Ecodan 11.2kw PUZ-WM112VA-BS - Noise Levels

[Kevin77]

Morning all,

 

I hope this is an appropriate post - apologies if not. We have a Mitsubishi Ecodan 11.2kw installed in a 4 bedroom semi detached house. There were lots of issues with the initial install and following a MCS complaints process had the system reinstalled by another installer. The system now works relatively well and is running in Weather compensation mode. 

 

We've had some problems with the ASHP noise levels. Mitsubishi have been out several times and replaced the compressor (as was potentially damaged by running with transit bolts left in from the first install). They've also upgraded the software to change the frequency of the compressor due to resonant frequencies and refrigerant noise. Both of these have helped and when flow temp is stable the unit is relatively quiet. However, there is still noise from the compressor which is audible above the fan noise. 

 

At lower temperatures e.g during the latest cold snap (-5 Deg C) the noise increases markedly. It was audible in the attic and neighbours have commented. I've attached a recording of the heat pump in normal operation taken at approximately 1m away which illustrates the noise. Anyone out there with a mitsubishi heat pump have a view on whether this is "normal". I'm really interested in the noise itself rather than the volume. 

 

Any advice appreciated - please let me know if you need more details or a better recording! 

[PhilT]

28 minutes ago, Kevin77 said:

Morning all,

 

I hope this is an appropriate post - apologies if not. We have a Mitsubishi Ecodan 11.2kw installed in a 4 bedroom semi detached house. There were lots of issues with the initial install and following a MCS complaints process had the system reinstalled by another installer. The system now works relatively well and is running in Weather compensation mode. 

 

We've had some problems with the ASHP noise levels. Mitsubishi have been out several times and replaced the compressor (as was potentially damaged by running with transit bolts left in from the first install). They've also upgraded the software to change the frequency of the compressor due to resonant frequencies and refrigerant noise. Both of these have helped and when flow temp is stable the unit is relatively quiet. However, there is still noise from the compressor which is audible above the fan noise. 

 

At lower temperatures e.g during the latest cold snap (-5 Deg C) the noise increases markedly. It was audible in the attic and neighbours have commented. I've attached a recording of the heat pump in normal operation taken at approximately 1m away which illustrates the noise. Anyone out there with a mitsubishi heat pump have a view on whether this is "normal". I'm really interested in the noise itself rather than the volume. 

Any advice appreciated - please let me know if you need more details or a better recording! 

I have an R32 11.2kW and the compressor noise is very much quieter than that, totally unobtrusive. The fan speeding up at low temps overwhelms the compressor noise. How old is your Ecodan?

Edited December 30, 2022 by PhilT

[Kevin77]

Hi there, Thanks for the reply. 

 

It's date of manufacture is June 2020. It's an R32 model.  

 

The original recording was taken when the unit was running at a stable flow temp. 

 

Do you have the opportunity to take a sound recording of your unit for comparison? 

 

Any other suggestions welcome before I go back to Mitsubishi again! I've added another recording in which you can hear the noise change as the compressor steps down I think. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Kevin77
Added audio

[nod]

That’s pretty bad 

 

When I was first married I fitted a washing machine with the transit bolts still in 

I switched it on and it chase me round the kitchen 

You wonder how many others they have fitted like this 

[Nickfromwales]

1 minute ago, nod said:

When I was first married I fitted a washing machine with the transit bolts still in 

I switched it on and it chase me round the kitchen 

Likewise lol. Guy came out, replaced the entire guts of the machine under warranty, scowled at me a good few times muttering "idiot should have been charged for this", and handed me the bolts saying"you said you were a plumber, mate?". Thing shook itself to death over a 10 day period before committing Harakiri.

In my defense, that was the first WM I had ever owned, and I was a very young plumber lol.

 

@Kevin77

Is the unit mounted with flexible hoses, or directly plumbed to rigid pipe?

[Kevin77]

@Nickfromwales it's fitted with flexible hoses. 

 

So general consensus is - it's not sounding like it should? 

 

 

[nod]

3 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Likewise lol. Guy came out, replaced the entire guts of the machine under warranty, scowled at me a good few times muttering "idiot should have been charged for this", and handed me the bolts saying"you said you were a plumber, mate?". Thing shook itself to death over a 10 day period before committing Harakiri.

In my defense, that was the first WM I had ever owned, and I was a very young plumber lol.

 

@Kevin77

Is the unit mounted with flexible hoses, or directly plumbed to rigid pipe?

Yeah 

We took ours back 

They only had a display model 

and as the guy was helping me into the van He told me to drive carefully as the transit bolts had been taken out 😂

[PhilT]

10 hours ago, Kevin77 said:

Do you have the opportunity to take a sound recording of your unit for comparison?

This is taken at 1 metre away but at this temp (9degC) It's virtually inaudible - the sound is swamped by the gusts of wind on the microphone

[Seren161]

6 hours ago, Kevin77 said:

@Nickfromwales it's fitted with flexible hoses. 

 

So general consensus is - it's not sounding like it should? 

