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Original poster

Neighbours buzzing hot tub

121 replies

Shibby585 · 11/04/2022 10:31

Next door have decided to get a permanent hot tub installed on their deck a couple of weeks ago and since then I can hear a none stop hum within my house 24/7.

The fence got taken down to put it in, it still hasn't been put back up so I've had no privacy, they've also been using the hot tub during this time with no fence which I've found really awkward when putting washing out.

The low frequency hum drives me mental, I tried to approach next door and got told it wasn't their hot tub making the noise and told they refused to do anything about this. Aibu to expect a resolution to this and not have to sit in my house listening to it humming all day.

Would the local authority do anything? I've read up and believe the deck is acting like a drum and resonating in my house. It's not actually loud outside but in my house it's a constant low drone that is awful. I can no longer sit in my house in peace, I have to turn the TV up to drown it out and take tablets on a night to sleep or try to mask it.

OP posts:
PupInAPram · 11/04/2022 16:45

@OfstedOffred

I'm sorry OP but while I totally understand your points regarding low frequency vibration being able to permeate into building, I'm just not sure I believe that your neighbours hot tub is clearly audible through the brick walls of your house, over your television, when you are indoors, with doors and windows fully closed.
Why on earth would OP make it up!
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 11/04/2022 16:45

Yeah, I think the new energy prices will work on your favour OP!

Spacecadetagain · 11/04/2022 16:38

Unless they have tapped into a secret (free) power supply , they will soon turn it off when they receive their first electricity bill .

They sound awful and v unreasonable. I would be hanging lots of wind chimes near by including some of those huge bamboo ones whilst setting up a table and chairs right in view if it and sitting out all day occasionally shouting “ nice day for it “ when they use it … the fence will soon go back up .
On a serious note .. yes report to environmental health .. it is a nuisance and it’s affecting your quality of life

SheilaWilde · 11/04/2022 16:30

They sound like right arses. As they're clearly unreasonable I'd fight fire with fire. Get something that makes a constant, louder, hum and put it against the fence. Plus a noisy water fountain, loads of wind chimes, maybe a bird scarer too?

Mrsherdwick · 11/04/2022 16:23

@Shibby585 it will be the motor humming you are hearing as they go 24/7. In between you will notice a louder humming of a cleaning cycle being initiated.

ItsYabbaDabbaDoTime · 11/04/2022 16:21

Unless they are minted it will soon be waaaay too expensive to run at all.

Daisydo34 · 11/04/2022 16:19

Our neighbours have a hot tub along the boundary fence, constant humming they only used it three times last year for half hour but the humming is annoying
We bought a three tier water fountain and placed it against our fence, it’s noisy and drowns out the hum, fountain is on all day and it’s a lot noisier than hot tub buzz

SarahProblem · 11/04/2022 16:11

Yes. Wind chimes. BBQ... Incense. That really ripe fertilizer.

lemongreentea · 11/04/2022 16:07

You need windchimes, lots of them and a bbq that cooks fish or whatever smells the mosts.

ThreeLeggedCat · 11/04/2022 16:07

Ignore those saying the Council can’t do anything about it. Yes they can. It doesn’t have to be louder than everything else but it does have to be unreasonable to the average person. The section of the act that includes noise also includes vibration. You need Environmental Health to sort it if your neighbours are not approachable.

Mediocrates · 11/04/2022 16:01

I'd love to know what it is about draining their hot tub that costs £500?! I suspect they're bullshitting you - our permanent hot tub costs us nothing to drain, and the cost of the hot water to refill. Suspect they are bullshitting you.

I can't imagine a deck is a particularly sturdy base for it, and I bet the noise is annoying them too and they're just too stubborn to admit it. Ours sits on a plastic drainage surface thing, on top of concrete. (And is rarely on given energy prices!!!)

Original poster
Shibby585 · 11/04/2022 15:59

@Hteng would it be a filter or motor going 24/7 i obviously haven't asked them the settings they have on due to how we left thingd, but I was out in the garden playing with my daughter yesterday and it was none stop humming, so it doesn't seem like it's ticking over it seems like it's going constantly.

OP posts:
dingit · 11/04/2022 15:56

@Northernsoullover

You've been given bad advice here. Ring your council. The decibel nonsense is not true. A Yorkshire Terrier could be deemed a statutory nuisance.
My neighbours have Yorkshire Terrier and a hot tub 😡
Original poster
Shibby585 · 11/04/2022 15:52

@MaudieandMe I couldn't have put it better myself, sometimes I tune it out and I'm like oh it's quiet I can't hear it because I've tuned out as best as I can, then I will tune back in and pick it up again. Its so much worse on an evening when there isn't as much outside noise to drown it out.

