While environmentally friendly, heat pumps can generate noise levels of up to 40 to 50 dB(A). How much this affects the surrounding area depends on background sound levels, which will be much higher in a city compared to a rural residential area.
Loud heat pumps can quickly lead to disputes, negatively affecting relationships with neighbours. The local council will likely require you to take steps to limit noise pollution before they grant permission for the installation.
Often larger and louder, commercial heat pumps can have a significant impact on neighbouring properties, even in areas with higher background noise.
In towns or city centres, they can be the cause of heat pump noise complaints from nearby shops, business parks, offices or hotels. Noise limits may also be stricter if located near residential areas.
A common and practical solution, a heat pump acoustic enclosure will effectively combat noise pollution using high performance materials. The type of system will determine its design and build.
Typically shorter in height, horizontal pumps are less visually obtrusive and dispense air sideways. Our heat pump enclosures are built from top-quality acoustic louvres, equipped with front and side access panels for maximum performance. Featuring absorptive panels, they reduce internal reverberation, which further reduces noise pollution.
With a smaller footprint, vertical pumps are suitable for tight spaces and corners. Taller structures, our acoustic enclosures for heat pumps are specifically designed to support the system’s fan, which blows the air upward.
Sound Planning will address all airflow requirements, planning restrictions and noise level requirements when designing and building your enclosure. Purpose-built to surround your unique system, our heat pump acoustic enclosures comply with British Standard 4142:2014, which determines appropriate industrial and commercial sound levels in mixed residential and commercial areas.
Contact us for more information and a free quote.
When leading UK leisure centre The Popular Stour Centre, in Ashford, Kent, needed an air source heat pump enclosure as part of an eco-friendly renovation, Sound Planning was happy to help.
Our acoustic team was commissioned to replace an existing ‘home-made’ enclosure for a purpose built acoustic enclosure for a fan assisted heating system for an outdoor marquee.
Sound Planning were required to supply a low resistance / high performance acoustic enclosure within a light well in Mount Street, London to meet the attenuation requirements of a noise impact assessment report.
Following an initial report by Sound Solutions that highlighted a number of challenges, Sound Planning recently completed a project at St John’s Square in Clerkenwell, London.
