The Air Source Heat Pump Revolution Is Here

The government has announced that, starting in 2025, the installation of gas and oil boilers in all new homes will be banned in favor of low-carbon heating alternatives.

This ban is part of the UK's action plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Additionally, starting in April 2022, the UK government will offer households a £5,000 grant to replace gas boilers with low-carbon technology. Air source heat pumps are likely to be the primary alternative to existing fossil-fuel heating systems.

These units function like air conditioners that expel heat, and most are installed outdoors. This setup presents significant noise issues.

A report by the European Heat Pump Association acknowledges that fan noise is a critical concern, highlighting the nuisance caused by the tonal and low-frequency noise generated by air source heat pumps. Installation location is also crucial, yet options are extremely limited for apartments.

While specialized, off-the-shelf acoustic enclosures designed for typical air source heat pumps do exist—offering noise reduction of around 20 decibels—they cost between £3,000 and £4,000, making them prohibitively expensive despite their other benefits.

Furthermore, these enclosures are bulky and must not obstruct airflow around the intake and exhaust vents.

While this is not a major issue for large houses with gardens, it is a design factor that requires serious consideration for new multi-story residential buildings.

In many hot-climate countries, it is common practice to install individual heat pumps for each apartment rather than a communal plant area on the roof; however, this solution is unlikely to work in modern apartment blocks due to the varied uses of roof space.

Although a well-ventilated, sound-insulated plant room could be constructed in the basement or on the ground floor, this would be a costly undertaking and presents numerous technical challenges regarding airflow and noise mitigation.

It is hoped that as the mass market expands and investment in quieter heat pumps grows, the technology will continue to improve. Nevertheless, it is essential to reiterate the conclusion of the *London Heat Pump* report: "The impact of heat pumps regarding space and noise depends largely on the system type and must be considered on a project-specific basis."

If you encounter issues related to heating system noise—whether now or in the future—please do not hesitate to contact Leomon so that we can collaborate with you and add value to your project.