neighbor's house is buzzing!

15 years ago

Hello -- I'm mostly a lurker, but have commented from time to time during the last few years. I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle a situation we've got at home:

Our new neighbors installed a radon pump with a fan/motor mounted on the outside of their house to vent radon from their basement.

Beginning this summer, the fan/motor has been buzzing REALLY LOUDLY all summer long. It has been very irritating to us if we sit outside on our patio or open our windows on that side of the house. So, we don't open our bedroom windows on that side of the house or sit outside on our patio as often as we used to. The noise can be heard equally loudly in the front or back of the house. The closest thing i can compare it to is an electrical transformer; if you've ever heard of one of those buzzing loudly, that is exactly what it sounds like, and just as loud.

I've done some looking around on the internet, the fan and motor when working properly should only be about as loud as a refrigerator.

Friends who visit ask what is making that noise because it is so loud on the porch, and even the people who live across the street can hear it, although not nearly so badly as we can. We aren't being overly sensitive.

We've spoken to them in a very friendly way about this a couple of times, and they admit they can hear it inside their house and in fact, it vibrates the wall it is next to. They tell us that they will call the people who installed the system, but apparently don't follow through.

I guess the next step is to call the town hall. I don't know if there is anything they can do, though. I am not one who wishes to do something to bring ill will with my neighbors, but I really don't think it's right for them to not take care of this.

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Comments (12)

alisande
15 years ago
Chessy, I thought you were going to tell us that they've been gossiping.........

Darn!
chessy
Original Author
15 years ago
LOL alisande -- i'm not sure if that would be better or worse!

i guess i should have titled my post "neighbor's house is literally buzzing!"
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dilly_dally
15 years ago
I thought this was going to be about your neighbor's house having a hornet/bee nest in the eaves they won't exterminate.
OklaMoni
15 years ago
Oh, I totally understand. In Tulsa, our neighbors had a somewhat noisy air conditioner. I had NO idea, when I started making a nice narrow garden spot in early spring after we moved in.

But then the AC season started. ARGH! Then it got worse, cause they bought a new AC, and this one is WAY louder. This one, we can hear really good in my kitchen with the windows closed.

I could even hear it kick on, while laying in bed.

I hope, the house will sell, soon, but bet buyers are running when they hear the AC unit next door. :(

With other words, sorry, I don't know how to help you.
Moni
nodakgal
15 years ago
There must be a noise ordinance? Or nusiance?
chessy
Original Author
15 years ago
Bees -- I WISH, they'd would be quieter!

oklamoni, the noisy AC is the neighbors on the other side -- i feel your pain!

I'll ask about nuisance and noise. I realize this isn't like blaring music and parties at 2:00 a.m., though.

I might have to consider sabotage (it must look like an accident, though).
lindyluwho
15 years ago
How about taking a shotgun to that noisy thing and put it out of it's misery. What?? You say you want to be more subtle than that??? Sorry, I don't do subtle.

Linda
jannie
15 years ago
My neighbor has an above-ground pool and deck right next to my house, under my bedropom window. One summer he left his pool covered and some frogs took up residence under the cover. All night we heard those bull frogs calling for their girlfriends. Last summer he opened it and the pump went bad, for several days it chugged along buzzing and clunking. He finally shut it off and fixed (or replaced) it. But I never complain-his seven grandkids come over and use the pool. I love to hear those happy kids playing! And my neighbor is such a good guy-he brings in my garbage cans, rakes the leaves and plows my driveway in the winter. I can put up with a little noise!
dirt_yfingernails
15 years ago
We had that problem very bad last year after they completely remodeled our heating system here at work. It sounded like a jet take-off, freight train, and tornado all at once! We couldn't hear customers over the phone or over the counter. It took months and many, many return visits by the contractors and the designers of the system. They finally fixed it by wrapping the air exchanger with a foot or two thick blanket of foam that looked like quilt batting. It still gets noisy sometimes, but not nearly so bad. The noise gave us all headaches for months.
des_arc_ya_ya
15 years ago
Oh good grief! How annoying! I'm so glad that the family that kept 13 Pomerians in the basement have moved..LOL

Guess it would be mean to pray for a power outage just for them, wouldn't it!?? LOL
silvercomet1
15 years ago
Maybe you could make a point of mentioning that it must be using a ton of electricity and be costing them a ton of money to have it running so loudly. I have no idea if the noise actually has anything to do with how much electricity it's using, but it's obviously not running at peak efficiency. It may not even be eliminating the radon properly. Maybe the wasted money might prompt them to act even if the noise doesn't.
deborah_ps
15 years ago
Oh do I feel for you!
Years ago we lived in a home where three of us shared a driveway (horseshoe shaped). The neighbor bought himself a big ole diesel truck, every morning he'd start that puppy up and leave it running for 10 minutes. Our bedroom window faced the driveway and if the noise didn't wake you from a sound sleep the exhaust fumes certainly did!
We just didn't know how to approach him without creating a huge issue.
My husband wrote him a letter telling him what a terrific looking truck he'd gotten and how much he must be enjoying it...but when he started it up in the morning the exhaust pipe faced our window and would it be too much trouble for him to pull out into the road and warm it? If not, we'd be happy to help pay for the exhaust pipe to be switched to the other side facing away from us.
He couldn't have been kinder in that he had no idea what a problem it had been and from then on he pulled out to the
road while warming it up.
Would you be able to offer a service call? I know it's extreme, but you never know if that might not get them on the ball.

neighbor's house is buzzing!

Comments (12)

alisande

chessy
Original Author

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neighbor's house is buzzing!

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