Well, it's hard to be absolutely certain off of an Internet video, your AC unit does seem to sound normal. It's certainly not a very high end unit and as such lacks the sound insulation found on other higher end units.

IMPO

SR

It looks like a low end Carrier condenser. What is Model number? Does compressor have a sound blanket? What is db rating? Have you discussed with installer? From where the unit is located to your house, is the sound objectionable when you are inside? If it is objectionable, I would ask dealer to take it back and install a higher grade model.

TD

Thanks for the feedback!

@tigerdunes, I've responded to your questions below.

It looks like a low end Carrier condenser. What is Model number?

The model number of the AC is #24ABB318

Does compressor have a sound blanket? What is db rating?

The Carrier webstie doesn't mention a sound blanket. The dB rating is 72.

Have you discussed with installer?

I mentioned it to the sale rep in the follow-up call after the installation. I didn't discuss with the installer because I didn't hear it running at that time (since it was a downpour of rain).

From where the unit is located to your house, is the sound objectionable when you are inside? If it is objectionable, I would ask dealer to take it back and install a higher grade model.

It's not objectionable from within the house, just outside (i.e. I can hear it as soon as I open my front door, and I can also hear it (although more faintly) around the corner in the back yard where my new patio will be.

Summary

From what it sounds like, the noise from this unit is likely considered normal. I guess I was just a little surprised that it would be noisier than the 20-year-old Kenmore unit that it replaced. The AC was relocated from my rear yard to the area between houses in preparation for a new patio I'm creating in the rear. It's possible that the sound is bouncing between the two houses and amplifying it (where as the old AC was in a more open space). I'm just surprised that a new AC would be so loud that I can still hear that buzzing sound when around the corner of my house in the rear yard and around a corner at my front door. I guess I'm just disappointed if this is the sound it makes, and don't want to create a noise that will disturb my neighbour's enjoyment of their back yard.

The AC and Furnace was sold to me as part of a package deal (where they pair a furnace with an AC). I was only told about the efficiency improvements as you move up the model line. Since my region of Canada only requires AC from mid-June to mid-Sept, the saleman said that the more efficient models weren't worth the added cost. We never discussed noise though -- I just always assumed that a brand-new unit would at least be as quiet as my cheap 20-year-old unit :(

If the unit is actually performing to spec, is there anything I can do to reduce the noise without causing stress to the unit? Could I add a sound blanket without impacting warranty? Or should I be asking the HVAC company if there is a possibility to upgrade the unit to something quieter?

Should I look into something like this, or would it impact the warranty on my new unit?

http://brinmar.com/cad/sound_blankets.html

Thanks!

For Bryan

72 is an average db rating. However from your video, I suspect the sound is much higher. Installer should be able to give you a reading. My 15 yr old Trane HP has a 72 db rating and I can attest it is much quieter than your new Carrier.

take a look through top of condenser. not necessary for condenser fan to be operating, just look straight down. If unit has a blanket surrounding compressor, you should be able to see it. If not, ask salesman about adding a blanket and if it would affect your warranty. And speaking of warranties, make certain you know who is responsible for registering your new system for the full warranty. You should have documentation for your records.

good luck,

TD

@tigerdunes,

My AC just seems really loud compared to my expectations (but maybe my expectations were too high). I'm showing my plot drawing below. My 20yo Kenmore AC (red square) was installed pretty close to the back patio door (red star) and I couldn't really hear the AC from there. With the new unit (blue square), I can hear it quite loud from my front porch, and can continue to hear it up the driveway (blue star) as shown in the video. I can also hear it from the blue star on the rear deck. I think the noise is more jarring with the new unit because it's a vibration sound (which my old unit never had) rather than a hum. Sadly, the primary reason I decided to replace all of my HVAC was to relocate the AC to reduce noise in the rear deck and patio areas :(

I looked down into the unit and it seems like there is nothing coving the compressor (see below).

Based on where the sound is coming from, I think it's the compressor itself? You can hear it in my video that it gets louder as the mic gets closer to where the compressor is within the unit.

