Who is BU? Neighbour's heat pump

[ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs]

Help to resolve a dispute between DH and I.
Neighbours have installed a heat pump on the side of their house close to our boundary. It is very noisy! DH is not happy with the noise level, he has researched and regulations state should be no more than 42 dbs from our side. He's measured it as 60 dbs and 58 just outside our bedroom. He has sent an email to neighbour asking him to check it out, but no reply.

Relevant back story: We have lived in our house for 17 years, with no close neighbours (woodland). Couple of years ago the land was sold and developed. DH and I had different opinions on this- he thought having a house there was a good thing for security, I was really upset at the destruction of the trees.

Things got worse when they "accidentally" tore down our hedge (outside our fence but inside our boundary). There was then a boundary dispute, we had to pay for a land survey to resolve. Eventually "resolved" but boundary still not completely adhered when they erected fence.

So things were a bit awkward, then we had months of noisy building/ builders. Neighbours finally moved in and I was happy to let it all go for the sake of good relations. Have spoken to them briefly and all OK.

Now DH is complaining about the noise of the heat pump, where it doesn't really bother me that much and I would rather leave it. Especially as we have dogs that occasionally bark, and I'm sure we make noise of our own at times. I really don't want to be on bad terms with them- the reason we left our previous house was that our neighbours were horrible

Who's BU- DH or me? I think DH is being a bit petty, he thinks he is right to complain and that they are taking the piss! It was his idea to ask MN....

(Sorry about the essay, trying not to drip feed!!)

I believe the planning rules at 5he moment is that the heat pump has to be at least 1 meter away from their boundary. But this rule is going to be relaxed soon so it’s worth chasing it up now if it’s to close.

I’ve had a heat pump for about 4 years and never had any problem with noise. But if it’s angled to hit a fence that could amplify the sound.

I wonder how efficient heatpumps really are. Many of the houses in Weardale and Teasdale have had them fitted using government grants and they are not finding them efficient- complaints about how expensive their bills are because they need to be on for many more hours because they don't heat the houses effectively, and when they've had houses assessed to sell the envro ratings are coming up as Fs and Es because they are so inefficient. Given how many are farms and cottages with land and on hillsides so you can get the distance and fall in landlevel for optimum performance it seems pointless to have them.

Some heat pumps have a night programme so it's quieter - I've just had one installed but I'd be horrified if it was making a big noise at night.

Yeah! That was supposed protected ancient woodland, full of wildlife! My other neighbour was refused permission to cut down a tree that was dangerously overhanging her roof, but suddenly all these trees in this one area were diseased......
They were hacked down without a badger survey (confirmed habitat, have them on CCTV) or a bat survey (evidently present!)
I admit I even cried when I saw the little vixen wandering about lost in the bit where I knew her den had been.

Meanwhile trees for cities, green spaces, council schemes and so many other groups and societies are trying to encourage us all to plant trees!

You were upset at “destruction of the trees”? 😂

Did you miss the Sycamore Gap and Plymouth debacles, to name just two?
Yes people get upset at the destruction of trees, quite rightfully.

I'm with you OP, I'd have been so upset at the destruction of the trees too & loss of nature. These things are important.

I'm also with your husband on the noise issue. Please do raise it now. You have a right to live in your home without a constant drone from stupidly placed machinery. They can get them moved.

This only worse - see here https://decibelpro.app/blog/how-loud-is-60-db-compared-to-other-volumes/#:~:text=So%2C%20while%20a%20sound%20at,times%20louder%20than%2030%20decibels.

10 more decibels means 10 times louder so 20 more decibels means 10 times louder, twice, so 100 times louder.

Nope. Heard about those and think it’s ridiculous anyone being upset over a bloody tree or some nature.

@TheJanuaryPinks I bet you're the type to have a grey house, concrete and Astro turf garden. AKA an ignorant pleb.

I'll also throw in a GF

There's nothing funny about that

Honestly, I so appreciate everyone's comments! Will give them to the end of this week to respond to email then contact the council noise department. I'm also concerned the council already dislike us, as I queried the legality of taking down the trees, bat and badger surveys etc, and DH contacted their planning dept about the boundary! (They were very unhelpful on both scores) I worry they'll think we're just trying to make trouble!

Your DH is right @ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs

Heat pumps should not make that much noise, its like the noise from a motorway!!! Their heat pump making so much noise will be inefficient - its been badly installed, Id encourage them to get the installers out.

Alternatively hand over to the local authority And sort your fence line out too - 10 year rule applies then you lose that land....

Try not to worry so much about what others think, as 1. You can never know what they're thinking. 2. You can't do anything about it. Either your case has a point or it doesn't. Same with dog/heatpump issue. They are separate; one does not impinge on the other.

Nope. Heard about those and think it’s ridiculous anyone being upset over a bloody tree or some nature.

Yeah, fuck it, let's concrete over the lot and lash down some astroturf.

Thank you @echt ! I do overworry what people think of me, drives DH and my dc mad!
And glad I'm not the only one who thinks the loss of ancient trees and wildlife is a sad thing!

In fact, looking back I was far more vocal and proactive in defending the rights of the bats and badgers than my own! 🤣🤣

Stop worrying about what people think of you, you pay council tax don’t you? The council has to do their job. They don’t have to like you, they need to apply planning law and noise regs. The noise level is outrageous and as someone else mentioned it may have been installed too close to the boundary. This needs checking too.

@TheJanuaryPinks are you an actual psychopath?

#TeamDH

I'm dreading heat pumps becoming common, in high density areas no one will be able to sit outside with all the humming etc they make that is audible inside too. A lot of neighbour disputes will occur as where I have seen them installed so far is never next to the owners house but on a boundary near a neighbours!

They're very efficient in modern, well-insulated buildings. In older buildings they don't make a lot of sense without extensive retrofitting - ideally both external insulation and a switch to underfloor heating rather than conventional radiators.

More than that - it's an logarithmic scale, so it's nearer 100 times louder than it should be in SPL and the perceived difference is somewhere around 400% louder.

Imagine how awful it will be in you can't sleep with your bedroom window open. Report them now.