 

 

Yes

[Kevin77]

1 hour ago, PhilT said:

This is taken at 1 metre away but at this temp (9degC) It's virtually inaudible - the sound is swamped by the gusts of wind on the microphone

Thanks that's helpful. Very quiet in comparison. Guess I need to speak to mitsubishi again

[PhilT]

16 hours ago, Kevin77 said:

Thanks that's helpful. Very quiet in comparison. Guess I need to speak to mitsubishi again

This one was recorded just now when the compressor was working flat out to get the DHW heating flow up to 55degC as quickly as possible in "Normal" (i.e. not Eco) mode. Sorry to rub salt into the wound - the noise you can hear in the background is the rain! I hope you get yours fixed ok.

 

[Kevin77]

No need to apologise. This was just taken in Heating mode about 20 mins after start up - 0 Deg external temp. 

 

Slightly envious of being able to her the rain! This was taken at 1m away. 

On 31/12/2022 at 13:38, PhilT said:

This one was recorded just now when the compressor was working flat out to get the DHW heating flow up to 55degC as quickly as possible in "Normal" (i.e. not Eco) mode. Sorry to rub salt into the wound - the noise you can hear in the background is the rain! I hope you get yours fixed ok.

 

 

[Kevin77]

Hi all,

 

Just thought I'd follow up with this and some positive news / thumbs up for mitsubishi. After reviewing things and a site visit they have replaced the unit completely which has resolved the noise. 

 

Thumbs up for mitsubishi customer service overall (irrespective of replacing the heat pump).. kept me updated and made fairly quick decisions. 

 

Now to work on improving the COP! (More to do with system design I suspect).

 

Kevin 

[DanDee]

On 28/01/2023 at 06:37, Kevin77 said:

Hi all,

 

Just thought I'd follow up with this and some positive news / thumbs up for mitsubishi. After reviewing things and a site visit they have replaced the unit completely which has resolved the noise. 

 

Thumbs up for mitsubishi customer service overall (irrespective of replacing the heat pump).. kept me updated and made fairly quick decisions. 

 

Now to work on improving the COP! (More to do with system design I suspect).

 

Kevin 

we need the sound recording with the same device to see the difference - well done

[Clary123]

Hi Kevin,

I was wondering if Mitsubishi charged you for their initial visit? (we are in the east of England)
We have the exact issue that you have, new install in November '22 and since day 1 have had terrible noise problems. I liken it to a generator or a jet engine outside the house.  Our installers agree there is an issue and have also been trying to get Mitsubishi to come out...I have numerous sound recordings since then and have sent them over to Mitsubishi, their engineers have apparently listened to the recordings and are saying its hard to tell what the problem is and we have to pay £350 for an engineer site visit. They said they will refund us if they find the problem is down to their equipment. I am really disapointed in this, we've already spent a lot getting the unit and installing and dont want to give them more money when there is clearly an issue with the unit.
This is also our second ASHP unit at our house, we have a larger Panasonic that runs separately and is very quiet in comparison. 
I'm at a loss and it seems their warranty isn't worth anything in reality if they charge for a site visit.

[sharpener]

Well your contract is with the installers not Mitsi so it is for them to get them to come out (and pay the £350 if that is what is required). Can you tell them you will start a Section 75 chargeback, which may jog them into action? Presuming of course you have put at least some of the payments to date on a credit card. Or was it a self-install, in which case do the same to whoever supplied you with the unit?

[Clary123]

Yes, the installers (who we paid) have been in contact with Mitsubishi and are now going through the process of filling in the form and paying the fee to get them out. 
I have also contacted Mitsubishi separately and they would also charge me if I was a self-installer, despite having a warranty and it being a new install...... its worth people being aware that they do this if they are considering this model.  The noise videos I sent to them really show how loud the unit is, so them saying they cant tell if there is a problem or not and need to charge for a visit is pretty poor I think.
 

I will update when they have been to look at the unit and what happens with the charges....

[sharpener]

Glad you are making progress without paying the £350! It seems at least the installers are confident they have done nothing wrong.

 

Others have decried the CoolEnergy "return to base" warranty terms, but shipping a unit back still cheaper than calling Mitsi out to one supposedly under warranty.

[JonBATConsult]

Hi if your phone is fairly new there are some decent sould lever meter apps that are pretty decent. Carefully measure the unit at a distance of 1m and let me know what you get. 

[JonBATConsult]

Pictures will help

[Kevin77]

On 05/05/2023 at 14:01, Clary123 said:

Yes, the installers (who we paid) have been in contact with Mitsubishi and are now going through the process of filling in the form and paying the fee to get them out. 
I have also contacted Mitsubishi separately and they would also charge me if I was a self-installer, despite having a warranty and it being a new install...... its worth people being aware that they do this if they are considering this model.  The noise videos I sent to them really show how loud the unit is, so them saying they cant tell if there is a problem or not and need to charge for a visit is pretty poor I think.
 

I will update when they have been to look at the unit and what happens with the charges....

Hi there,

 

Just spotted this. We didn't get charged, and I was adamant that the noise from our unit was "not normal". I've had so many issues with the install and the heat pump unit, Mitsubishi seem to accept at this stage there is an issue. 

 

Where did you get to with your issue?

 

BW