The salesman is aware that I think the unit is loud, and he said "that's not normal" because "no one has ever described it as loud" (and I think they install a lot of Carrier units). But with that said, maybe it's within spec and my expectations are too high. But had I known in advance, I would have preferred to spend more money to get a quieter unit -- I really don't like hearing a buzz at my front door or rear deck. Unfortunately you can't test drive AC units like you can a car :(

Another crew from the HVAC company is coming tomorrow to install a Navien NPE-180A tankless water heater and they'll take a look at it; however, I expect that they'll simply tell me that it's normal (and even if it isn't normal, I don't have a way to refute that claim since I'm not an expert) :-(

Thanks!

Just checked. My Trane HP condenser has the heavy duty orange color sound blanket covering the compressor...

TD

Here is how the sound is listed in the Carrier 24ABB3 Product Data sheet:

Sound

Sound level as low as 75 dBA

Sound level as low as 74 dBA with accessory sound blanket

A level of 75 dBaA is load. It is described as the sound of a vacuum cleaner. A sound blanket may be available, but it may not do much in reducing the noise. For comparison the sound rating for the Carrier 24ANB6 is only 66 dBA. That is a significant difference in sound level.

for Mike...I think the installer should check db reading of this low end Carrier condenser...comparing my 15 yr old 3 1/2 Ton Trane to OP‘s unit, I just don’t believe he‘s getting 74-75 db...

TD

Tigerdunes you are probably correct. The point I was trying to make is sound level is listed on product data sheets. How the sound is measured and at what distance is not specified. However a buyer can make a relative comparison when shopping for a condenser from the same manufacturer.

OP’s video sounded like my neighbor’s old POJ Goodman....thank goodness it died and he replaced with a quiet AMStd...

The Carrier 24ABB318 is their bottom of the line condenser - no sound blanket, 2 blade fan, and the compressor is an inexpensive Chinese model (I believe an LG). A sound blanket shouldn't affect the warranty, just be aware that its a tall, skinny, compressor and you might have a hard time finding a blanket that will fit. Ask the installing company if they will supply and install the sound blanket.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

From what I gather, it sounds like my unit may or may not be operating within spec. If it's operating within spec, then perhaps I was expecting too much from the unit that I was sold (but I regret that I didn't speak with the sales rep about sound levels when he was making his AC unit recommendations). I really thought it was safe to assume that a brand-new unit would at least be as quiet as the 20-year-old no-name unit it was replacing :(

An installation crew will be by tomorrow to install the Navien and a humidifer so I'll have them listen to the A/C as a first step. If I'm lucky, they'll confirm that it's a defective unit (but I'm not holding my breath that they will confirm this, even if they think it's louder than it should be :P). If they say it's within spec then I'll see if there's anything my sales rep can do. Regardless, I'm pretty disappointed with the noise level (especially since it's a more jarring vibration sound than a hum) and I'd be willing to pay more if required to get a unit with a better compressor or a sound blanket. The tricky part is that everything is installed already, so I'd understand if the HVAC company is reluctant to replace the unit :-(

I feel like the sales rep understood that my decisions are motivated more by by reliability/quality than price, so I'm a little surprised that he never suggested a higher-end AC if it has a sound benefit -- he had me understanding that efficiency was the primary difference between units. Normally I reserach purchases to death, and this is the one time where I simply went on the advice of the sales rep because I was extremely pressed for time -- guess I'll be researching future purchases again :P

Thanks again!

For OP...you should insist on a DB reading...it’s easy, quick, and shouldn’t cost anything.

Take the reading at several different locations. Followup on sound blanket.

good luck...

You can get the db-sound-level-meter app for the iPhone. A similar app may be available for Android. You can try measuring the loudness and in order to make your argument.

Re: mike_home

“How the sound is measured and at what distance is not specified.”

dbA should always be measured from a distance of 1-metre with a calibrated instrument otherwise the measurement is meaningless ! 1-metre is the standard protocol for most sound pressure level (SPL A-Weighted) measurements.