OP posts:
HotSauceCommittee · 11/04/2022 15:38

Shouting and screaming at you? She definitely deserve some dog shit lobbed in her hot tub.

1forAll74 · 11/04/2022 15:32

It must be awful, I was just going to mention tinnitus, I have horrible bad tinnitus, its all the time, day and night, and it feels like a loud drone sound in my head. it never stops, and stops me sleeping properly.

Hteng · 11/04/2022 15:29

[quote Shibby585]@Hteng so massive over estimation because she didn't want to empty it and resolve? I asked her to turn it of for 5 to 10 mins just to confirm it was the tub I was told it would cost £15 to power it off for that long :/[/quote]
It would cost nothing to switch off for 10 minutes, most hot tubs shouldn't actually run 24/7 they should cycle on and off every hour or so, if it's not been used and well insulated it should only run for a couple of minutes to filter then stop, if it's actually running 24/7 it'll be costing a fortune

Mrsherdwick · 11/04/2022 15:20

We have 2 hot tubs. One in our house in the U.K., one in our house in Spain. Trust me, it doesn’t cost £500 to drain it.

Goldbar · 11/04/2022 15:14

I am petty so I'd get a shit load of wind chimes and put them up near the gap in the fence. I'd also mow the lawn every time they were in the hot tub and encourage my DC to gawk.

balalake · 11/04/2022 15:11

They would turn it off quickly enough if you put dog poo in it, not that I suggest that as an option.

You have asked nicely, they have made up a fictional reason not to. Reasonable to contact Environmental Health.

ODFOx · 11/04/2022 15:01

OP shouldn't have to sit in her home with the doors and windows shut tight in nice weather because there is a constant noise from her neighbours.

MaudieandMe · 11/04/2022 14:56

@OfstedOffred

I'm sorry OP but while I totally understand your points regarding low frequency vibration being able to permeate into building, I'm just not sure I believe that your neighbours hot tub is clearly audible through the brick walls of your house, over your television, when you are indoors, with doors and windows fully closed.
You obviously don’t really understand what a low frequency vibration noise is, because you have repeated suggested that the OP is exaggerating the noise level on several posts, saying it can’t be louder than her TV.

When the frequency level of a noise is very low or high pitched and vibrating through the walls, some people will hear that far more clearly than normal background noise.

Try to imagine having a small bumble bee hovering next to your ear buzzing away whilst you’re trying to watch TV. The noise from the bee isn’t louder than the TV in terms of decibels but because of the pitch, you will hear that clearly above the normal TV sounds and it will drive you demented in a short space of time. It’s definitely akin to torture.

OP, report this to your local Council and insist that they investigate further. The vibration noise from the hot tub is clearly spoiling your entitlement to quiet enjoyment of your home and they will be held liable to resolve the issue.

Original poster
Shibby585 · 11/04/2022 14:53

@OfstedOffred how do I explain that this started 24/7 the instance the hot tub was plugged in and that when they turned it off for 5 minutes the noise stopped?

It's a common issue with hot tubs installed incorrectly: Most hot tubs produce between 41 and 67 dB of airborne noise. 41 dB is only as loud as the average library, so this shouldn’t cause any problems. 67 dB, however, is more like constant traffic noise or the sound of running your hoover. It also tends to be a low-frequency hum which can be more stressful to listen to than louder higher frequency noises.

Also, bear in mind that even quiet sounds seem much louder at night and carry further. Many tubs are set to heat and run filtration cycles overnight, making the noise it produces more of an issue. (I can generally drown it out until the evening when it's quiet).

Really hoping it's just because there is no fence.

@Ohmybod I did invite her over but I took her into the kitchen which in hindsight wasn't a good indication as I had my fridge freezers running, (I blame 2 hours sleep and being shouted at) but when she came over she was shouting at me and stomping about. I'm not sure I would want to repeat and take her to another part of the house as she has already made up her mind it isn't her hot tub.

OP posts:
DoneByWeds · 11/04/2022 14:52

Please go to Environmental Health, they are there to help

  • You didn't experience noise/vibration before the hot tub was installed. Seeking help promptly makes it easier for them to deal with it.
  • You have tried to resolve this amicably, with reasonable suggestions.

Noise/vibration can travel in strange ways depending on local circumstances (ground conditions, building construction etc) and an expert judgement/monitoring is the best way to determine if what you are experiencing in your property is a nuisance.

Brainwave89 · 11/04/2022 14:50

The humming can indeed be really irritating. Also be mindful of how the hot tub will drain when this needs doing. If this is a self install drainage may not have been considered properly and you may find your garden gets flooded (and fence damaged), when they finally do drain.

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