I don't think living with an A2A heat pump is the most comfortable way to be honest. I've lived in climates where AC (for cooling) was requirement for months at a time, and I never appreciated the blowing air.

Interestingly, @karl-r, wrote a chapter for our new book, The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps, on this subject as he lived with A2A heating and he wasn't a fan.

Personally, I think there's a place for it in garden rooms, conservatories, etc. (because you get the benefit of cooling in summer), but I don't think I'd opt for it to replace an A2W central heating system from a pure 'comfort' perspective. 

@editor While I understand that point, its often where they are sited, the units capacity and how they are operated. Panasonic for instance has a Quiet mode that you can barely hear and the air is minimal but effective. Personally from our installs we've only ever had positive feedback (3000 installs)  Obviously with our current extreme mixed weather patterns, the dehumidifying or AC side is a welcome addition.

Our next door neighbour has had A2A for years and was happy enough with it to recommend to his neighbour the other side when they were looking at a home heating solution. That far neighbour hated it almost as soon as it had been put in for exactly the reasons @editor outlines and then, come the winter, found it couldn't always keep up with demand.

I realise a struggling heat pump of whatever flavour is a sign of a badly designed or specified system but whatever the issue those neighbours didn't like the amount of ducting already installed let alone the possibility of having to add to it, and that's going to be a potential issue with any retrofit. When those neighbours sold the house the new owners have decided they don't like the A2A either, to the extent that they were provisionally planning to go back to a fossil fuel boiler. The success of my A2W heat pump, solar panels, battery and EV alongside the same success story of another neighbour a few doors down with a similar setup to me, has convinced them to at least consider A2W as a viable alternative to fossil fuels but the bad will that A2A has generated means heat pumps have a lot of lost ground to catch up before normal objectivity is resumed.

@majordennisbloodnok Sounds like a poor install unfortunately. The ducted systems are often even better than wall mounts as virtually silent and nothing to really see, unlike radiators or a wall mounted unit. Any unit that is too close to a bed or blows towards a sofa is poorly fitted.

Thanks for the comments

@dgclimatecontrol I feel it's less about the noise (which can be an issue for some) and the feeling the air blowing over you. But I take your point, siting and positioning will be doubly important for an A2A unit in a bedroom or living space.

I agree, @dgclimatecontrol; almost certainly a badly designed install. However, as well as the noise issue and, as @editor says, the feeling of blown air, there is the issue of A2A systems tending to dry the air out too, and that was one of the aspects picked up on and disliked by my neighbours. Personally, I still see A2A as a valid alternative to A2W but as always it needs to be designed and specced well and that means taking more details into account than are immediately obvious. Back to the old issue that you can't skimp on experience; choosing your installer well makes all the difference.

@majordennisbloodnok The drying out of air shouldn't happen if operated correctly on a good install, its often worse with high temperature radiators. Panasonic have an air purifier (as do some others) that will actually improve air quality, reduce dry eyes and dry skin issues, plus remove bacteria and viruses, and its 100% maintenance free. Always use the slowest fan speed and be realistic with the temperatures.   I like your last sentence, that so true.

A2A works extremely well, its a very energy efficient half way measure to instant heating / cooling, for example an A2A will heat a room within 30 mins and the fabric in 2hrs, an A2W about double that if both designed correctly, using convection on A2W you are relying on heating the fabric over a longer time to hold the heat this allows it to work more comfortably which is why it is run over very long periods and slowly with little or no drafts and can often hold the heat in the room longer. A2A heats the air more rapidly due to the forced draft or air over HX. Within offices on many occasions we have advised our customers the best way to maximise comfort is to programme the system to heat the room for one hour before use and then for the system to idle (much like an A2W) for the rest of the day on the lowest fan setting, this works very well.

I think there is a place for both but although I have spent 30+ years installing a lot of A2A  and only 16 years A2W, I think the A2W is slightly better for homes if there is no need for cooling. A2A is coming to homes in a big way by the look of things and due to some big temperature swings in a day in recent years making people feel like they need a cooling application.

@dgclimatecontrol, curious, have you A2A at home?

@ashp-bobba, would you ever consider A2A in your future home to replace rads/UFH? 

Posted by: @dgclimatecontrol

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and its 100% maintenance free.

Are there no filters to clean/replace?

@editor Nope, I am not allowed it even if it is free, my good lady said and I quote "maybe in the loft a ducted system so I can't see it, but your not having a plastic thing on my wall" I never pushed after that. A2W is going in this new home as soon as I am allowed one of my teams or November hits which ever is 1st. If November comes I am using my boss card and not booking one of the teams a job one week and putting my foot down lol, I have been waiting since the rule change in May now I can fit it against my neighbours fence.