Posted by: @kevh

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Posted by: @editor

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@swwils I guess the true test will be November/December when it cranks up to run full speed.

To be fair to Octopus, TJ is quoted as advising that hush mode is not appropriate to peak demand season. 😀 

 

If it's like every other quiet/night/noise reduction/silent/hush mode, it simply limits compressor modulation and/or fan speed.   This reduces max output.  Thus if your heat pump needs to operate at or near max at times, it's not suitable for these times. 

As a concrete example I use low noise mode on my Valiant, but its programmed to apply at night only.  It's a courtesy to the neighbours as the heat pump can get a bit noisy immediately after defrost, although I'm far from sure the courtesy in necessary because I doubt they can hear it given that they will have the windows closed whenever its cold and damp enough for defrost to be necessary.

If it's -temps outside the house cools by about a degree overnight, because it can't recover from defrost as fast as it normally would.  It takes a few hours to recover completely during the morning once noise reduction turns off at 7am.  I could compensate by overheating early evening, but the cooling is not enough to bother.   The rest of the season low noise mode makes no noticeable difference to the performance. 

For me this is very acceptable.  It's impossible to give definitive instructions that will suit everyone because it will vary from house to house.  For many houses with a heat pump that is oversized low noise will work throughout the season, for others like mine where it is critically sized it does cause a hit at the height of the season.  If you remain aware what it actually does then you can adapt accordingly!

Posted by: @andrewj

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Posted by: @kevh

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Posted by: @editor

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@swwils I guess the true test will be November/December when it cranks up to run full speed.

To be fair to Octopus, TJ is quoted as advising that hush mode is not appropriate to peak demand season. 😀 

 

To be fair to Octopus customers, it would be better if we could get detailed information from a more official channel and less cryptic source than a Social Media manager on Facebook.  I appreciate that he helps resolve service problems but it’s frustrating that we can’t get more info from technical sources - it would help if there was consistency of advice as well.

 

And that is precisely the point I have made following a couple of TJ's pearls of wisdom on FB. 
There WAS an official email issued, setting out that hush mode was merely a reduced output mode, and therefore of little value in winter. Ironically of course it is in winter when the pump is at its noisiest.

I am totally with you on the lack of a decent and comprehensive user interface.

Posted by: @andrewj

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Posted by: @kevh

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Posted by: @editor

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@swwils I guess the true test will be November/December when it cranks up to run full speed.

To be fair to Octopus, TJ is quoted as advising that hush mode is not appropriate to peak demand season. 😀 

 

To be fair to Octopus customers, it would be better if we could get detailed information from a more official channel and less cryptic source than a Social Media manager on Facebook.  I appreciate that he helps resolve service problems but it’s frustrating that we can’t get more info from technical sources - it would help if there was consistency of advice as well.

 

And that is precisely the point I have made following a couple of TJ's pearls of wisdom on FB. 
There WAS an official email issued, setting out that hush mode was merely a reduced output mode, and therefore of little value in winter. Ironically of course it is in winter when the pump is at its noisiest.

I am totally with you on the lack of a decent and comprehensive user interface.

Posted by: @kevh

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There WAS an official email issued, setting out that hush mode was merely a reduced output mode, and therefore of little value in winter. Ironically of course it is in winter when the pump is at its noisiest.

That is what everybody else's hush/quiet mode is so almost certainly, they cant do magic!.  See my comments above on how I successfully use Vaillant's equivalent  in winter which as you say is when its needed.  House dependent unfortunately

Posted by: @jamespa

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Posted by: @kevh

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There WAS an official email issued, setting out that hush mode was merely a reduced output mode, and therefore of little value in winter. Ironically of course it is in winter when the pump is at its noisiest.

That is what everybody else's hush/quiet mode is so almost certainly, they cant do magic!.  See my comments above on how I successfully use Vaillant's equivalent  in winter which as you say is when its needed.  House dependent unfortunately

Yes, totally understand how you can manage the Vailant, and that output reduction is commonplace, it makes total sense. I like how you utilise it.
Octopus will catch up sooner rather than later. With a Cosy, hush mode is a simple on/off option, with no scheduling possible.

Which means that it can't be set for overnight use unless one sets a bedside alarm ⏰ 

i am not overly critiquing Octopus here, they do have room to improve the operability of the Cosy and it is promising that these little tweeks (remember the liwering of the minimum flow temperature a couple of months back) are introduced.

Posted by: @kevh

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With a Cosy, hush mode is a simple on/off option, with no scheduling possible.

Ah, not so useful then

Posted by: @kevh

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Octopus will catch up sooner rather than later.

For sure, hopefully before next winter!  

On the Vaillant, programming NR mode (both on/off and hours of operation) is an installer level option.  I think this 'decision' varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.  I can understand the reluctance to make it a user option given the side-effect.  Fortunately the installer password in 00, pre-programmed into the interface. 

There is even the option (buried deeper in installer mode) to change the magnitude of the limit.  The range you can select is itself limited though, ideally I would like to reduce the output and noise by less than the minimum reduction permitted (ie make the effect less severe), but this is not possible and not likely to be possible because, unlike Octopus, Vaillant dont do remote firmware updates.

It will be costing me a bit (when it actually affects house temperature) to run NR mode at night, because it means that it will have to work harder in the morning to catch up.  It also displaces use from nighttime to daytime tarrif.  However in practice its only for a few days each season that the overnight cooling effect occurs so Im not too bothered.

Lets hope Octopus implement timed NR mode soon.