Neighbours humming hot tub

Woolsery

rob22 said:

Simple solution, make noise and slam windows, don't let them enjoy it.

A wonderfully simple solution to apply to a neighbour apparently inclined to go off on one with little provocation.

Vampgirl

Something isn't right here. Whilst hot tubs need to be powered on on 24/7, the pumps are only working for a fraction of that time: a few hours a day for filtering and heating, plus of course whenever its being used. The rest of the time it is silent. The only times the pumps will be running continuously is if its just been filled - in which case they'll run until it reaches temperature which could be around 12 hours or so (it will depend on a few factors). If the humming noise is constant - the initial post does say its 24/7 - then its unlikely to be the hot tub causing it.

However, if the humming noise is actually intermittent then it could be the hot tub. It is sat on decking so it's possible that there could be vibrations when the pumps are running. Its a fairly well-known issue and the usual resolution is to sit the hot tub on a rubber pad. It would also be worth making sure the decking has been properly reinforced to take the weight of the hot tub, that all joints are tight.

The statement that it would cost £500 to empty it is total rubbish. It doesn't cost anything to empty a hot tub - you just pump the water out into a drain. Maybe she's referring to the cost to heat it back up again after refilling? That would cost something between £5 and £10 in electricity, but its part of regular hot tub maintenance to change the water so it'll need to be drained and refilled with fresh water several times a year - I doubt many people would have a hot tub if each water change cost £500!

GDB2222

Vampgirl said:

Something isn't right here. Whilst hot tubs need to be powered on on 24/7, the pumps are only working for a fraction of that time: a few hours a day for filtering and heating, plus of course whenever its being used. The rest of the time it is silent. The only times the pumps will be running continuously is if its just been filled - in which case they'll run until it reaches temperature which could be around 12 hours or so (it will depend on a few factors). If the humming noise is constant - the initial post does say its 24/7 - then its unlikely to be the hot tub causing it.

However, if the humming noise is actually intermittent then it could be the hot tub. It is sat on decking so it's possible that there could be vibrations when the pumps are running. Its a fairly well-known issue and the usual resolution is to sit the hot tub on a rubber pad. It would also be worth making sure the decking has been properly reinforced to take the weight of the hot tub, that all joints are tight.

The statement that it would cost £500 to empty it is total rubbish. It doesn't cost anything to empty a hot tub - you just pump the water out into a drain. Maybe she's referring to the cost to heat it back up again after refilling? That would cost something between £5 and £10 in electricity, but its part of regular hot tub maintenance to change the water so it'll need to be drained and refilled with fresh water several times a year - I doubt many people would have a hot tub if each water change cost £500!

It sounds quite likely that there's a fault. One issue might simply be that there's an air lock.  That could damage the pump, and if it's a faulty installation the neighbours might not be covered under a warranty.

Could I suggest offering to get a hot tub engineer in to look at it, at Shibby's expense. If there's a problem, the neighbour should be grateful, and if there's nothing wrong Shibby will be reassured. If it needs a mat to dampen the vibrations, I fear Shibby will have to pay for that, as well as the reasonable cost of draining and refilling the tub.  

Shibby51585

@GDB2222 I offered to pay for a mat, she said she would look into it but it wouldn't be for 6 months as it would cost £500 to empty (but then again she told me it would cost her £15 to turn it off for 5 minutes, so obviously over estimating to put me off) so basically been fobbed off

@Vampgirl this is 24/7 it only started when the hot tub was installed and when she turned it off it stopped. They have not put a matt under it and I guarantee the decking is not reinforced for a hot tub. The sound changes when they are in the hot tub you can tell so I can say 100% it is coming from the hot tub. 

NameUnavailable

I can understand the annoyance. I noticed a 'hum' one day at home at a previous flat and had trouble working out where it was coming from. It wasn't a noise as such but made me feel quite sick.

I did ask the neighbours if they had changed anything at all in their flats and one had put an electric fan on the floor (where it used to be on a table). They agreed to move it and hey presto, problem solved! Neither of us could quite understand how this little fan could premeate into my flat but it did.

Proper noise is easier to deal with but this kind of problem is more difficult and you really need the neighbours cooperation to resolve it. Could you ask them to get the company back who installed the hot tub and you speak to them together to show the issue and hopefully they can resolve it? You would have to offer to cover the costs though.

phoebe1989seb

Agree with Vampgirl, it costs nothing - other than the initial purchase price of a submersible pump - to empty a hot tub.

Maybe the neighbour is referring to the cost of moving it to put a mat underneath? I know when we had ours (2005-2014) and had it professionally moved from one property to another, it cost a few hundred £££ to get it transported, then more to have the company we originally purchased it from, come back to recommission it.

Ours was on specially reinforced decking, with no mat underneath and definitely didn't vibrate or emit a constant hum...and I'm super sensitive to noise, so would have not coped if it had. Obviously the pumps when running do make some noise, but this is only a couple of times a day for short periods.

Perhaps as others have suggested, the neighbour will soon grow tired of the huge increase in their electricity bills and switch it off permanently. Although I loved ours, I'm extremely glad we no longer have it as I dread to think what it would be costing to run now.

Sistergold

Just wondering if sleeping with soft music on would help? The annoying thing is if the devil decides if you move something else could happen with next neighbours. I think in general there is a chance that a neighbor is likely to do something that is good for them which is not good for you. The fact that your neighbours and your spouse are not being affected by the “hum” it’s only a problem because of your sensitivity. Since they don’t notice the noise you are coming across as an annoying neighbor to be honest. To them you are coming across as just finding fault. As you are over sensitive there is no point moving if you are just going to move into another very neighbourly situation. Only move is it’s going to be to a secluded location where you don’t see any neighbours at all. 

The “noise” in question is not worth progressing this into a dispute IMO. 

Also I personally would not declare this as a dispute as it’s only affecting one member of the family, I also don’t think this kind of “noise” will affect many other people. 

If you do carry on down this path though it will soon become a dispute. 

aoleks

Say the neighbour throws a party and the music is too loud. You drop by, ask them to dial it down a bit, whatever the result…

that’s NOT a dispute, however you look at it.

same situation here: you asked them to maybe switch something off or insulate it, they’re not doing it, end of. Where’s the dispute?

Shibby51585

@Sistergold I play brown noise and this "hum" is louder than the brown noise. I also can't play it all day. My husband does hear something but he ignores it as much as possible.

A little bit of research on Google about hot tubs on decks shows that the noise doesn't bother them as they are close to the hot tub but as they have put it on wood decking, which isn't reinforced or has a mat and it is resonating in my house. Have you ever been subjected to low frequency noise 24/7? It's absolute torture. I wouldn't care if they had done their research and done the job properly but they clearly haven't. 

brianposter

Take the problem up with the hot tub manufacturer on Twitter ?

The solution may be no more than a dob of silicone or a wooden wedge in the right place, (or an extra beam on the deck to change the resonant frequency).