I’m still of the stance that heat pumps work well, if the house heating system is designed/adjusted to accomodate.
Modern insulation, large radiators/underfloor heating? Ideal candidate, you’ll hit decent efficiency most of the time.
1930s house with little insulation, and un-calculated radiators thrown in and run at 70’C?
You might as well be using bare electric heating at a lower install cost.
So the push for ASHP/GSHPs needs to be a two pronged attack: Get places ready to receive them, then install them.
All of them? Sure, some were clearly rattly old things with knackered bearings, but they are not silent and stick out like a sore thumb when they click on at night. However, in the daytime, they get drowned out by the general din of life.
But im sure I’ll be told my experiences are wrong.
I lived in a campsite with an old 9kw heat pump and I couldn’t tell if it was on from the other side of the garden (which was as long as the house). Anything that is mechanical and moves got a chance of making a noise but it doesn’t mean all of them do. We also had one inside the house for thr hot water and when they was new I had to open the door to the utilities room to even know it was on.
maybe i got lucky to somehow hear them over my tinnitus. and no, if you live around them long enough, its not just a fan spinning (which will get noisy over time when they get manky and imbalanced, which in turn causes secondary vibrations). personally, i prefer air to air heatpumps i had when i lived in nz. not the noisy bastards i put up with in sweden.
that said, despite my hearing loss and tinnitus, i can pick up on annoying sounds nobody notices until i point them out.
This is definitely part of the heat pump push that I am not looking forward to.
ASHPs do make noise, badly installed they make more, and more vibration.
I forsee lots of painful battles between council departments trying to push for ASHPs, and noise complaints.
My solution is to move to a detatched house eventually, as I can’t see it going well at all!
Interesting point. Hadn’t even considered the cumulative noise issue. I imagine heat pumps will get quieter, but initially at leat you’re right, they could be a real issue in terraced properties, for example.
I’m still of the stance that heat pumps work well, if the house heating system is designed/adjusted to accomodate.
Modern insulation, large radiators/underfloor heating? Ideal candidate, you’ll hit decent efficiency most of the time.
1930s house with little insulation, and un-calculated radiators thrown in and run at 70’C?
You might as well be using bare electric heating at a lower install cost.
So the push for ASHP/GSHPs needs to be a two pronged attack: Get places ready to receive them, then install them.
If all my neighbours had heatpumps installed the noise would drive me mad. I don’t think my sanity would last due to lack of sleep.
Houses where i am are so close together.
Something wrong with whatever heatpumps you’ve seen.
All of them? Sure, some were clearly rattly old things with knackered bearings, but they are not silent and stick out like a sore thumb when they click on at night. However, in the daytime, they get drowned out by the general din of life.
But im sure I’ll be told my experiences are wrong.
I lived in a campsite with an old 9kw heat pump and I couldn’t tell if it was on from the other side of the garden (which was as long as the house). Anything that is mechanical and moves got a chance of making a noise but it doesn’t mean all of them do. We also had one inside the house for thr hot water and when they was new I had to open the door to the utilities room to even know it was on.
All you can hear is a fan spinning.
maybe i got lucky to somehow hear them over my tinnitus. and no, if you live around them long enough, its not just a fan spinning (which will get noisy over time when they get manky and imbalanced, which in turn causes secondary vibrations). personally, i prefer air to air heatpumps i had when i lived in nz. not the noisy bastards i put up with in sweden.
that said, despite my hearing loss and tinnitus, i can pick up on annoying sounds nobody notices until i point them out.
I’ve only experiences the air to air heatpumps in aus and nz. I though sweden used the same?
This is definitely part of the heat pump push that I am not looking forward to.
ASHPs do make noise, badly installed they make more, and more vibration.
I forsee lots of painful battles between council departments trying to push for ASHPs, and noise complaints.
My solution is to move to a detatched house eventually, as I can’t see it going well at all!
Interesting point. Hadn’t even considered the cumulative noise issue. I imagine heat pumps will get quieter, but initially at leat you’re right, they could be a real issue in terraced properties, for example.
This is the approach I’m taking , upgrade the basics like insultation first before making the jump.