 | 215792238 |
| FPHSR09A3D FAHFW09A3D Floating Air Achiever Plus | 9,000 BTU/h 1-ton | 9,000 BTU/h 100% of rated | 2.10 | 11.0 | 25.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 215792243 |
| FPHFR48A3D FPHFA48A3D Floating Air Ultra | 48,000 BTU/h 4-ton | 48,000 BTU/h 100% of rated | 2.10 | 10.0 | 19.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 217508876 |
| FPHFR24A3D FPHFC24A3D Floating Air Ultra | 24,000 BTU/h 2-ton | 24,000 BTU/h 100% of rated | 2.00 | 10.5 | 20.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 217101942 |
| FPHFR18A3D FPHFC18A3D Floating Air Ultra | 18,000 BTU/h 1.5-ton | 18,000 BTU/h 100% of rated | 2.00 | 10.0 | 20.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 217101941 |
| FPHFR36A3D FPHSC36A3D Floating Air Ultra | 36,000 BTU/h 3-ton | 36,000 BTU/h 100% of rated | 2.00 | 9.5 | 19.5 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 217107008 |
Central (ducted) split systems (71 models)
| Outdoor / indoor model | Size | Heat at 5°F | COP at 5°F | HSPF2 | SEER2 | Refrigerant | AHRI # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RD16AY36AJVC RCFY3624MTANM ACHIEVER PLUS | 33,200 BTU/h 3-ton | 19,200 BTU/h 58% of rated | 2.40 | 8.5 | 17.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 218719578 |
| RD16AY24AJVC RCFY2417STANM ACHIEVER PLUS | 22,800 BTU/h 2-ton | 13,600 BTU/h 60% of rated | 2.30 | 8.5 | 16.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 218719436 |
| UP19AY48AJVC RCFY4821SEAAM ULTRA SERIES | 45,500 BTU/h 4-ton | 35,000 BTU/h 77% of rated | 2.20 | 8.5 | 18.0 | R-454B | 218728693 |
| UP19AY36AJVC RCFY3621MEAAM ULTRA SERIES | 34,200 BTU/h 3-ton | 26,200 BTU/h 77% of rated | 2.20 | 8.5 | 20.0 | R-454B | 218728674 |
| RD18AY36AJVC RCFY3621MTANM ULTRA SERIES | 32,400 BTU/h 2.5-ton | 23,800 BTU/h 74% of rated | 2.20 | 10.0 | 18.0 | R-454B | 218729496 |
| RP17AY24AJVC RCFY2417STANM Achiever Plus | 22,400 BTU/h 2-ton | 16,100 BTU/h 72% of rated | 2.20 | 8.1 | 16.0 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 218719265 |
Most efficient for cooling
| Outdoor / indoor model | Size | SEER2 | EER2 | HSPF2 | COP at 5°F | Refrigerant | AHRI # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPHSR09A3D FAHFW09A3D Floating Air Achiever Plus | 9,000 BTU/h 1-ton | 25.0 | 13.7 | 11.0 | 2.10 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 215792243 |
| FPHSR09A1C FAHSW09A1C Floating Air Achiever Plus | 9,000 BTU/h 1-ton | 23.0 | 14.1 | 10.0 | 1.90 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 215792241 |
| FPHMR27A3D Floating Air Pro | 27,000 BTU/h 2.5-ton | 23.0 | 12.9 | 10.0 | 1.82 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 215792863 |
| FPHSR12A3D FAHFW12A3D Floating Air Achiever Plus | 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton | 23.0 | 12.3 | 10.0 | 2.00 | R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 215792244 |
Look up any pairing by its AHRI number in the AHRI Directory ↗ or search the model in ENERGY STAR's product finder ↗. Ratings are for the exact indoor and outdoor pairing shown.
Warranty
Registration: Same Rheem Sales Company certificate as Rheem: register within 90 days of installation (or closing) for conditional terms; otherwise shorter non-registered terms apply (e.g., 5-year parts on entry models). UP19AY lists 10-year parts plus a 10-year Conditional Unit Replacement (registration required); RD18AY lists 10-year conditional parts (registration required). Floating Air ductless: 7-year parts unregistered, 10 registered, 10-year compressor (per the shared Floating Air certificate).
Labour: Not covered by the limited warranty (contractor labour agreement or Protection Plus extended plan only).
The Rheem Sales Company certificate covers US and Canadian installations; ruud.ca publishes no separate Canadian terms and no Quebec rules were found.
Strengths and watch-outs
Strengths
- Same Rheem-built Endeavor platform as Rheem under different series names, including the RD18AY universal heat pump (up to 10.0 HSPF2)
- Floating Air Ultra ductless: heating down to -22°F single-zone with full capacity claimed at 5°F (ruud.com)
- UP19AY: 10-year parts plus 10-year conditional unit replacement with registration (product page)
- Sold in both the US and Canada (ruud.com, ruud.ca)
Watch-outs
- 90-day registration window for the conditional (10-year) terms
- ruud.com still lists the R-410A RD17AZ and other 'AZ' models beside R-454B 'AY' models; confirm refrigerant on quotes
- Series names differ from Rheem's for identical model numbers (Ultra = Prestige, Achiever Plus = Classic Plus, Achiever = Classic, Choice = Select), which complicates comparisons
Which rebates Ruud models fit
Every model in these tables is ENERGY STAR certified, which is the federal equipment rule for the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates where your state runs them. 56 Ruud outdoor models also meet ENERGY STAR Cold Climate, which several utility programs require. The 25C tax credit ended for heat pumps placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Rebate rules by metro:
Recent news
- Rheem launched the RP17AY top-discharge universal heat pump (R-454B); Ruud lists the same model as Achiever Plus RP17AY. contractingbusiness.com ↗
- Parent Rheem completed its acquisition of Nortek Global HVAC. rheem.com ↗
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Sources
Model counts and ratings: ENERGY STAR Certified Heat Pumps, updated October 19, 2026. Brand facts checked October 19, 2026 on:
- Ruud heat pumps
- Ruud UP19AY product page
- Ruud RD18AY product page
- Ruud RD16AZ product page
- Ruud Floating Air mini-splits
- Ruud warranty and registration
- Ruud Canada heat pumps
- Ruud Canada home page
- Rheem RD18AY spec sheet
- Rheem/Ruud limited warranty 92-26150-66-06 (distributor copy, RP14AY)
- Floating Air ductless warranty 92-26150-76 (Rheem Sales Company)
- ACHR News: price-fixing lawsuits (Oct 14, 2026)