Neighbours heat pump

[BluLagoon]

Viewed a house today which I liked but except for the whirring hum in the garden which I assume comes from the heat pump in the newly built house next door.

It is situated about 10m from the garden fence but was loud enough to be disturbing. Can anyone tell me if they run 24 hours a day? What about in the summer?

I don't have an ASHP but I live in a very small village where any new build houses are fitted with them and one old house has had one retrofitted). The new houses (there are four all built at the same time) are all very quiet, but the old house I can hear the pump fire up at night when I'm walking past and that one's quite noisy. So it isn't a universal 'they are loud' or 'they are fine', I think it must depend on the fitting, and possibly the age of the house?

But can you still have a very hot shower x 4 (one each for everyone in the family) every morning? I like a shower to almost scald me, lukewarm would be miserable

If I had to live next to the one I walk past that hums away very loudly then it was give me migraines, stop me sleeping and affect my ability to work from home. I'd be very happy with a quiet one but it seriously puts me off.

@MemorableTrenchcoat I agree that heat pumps are the future. I recall replacing our condenser tumble dryer with a heat pump dryer, there was little choice and we were warned over and over again that the technology was too new and didn't work....

Loads of choice now....

Our hot water only gets heated to 60 degrees, so not scalding, as that's unnecessarily frivolous. It's definitely not lukewarm.

Seriously, can I play the green card and say that my system does not run on gas but runs on solar and energy from the AIR (in addition to overnight surplus energy from the grid, mostly) and that if we don't have 4 x 10 minute scalding hot showers in the morning that's OK and perfectly fine! Why should we all expect a green option to only be the very best experience, cost nothing or totally silent? "Heat pumps reduce your annual carbon footprint by around 44% compared to a gas boiler" as per the internet but as mine runs on solar some of the time, its even more efficient. You might want to change your showering habits and how your house is heated, you know, because of CLIMATE CHANGE.

@Youcanttakeanelephantonthebus our ASHP heated the water to about 60C which was easily hot enough. And yes to lots of showers.

We had a heat pump installed last year. Was a bit nervous after reading all the negative press but it's great. Very quiet (the fridge is louder) and very efficient. Underfloor cooling in summer & underfloor heating in winter.

I agree @MissNowt , underfloor heating and ASHP is a winning combo. Cooling the floor in the summer was a winner too, really took the latent heat out of the floor which really helped keep the house cool.

Such a peculiar experience. They are bog standard in NZ. They aren't overly expensive. They don't require lots of room. I'm not sure what you mean by that. Room for what? They take up very little room in the house

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway oh do you mean the water tank needs room? Yes if you are using it to heat water you need a water tank but that goes in our loft.

But I still don't know what this monstrosity thing comes it. They are really quiet. Maybe there are good ones and bad ones as lots of others have said theirs is super quiet also.

@Youcanttakeanelephantonthebus

But can you still have a very hot shower x 4 (one each for everyone in the family) every morning? I like a shower to almost scald me, lukewarm would be miserable

Yes. Many people in Scandinavia, Japan and NZ enjoy hot shower 😂

I'm just curious because a pp said the compromise was colder water.

And yes @MrsJamin I am aware of CLIMATE CHANGE. Which is why I was enquiring about the water temp in case it would be something we would want. As it stands I don't think we would have room for a tank in the house or the pump in the garden.

They’ve become yet another topic/victim of the culture wars in the UK. See also: EVs, smart meters, cycle lanes, climate change etc etc.

I walk past a good sized one every night walking my dog. I cannot hear it unless I’m with 3 to 4m of it, even then, it’s very quiet.

they are noisy and need a lot of room for the tank inside - the fan andf heat exchanger can be heard inside - they are not cheap to run - gas is the best but if you do not have gas then yhou do not have much options

They are much cheaper to run than any other form of electric heating. On the right tariff, they can even be cheaper than gas.

I have heard it said that a heat pump needs to run 24/7 otherwise when its on its going full blast and is noisy as a result

Did you find octopus good @Landlubber2019 ? I’m looking at putting in asap in the house I’m moving to and they’ve sent me some info which sounds great so any info about the experience you are willing to share would be great.

@BluLagoon my mum has one in her new build and don’t find the sound intrusive at all. Her energy bills are tiny.

the tank is large and in a 3 bed semi it wld take a lot of room - radiators are large - water temperature is reduced when you bath

Why is the water temperature reduced when you take a bath?

If neighbours find them annoying (I would!) dont the home owners find them annoying too?

Not any more…

The UK Government has removed planning restrictions for heat pump installations near property boundaries. Read about the new UK planning rules for heat pumps and how they help homeowners. New UK planning rules for heat pumps came into force on 29 May 2025, making it easier than ever for homeowners to install energy-efficient heating systems. These changes simplify the process, reduce red tape, and remove one of the biggest obstacles facing households ready to make the switch.

Previously, homeowners needed planning permission to install a heat pump within one metre of their property boundary. This requirement has now been scrapped, unlocking access to renewable heating for thousands of properties across the country.

https://boxergy.co.uk/new-uk-planning-rules-for-heat-pumps/

As they are still doing building work the filters most likely need cleaning which will make them noisier.