We have been living in our very quiet neighbourhood for almost 20 years and have never had noise issues until now. Our new neighbours renovated the house next door to us and installed a heat pump, which is very noisy and is causing us a lot of distress. The houses are detached and about 2.5m apart. The heat pump is installed in the side passage of our neighbour’s house, right next to the boundary fence, so about 1.2m from the side wall of our house.
The noise is a penetrating hum that can be heard throughout our house. We hear it when we’re watching television in the evening, cooking and eating meals in the kitchen, and lying in bed at night and on weekend mornings. The noise also comes through the air vents in our walls into the home office at that side of the house, making it difficult to concentrate. It also means that we can’t sleep with the windows open on that side of the house. It’s no longer possible to enjoy our peaceful home.
They have promised to get it seen to, but we’ve been complaining for eight months now and nothing has changed. Based on what little we know about heat pumps, we believe that they’re not typically that noisy and that the issue with this one is either with the motor or the way it has been installed or where it’s been installed. We are also concerned that it may be faulty and pose a potential fire hazard, being so close to our house.
We would like some advice on how we can get this issue resolved as our neighbours do not seem to be actively addressing it.
Unfortunately, this is quite a complex situation you find yourself in. It is often difficult to accept change, particularly when it affects the enjoyment of our home. That said, people are entitled to make improvements to their properties, and it is likely that works of this nature will be a big part of the future as we pursue more efficient heating systems and more sustainable living.
However, there are certain restrictions and protections in place in the form of planning legislation and building regulations, and people undertaking development work must ensure they are complying with these.
Firstly, and depending on the nature of the proposed works, planning permission may well have been required. If planning permission was required, then the planners will be aware of the potential impact of the works on the neighbouring properties. As a result, they are likely to impose certain restrictions on the party carrying out the work, such as the installation of heat pumps, to reflect not only potential noise but also the visual impact on the adjoining properties.
However, in the context of an existing house which is being refurbished or upgraded, it is likely that the works, including the installation of a heat pump, would come within the category of exempted development and thus planning permission may not have been required at all.
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There is, however, a second and more onerous control in place in the form of building regulations, which cover all the technical aspects of a building. The relevant aspects here are fire and sound, which are covered by parts B and E respectively of the regulations.
The main issue here is the noise emanating from the heat pump. The reality is that it’s inevitable that the heat pump will generate a certain level of noise, usually in the form of a humming sound, as described in your query. This is something heat pump manufacturers are aware of.
The difficulty in these situations is that you are not in full control and that you are largely dependent on the co-operation of your neighbours
In the first instance, the manufacturers and installers are very keen to avoid potential complaints from their own customers and usually take all reasonable precautions to minimise any potential noise disturbance. There is, in fact, an obligation that noise levels at the nearest party boundary must not exceed 43db (A) (A-weighted decibels are used when human hearing is affected; they are used for sound levels, noise pollution and equipment noise levels). As a result, its unusual for units to not meet the required standard.
There will, however, inevitably be the odd faulty machine which may be noisier then intended, so that needs to be checked. To my mind the more likely cause of noise issues relates to the way the heat pump has been erected. If this is off level, overtightened or not correctly mounted, then this can give rise to additional noise and vibrations which can reverberate through the ground and walls.
Most people are reasonable and will not want to install equipment which creates nuisance for their neighbours and will want to get to the bottom of this problem as quickly as possible. While I note that you have alerted the neighbours to the issue some time ago, I think the seriousness of the problem and the effect it is having on you and your family needs to be made very clear to them.
The neighbours should then go out of their way to ensure that the equipment, as installed, is in full compliance with the planning permission (if relevant) and with the building regulations. In order to do this, they will need confirmation that the equipment has been designed and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. In particular it should be possible to have the noise level checked and confirmed as not exceeding 43db (A).
If it transpires that there is a fault in the unit or in the way in which it has been installed, this should come to light through this process and hopefully the neighbours will take the necessary steps to address this.
However, if it turns out that there is major noncompliance, then the neighbours will have to take steps to ensure compliance, and this may involve having to move the heat pump to an alternative location.
Although not specifically queried, there is also a potential concern from a fire safety perspective. There are restrictions on the traditional oil-fired appliances in terms of proximity to a party boundary. We are also aware that there are similar restrictions applicable to heat pumps in the UK. However, we are not aware of any similar restrictions arising under the Irish building regulations, even having raised this with a leading manufacturer/supplier of heat pumps. Nonetheless, in the absence of clarity on an item of this nature, it is prudent to take reasonable precautions to safeguard against the potential damage arising to a neighbouring property in the event of a unit going on fire, and appropriate consideration should be given to this.
The solution may be a more rounded one involving a wall and some of the sound mitigation measures outlined below, or indeed relocation of the heat pump all together.
By sitting down with your neighbour, it should be possible to reach a mutually beneficial solution by which the unit is fully in compliance with all relevant regulations and where the noise generated by it is greatly reduced or, to all intents and purposes, eliminated for you.
It’s worth noting – not just for you but for others in similar situations – that with regard to sound levels, the building regulation obligations set a relatively low bar and that even a compliant installation can be a source of nuisance. In such a scenario, there are additional measures which homeowners can take to reduce the noise of their units while not going to huge expenses. These would include partially enclosing the unit – it can’t be fully enclosed – or providing additional sound baffles/absorption mats around it.
If this is still not achieving the desired reduction in noise, there are additional issues that you could look at with your own property, such as improving the wall vents. If your vents are old, you could look at replacing them with more modern ones which incorporate sound baffles, and this would help reduce incoming noise.
The difficulty in these situations is that you are not in full control and that you are largely dependent on the co-operation of your neighbours to take reasonable steps to mitigate the noise issue you are experiencing.
Noise disturbance is a very common problem for people who install heat pumps. But at least they are heating their homes. In this scenario, you are suffering all the pain and none of the gain.
If your neighbours prove to be co-operative, then it should be possible with the advice and steer of your local chartered building surveyor to bring this matter to a satisfactory resolution. However, if they do not prove receptive, you may be forced to seek legal advice in order to advance the matter.
Val O’Brien is a chartered building surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
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