Air Source Heat Pumps - Noise nuisance for neighbours

Fifs1969

I know this is somewhat belated but only just noticed this thread. My parents have had a 'case' open with the local environmental health team for the last three years due to the noise from their neighbour's ASHP which is used to heat their swimming pool. It too faces their garden & house and has caused my mum in particular sleepless nights over that time. It has severely impacted their quality of life and health. EH are dragging their heels and aren't overly supportive to be honest. My parents have had to call in acoustic consultants to try to prove how disruptive the noise disturbance is. And so it goes on... Anyone have any tips / info on similar situations?

matelodave

I fear that you are flogging a dead horse.

We had a similar problem several years ago when a small workshop started up about 30m from our house. Hammering, banging, angle grinding etc on tanks & skips from seven in the morning until 10 or 11 at night, Saturdays & Sundays included.

We got EH involved and it was a waste of time, we even had a calibrated sound meter from them for a week or so, but to no avail. It was not only us but the neighbours 3-4 houses on either side of us that complained as well.

The problem only got solved when he went bust - but we had several years of hell. We moved in the end, just in case anyone else started up.

Paul_Croft

For over three years we have suffered with an airborne low frequency noise. Next door to our property is a Care Home that had damage to their roof and flooding due to adverse weather in December 2013. We cannot sleep at night even with ear plugs and the noise is present 24/7 only being masked during the day by other back ground noises. The noise usually kicks in louder around 9.00pm when demand is possibly higher for patients at the Care Home. Acoustic specialist have proved the noise is generated from an outside source and not our property. A reading received of 50dBa was recorded. In complaining to the Head office of the Care home the department of environmental carried out a test at the Care Home and also recorded a noise of 50 dBA. Apparently this measurement of noise level is acceptable within the World Health Organisation. On Christmas day 2016 a power cut occurred in the surrounding area. The Care Home was on emergency lighting and the noise could still be heard. We have constantly requested that the Care Home check what new installation or work was carried out in December 2013, as that is the obvious cause of this problem. Before the repairs and new installation was done, we never experienced the noise in the previous twenty five years. A ex- manager of the Care home informed us that three boilers were used at the Car Home, one of which is gas. With the power cut on Christmas day and the noise continuing it points more to a gas appliance that may be the cause. When checking with the Care home to ask if they had a standby generator for when power cuts happened, they just responded by saying that they also had a power cut, and said nothing else.To the Care Home we are the nuisance, continually requesting they look into the problem, as we suffer every day. Their answer.....the environmental department have attended and proved the many machinery used the Care Home, is within the legal limits required. I have contacted everyone possible, even specialist noise professors, and the WHO ( World Health Organisation) as there are hundreds of people, not just in this country but around the world suffering with the same problem. This low frequency noise is affecting our rights to a decent life. The big problem is that people visiting your property cannot initially hear the noise, which tends to affect people staying in the property 24 hours or more, where the sound then becomes apparent and tuned in to the brain. Why the government cannot look into this expanding problem damaging people health beats me. It's about time they looked into modern types of installations that are causing low frequency noises. It is a waste of time calling in the Environmental noise department, as unfortunately they lack the knowledge and experience to deal with this type of problem.