Unlike a furnace and central air conditioner, an advantage of buying an electrical heat pump is that it’s designed to produce a minimal amount of noise when it’s operating. A standard air conditioner operates at 60 decibels. On the other hand, an energy-efficient air source heat pump runs at 40 decibels. If you are looking for ways to replace an old noisy air conditioner, you may want to consider purchasing a heat pump system or a ductless mini-split unit. While a heat pump system produces minimal noises while it’s on, this type of system is also engineered to be efficient. Heat pumps utilize less electricity when compared to other types of systems.