HELP! New house, closed loop system, 5 ton water source heat pump that is centrally located and is loud. After months of complaining they finally put a sound deadening piece of pad on 4 corners (so as not to create much work by lifting it and placing the whole pad). Still noisy, they decide to wrap it in thick insulation... looks like spaceship now and still loud. They claim it won't get any better and want $2000 to move it into the garage. I just don't trust them anymore and feel so helpless. There are no real experts in this area (Navarre FL) and I just want to watch tv, talk, take naps on the couch without being scared to death when this thing turns on. I don't think the benefits (sketchy on that too) outweigh the annoyance. Can anyone help or steer us in the right direction?

What brand name of heat pump?

Is the noise from the air rushing through the ducts or is it from the heat pump?  If the ducts are too small then wrapping the unit will not help much.

Is the heat pump in a separate room or just in a closet off the hallway?

Was all packing material removed during installation?

Did they remember to remove the shipping bolts from the compressor during commissioning?

What kind of noise...or is the problem actually vibration?

Do you have any photos?

Is it the noise of the compressor? 

The pump is set up in the hallway off the kitchen/bedroom/laundryroom (central to house). It is a 5 ton HydroTech R-410A. The noise seems to be the fan, when it kicks on and starts the whole blowing & sucking thing. Initially the door to the pump was louvered, which was like a small aircraft landing when it turned on. We literally could not have a conversation in the surrounding area while it was on. I told them this is not gonna work, they put a normal door on, and added 3 more exchanges in the bedrooms. The bedroom exchange connected to the pump room had to be closed off because... duh... when the thing turns on that kid couldn't sleep! So, there is an exchange in the laundry room, 2 bedrooms, and hallway at the other end of the house. If the unit is running it takes an act of God to close the laundry room, which is why I don't because I feel this pump is trying to breathe and is not gettinig enough air. Boutwell assured me it was, and shutting the door was fine. Also, when it comes on the entire wall vibrates. So some of the noise is vibration, most of it is the fan - I believe. Also when it turns on there is a loud snap and the electricity actually gets sucked down - this can't be normal, but again, he assures me it is. My first thought was cheap pump, and oversized for this house (3100 sqft). Also, the system was in place when we moved in. We did not see the installation or even hear it run until after we had moved in (I know, bad move!), so I don't know about bolts, packing material, etc. Is there some sort of law about how much noise these are allowed to emit indoors? Is it possible to just throw the towel in and revert to old airconditioning/heating system (outside)? I took pictures but didn't see how I could attach them, if you'd like to see them reply to [email protected] and I'll send them.

Sent you an email

Yes, most of the noise is from air intake, but there is also slight vibration along the whole wall? There are 4 air exchanges; 2 in bedrooms that are about 12x12, another 12x12 in hallway opposite side of house, one 12x24 that is in small closed laundry room. Another small louvered opening under pump platform.

You need boots on the ground. Unfortunately there's 300+ miles of Florida's I-10 between me and Navarre.

Any competent HVAC contractor that knows their way around ductwork should be able to assess the duct side and the load side. It may well be oversized, but it'll take a load calc to prove that.

It sounds like it lacks sufficient return. Ask installer to prove unit is operating under no more external static pressure (TESP) than manufacturer specifies, likely no more than 0.75 inches water column for that size unit, maybe only 0.50.

Did you contract for this installation or did you inherit it after the fact?

The contractor will no longer address the issue as it is out of his warranty window, and claims I am not the customer... the builder is and the builder was satisfied with install. When I complained about it the first time he said the static was .5/400fpm. I was never proved this, is there a reader? I was reading the proposal on the project and he originally proposed 24x16, 4 12x12 in each bedroom, 24x12 in laundry room. When we moved in, there was only the exchange in the laundry room and louvered door exchange. I'm not sure what happened that he changed his proposal to what he actually did, but after complaining about the airport noise he came back and removed the louvered door and put the solid one, and added the 2 bedroom exchanges and 1 hallway exchange. Can you tell me why it would pull the electricity down upon startup? We've had two other HVAC guys come in for opinions and both had no clue but to move it into the garage... that is why I'm hesitant to hire anyone around here, doesn't appear they want a job, or have the expertise to find a solution. Also, do you know what an acceptable decibel level is indoors for any unit?

I await pictures. If duct is not sized correctly for equipment, you might be able to ask building department to intervene. What is layout of the home. you mentioned SF is it a ranch on slab or........