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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to tolerate my neighbour's water feature?

53 replies

Winceywoo · 03/07/2013 22:23

It's driving me nuts. They must have a huge pump and a big drop of water which i can't see through the hedge but it makes one hell of a noise 24/7. We can't open our windows at night, because the noise of water flowing/falling is so loud. TBH, don't even want to go into my garden in the daytime because of this noise. I don't wan't to have a disagreement with my nieighbour but need to get this sorted. All advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
LouiseSmith · 04/07/2013 09:47

You could report it to the noise pollution section of your council. They may ask them to turn it off at night?

impecuniousmarmoset · 04/07/2013 09:50

not before talking to them first Louise!

hamilton75 · 04/07/2013 10:01

I would have a quiet word and ask them to turn it off at night or perhaps invest in a better/quieter pump.

Our neighbours put one in and it was loud enough to keep me awake with the windows shut! Anyway their bedroom was at the front of the house so they didn't realise how noisy it was whilst ours was at the back with the pump immediately below. They turned it off for a bit but then said they had to turn it back on - they got a different pump and now we can't hear it at all.

If you have no joy contact environmental health as it may constitute a nuisance.

Crinkle77 · 04/07/2013 10:08

How about putting an anonymous note through the door if you think they may get snotty? If you have other neighbours then surely they would not know who it was from. Bit of a cowards way out but then that is me.

rinnies · 05/07/2013 16:42

Loll the comment about washing up liquid was
absolutely hilarious.... good one.
But I think Crinkle 77 has a good point, a typed up
anonymous note thru the door_ sent every other day until
until the noise issue is sorted.
Try not to put it the door yourself, you don't
want to get found out.

islandjude · 05/07/2013 21:55

Just saying - last comment rather unnecessary. You don't know what people's everyday life is like or what other problems are faced. Walking in other people's shoes? Hope other people are more understanding when you are upset!

islandjude · 05/07/2013 21:57

that was in response to brilliant white

AmazingBouncingFerret · 05/07/2013 21:59

Even if they do have fish they don't need a noisy pump running all through the night. You can get silent thingies (technical term - honest) that blow airbubbles into the water so they don't die. One of those could be used at night and the noisy, decorative waterfall/fountain can be used in the day.

LifeIsSoBad · 05/07/2013 22:06

I think you should speak to them. You said their elderly and well off so if their old their not really going to start playing loud music to annoy you and if they do then you said you have teenagers, I'm sure you could go out for a few hours one night and let them at theirs louder, I'm joking no actually I'm not and if their well off they can buy a different one that isn't as loud if they have fish or they turn it off

Tbh I think you need to nip this in the bud because it sounds like your being a bit of a push over at the minute, sorry if that's harsh but you said they have a noisy dog too so you have every right to talk to them about noise.

formicadinosaur · 06/07/2013 06:59

Hi xx and xxx,

Please please please could you turn the water pump off at night. I have two teenagers who are getting awfully stroppy with the lack of sleep. The pump is keeping we awake too sadly.

Thanks in advance, OP

HairLikeAMadWomansKnitting · 06/07/2013 07:14

Face to face, keep it light and friendly so there's nothing they can take offence to.

If they don't act, contact the council.

HappySeven · 06/07/2013 07:21

Please don't put a note through anonymously. We received one through the post once and it was awful as it made us look at all our neighbours suspiciously and to be honest made me think they were nutters and so I didn't take their concerns seriously. If they'd come and spoken to us or maybe even signed their letter we would have taken it better and probably found it easier to see their point of view.

You are an adult and so speak to them as an adult. Explain that it seems very loud, especially at night, and could they please turn it off at night so that you can go back to sleeping with your windows open. They'll probably take the hint and change the motor to a quieter one.

weisswusrt · 06/07/2013 09:14

Could you ask them to maybe place a rock or something under the flow so its not just hammering loudly into the water? Offer to pay, saying you hate to be a pain but its driving you nuts!

BOF · 06/07/2013 12:04

I wouldn't offer to pay Shock!

oreocookiez · 06/07/2013 12:19

OMG tell them straight to turn it off at night. Dont pussy foot around, its a very reasonable request at night time. During the day though they have a right to enjoy their garden as well so you will just have to get on with it.

frogletpoglet · 06/07/2013 12:32

agree with euphemialennox. sounds like you are over sensitive to noise and verging on paranoia. glad you are not our neighbours!

weisswusrt · 06/07/2013 12:43

I only meant offer to pay because they sound like it'd turn into a power struggle if she just appealed to reason. Wasps and orange juice etc.

VisualiseAHorse · 06/07/2013 14:40

You've just got to be bold and next time you see one of them a simple 'would you mind turning off your waterfall at night? It's really been disturbing my sleep'.

If they say they have to keep it on for air bubbles, suggest that they get a quieter pump, because it is affecting the whole family sleep.

float62 · 06/07/2013 19:00

I think you should mention it to them and in a matter of fact, knowledgeable way suggest that often water pumps can be noisy
if there's air trapped inside and you need to bleed it out (there's usually
a screw-fitting to do this). And also what previous posters have said about placing a stone under the water flow or by replacing it with a better
model. Of course you know because some friends of yours had the same
problem Wink.

Longtime · 08/07/2013 01:25

A constant noise going all through the night and some of you are wondering why OP is complaining? I'm very sensitive to noise at night (once I become aware of a noise I can't seem to tune out) and it would drive me mad.

I would take the risk of them being upset and tell them.

echt · 08/07/2013 05:48

Is it the sound of the pump or the water? I'm pretty sure Environmental Health will be able to sort out machine noise as that's very clear cut, less sure if it's the splashing sound of the water, though any noise can be construed as a nuisance.

fgor · 14/10/2013 19:36

Boy did this thread hit it on the nail for me and my family. New neighbors built cascading water feature and it runs 24/7. Sound is basically omnipresent if open windows. And like one above comment, at times it wakes me up at night even with the widows closed. I have lost sleep and work over it. I ran a fan all summer long to cover the noise (better to my ears than the unnatural noise). There house is huge (has an elevator in it) and is concave in back which amplifies the sound towards our house (my bedroom upstairs is one of the worst areas). I have kindly spoken to them, then I wrote a letter (Someone above used the same phrase "Please, please turn your water feature off at night"! My next step I guess is the county noise ordinance. Frankly I am very disappointed in people like this. I go out of my why to help some of my neighbors. These seem to care only about themselves. Its perplexing.

For those above you wrote, thank you. I realize my sound sensitivity is not unreasonable. And thanks for the initial thread!

rdiggines2 · 17/03/2015 10:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BinarySolo · 17/03/2015 10:39

There's nothing in the op's post to suggest that her neighbours are unreasonable tho.

Yes, she says they speak loudly and have a barking dog but there is no mention of her broaching these subjects with the neighbours.

How can they rectify a problem if they're blissfully unaware of it?

Notes tend to be a bit passive aggressive. I'd speak to them first and just explain how loud you find it. If they talk loudly and are elderly then they may be a bit deaf so just not realise that they're disturbing anyone.

Tobyjugg · 17/03/2015 11:11

Move. It's the simplest solution all round.

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