Re: OP

The installing company will likely not replace your condenser unless you want to pay for another one that would be a match for your indoor fan coil unit. What would they do with your existing unit; would you want to buy a returned unit that you didn’t see come out of its original box? The sales person did not suggest a better unit because this is an extremely competitive business and they wanted to make the sale.

Most clients care little beyond price; they don’t even want to pay for a proper load calculation.

IMPO

SR

Thanks for the suggestions!

I downloaded a trial verison of the DecibelX app (cool app!) and the readings actually came out pretty favourable relative to the specs. From about 1 metre, I was getting readings closer to 65 dB. I also just asked the technician (who's on site right now) and he said that the AC sounds normal. From what I've gathered, the unit is operating within spec and I was just expecting too much of the unit. I'm guessing that I notice the noise more on this unit because it reverberates between the two houses (where as the old unit was in a more open space). I also probably notice it more because I'm listening for it :P

@fsq4cw, I wasn't trying to imply that the HVAC company should have to replace the unit at their expense (unless it was defective). I'm a more reasonable person than that haha! My only disappointment is that different sound levels weren't mentioned by the sales rep when he recommended the specific model (i.e. he said that only the efficiency improves as you move up the model line). I place part of the blame on myself for not researching the product line; however, I was given less than a day to make a decision (at a time that I was extremely busy) because Carrier promotions were ending. But regardless, if I'm actually getting 65 dB then my unit might already be operating at a spec that is better than the rating of some of their higher-end models.

I'm not a typical client driven by price (and my sales rep was aware of that). I initiated a $500 upgrade to the Navien, the addition of a $400 humidifier, and the addition of duct cleaning. I just want reliable equipment from an HVAC company that will stand behind the products they sell, and I'm willing to pay extra for both :-)

For my next steps, I'll ask the sales rep about the possibility of adding a sound blanket to the condenser to help reduce the noise a bit (which I'd pay for, since the unit is operating within spec).

Thanks!

(i.e. he said that only the efficiency improves as you move up the model line).

It is Unfortunate HVAC salesman want to sell equipment based on SEER rating. Moving up the product line also adds better built and quieter condensers. If the salesman is working on a commission based on sales price, then you would think he would have proposed some higher priced equipment options.

The one meter distance may be a standard practice. Carrier does not disclose how the measurement is preformed. Sound measurements are done in a anechoic chamber. That means no echoes or sound bouncing off of hard surfaces.

Thanks Mike,

I feel like the sales rep thought that this was best setup for my application (and I didn't really have any reason to say otherwise). He basically said that moving up the product line would be throwing money away (since the SEER efficiency gain doesn't outweight the added cost of the higher units for my region that only needs AC for part of the year). He flew through numbers, rebates, and promotions so I'm guessing that most people that he deals with care more about the price. In hindsight, his sales strategy is likely to get the price as low/competitive as possible to close the highest volume of sales without spending a lot of his time on the upsells (which many people might not care about).

Oh well, it is what it is :P I'm still happy with the company, it's reputation, and the installation. I'll see if there's anything that can be done to help with the AC sound. It isn't extremely offensive, just louder than I was expecting from a brand-new unit.

Thanks!

I am totally surprised...only option you have now is the sound blanket...

good luck!...

Re: OP Bryan

You seem like a most reasonable client that would have benefited from a more thoughtful presentation. A sound blanket that has been suggested is the best option at this point. It sounds like you got a good installation.

I can imagine why but even so was a HP not part of the conversation?

SR

Just to provide an update, the HVAC company came and installed a sound blank on the compressor yesterday (for free, even though I was expecting to pay). I previously had a 65db reading at 1 metre, but this is now cut down to about 59 db. This numeric drop in dB might seem small, but it's misleading since dB is on a logarithmic scale. Every 10db increase is roughly a doubling in "loudness", so from a technical standpoint, my 6dB decrease is probably about a 30% decrease in sound. Numbers aside, the A/C is noticeably quieter now :-)

I just bou a new one and same problem .