Heat Pump Noise in the Press

An article in The Guardian business pages today asks whether heat pumps can cause noise nuisance to neighbours. In looking into the question they reference a paper on heat pump noise presented at the IOA conference in October, which was interpreted by some press at the time as saying heat pumps are too noisy for most homes. Last year government surveyed of households living within 50 metres of a heat pump, to gauge noise nuisance inside the house. It asked respondents to specify which neighbourhood noises could be heard from indoors. The study found that 57% of the 139 respondents noticed barking during the day, and just 4% noticed the sound of a heat pump. For clarification on the issue,  IOA member Jack Harvie- Clark is quoted saying "While noise is a valid concern … technology improvements and proper installation can mitigate noise issues in most homes... While the potential noise impact of air source heat pumps should be considered, it is important to balance this with the significant environmental benefits of transitioning away from fossil fuel heating systems. Gas boilers also make a noise.”

For anyone considering installing a heat pump, the IOA have published Briefing Notes on what to consider.