Neighbour complained about dryer

[alisonelli]

I have just had a text from my next door neighbour saying my tumble dryer is too loud and its "having a significant adverse impact on their quality of life".
For context, we live in detached houses, its on carpet in the utility room, I'd say there is at least 6ft gap between the houses, with cavity wall and a fence. I don't run it early in the morning or late at night. I'd say it runs between 10 and 3 if that. Its an eco one, so it does go on for about 3 hours, but uses little electricity. I have 2 kids, who play lots of sports and I have clothes I need to get dry.
What do I do?

How odd, tumble driers aren’t the noisiest things and don’t vibrate - washing machine while spinning maybe but that’s for all of a few minutes a cycle and vibrations won’t travel into next door’s detached house!

Oh dear lord - some of the posturing and dramatics on here are absolutely bonkers.

OP, just go and listen. If it's really noisy for some weirdy acoustic reason that none of us know about then I'm sure it will be easily sorted with something like the mat that a PP mentioned.

If it's not noisy and they're simply being unreasonable then you can step back from it and let them take it to environmental health if needed.

It's not that difficult.

My neighbour frequently cuts logs. When I’m in the garden next to him cutting it I can hear nothing at all.
When I go inside the noise is deafening - can’t really figure out why. Something I guess to do with how the house is built and vibrations.

Highlighting this as there may actually be an issue. Offer to come round and hear it when you have your tumble dryer on. Then get them to come outside and listen. I wouldn’t dismiss it incase there is an issue you are not aware of. And rowing with neighbours isn’t great!

So what are you going to do OP?

Only you can know what these neighbours are usually like, @alisonelli. If other neighbours have ahd similar issues and consider them unreasonable then it probably is best to ignore it because indeed if it's not the dryer it will be something else. Some people just don't have enough going on to fill their day.

On the other hand, I have a heat pump dryer too and can barely hear it when I'm in the next room. In the rest of the house it's completely inaudible and you can't feel any vibration even when standing right next to it. However I know sound can travel in very odd ways sometimes and sheer curiosity would compel me to go over and ask to hear it whatever this noise is that he thinks is your dryer. If genuinely there is something odd going on then it makes sense to try and work with him but if there really is nothing then you can feel secure in telling him to get environmental health out. You'll be in the clear, he'll look like a troublemaker and is unlikely ever to be taken seriously by them in the future.

I used to live in a house that in a particular room I could hear EVERYTHING from my neighbours across the (very quiet) road. The window in this room faced the side of my house, not opposite towards them, and I didn't particularly hear anything from the neighbours on that side, nor from the ones opposite from the windows that actually did face that way towards them. But somehow in that bedroom with the side window I could quite literally hear them pee in their toilet, chop carrots in the kitchen, cough or snifff. It was weird.

I sometimes hear next doors washer when it's on its final spin, I had no idea it was normal adult behaviour to complain about household appliances. Don't get me started on the hoover I mean that is noisy even though we're detached with a massive drive between us.

It's funny how most of us just accept some noise as part of life while others are suggesting popping next door to 'seek more data' .

Not normal. Avoid the weirdo.

Can’t you comprehend that noise affects people differently?

@alisonelli Text them back and ask if you can come round and listen the next time they hear the noise. Or ask if they could record the noise for you.

As other people have said it may be a vibration rather than a noise or it might be something else entirely.

It seems weird that it could be so intrusive in a detached house.

Agree, there's people who if they see any sign of weakness will just try and get more and more from you. Let them complain to the council.

I'm perfectly happy with the way I am, thank you. 😃 Judge away!

I would do this.

It is baffling to me that showing consideration to others would be seen as a sign of weakness.

This.

That’s your prerogative, but just remember when you come up against something that causes you distress or inconvenience that that person may give no shits about you either, you reap what you sow.

Download a decibel app and use it standing next to the dryer, and then standing outdoors. Put a glass of water on the floor near the dryer - does the surface of the water react to "vibration" ?

It's incomprehensible to me how a dryer that far away, inside a normal house and on a typical residential foundation (plus flooring and carpeting) could in any way cause a vibration on the next property over.

Are you on speaking terms with these people? They sound batshit.

Yep, what goes around, comes around.
A society where everyone is equally selfish would be very unpleasant

Why dont you go over to their house when your dryer is running. You can see whether it makes a disturbing noise. Three hours is a long running time if it does,

Good grief, why not just go round and speak to them and listen to what is upsetting them?

She's already showing consideration by only running it during the day. Even if it can be heard that should be consideration enough.

Using household appliances during the day is not "inconsiderate" or anything to apologize for.

We are not required to dance to others' tune in order to be "considerate."

This whole drama could be avoided as well as potential years of hell and awkwardness for the sake of a few rubber feet off amazon as someone has posted above.

It's not weak, or they are going to take take take off you - it's just decency. God, I'm so grateful for my adult, rational neighbours now. I'd totally give someone 10 minutes of time just to see if there is a solution to what is clearly bothering them.

Weakness? What sort of neigbourhood do you live in?!

I give up. You cant reason with stupid

I am going to put rubber feet under it too. Keep the door and window shut and take it from there. My mum was round before and I could feel him watching me hug her and see her off, as he was at the kitchen window, I half expected him to come round.
I don't understand why he had to message me, why not send it to my husband? I do agree with the post about male messaging female, it's made me feel uncomfortable. I asked the neighbours on the other side and they said "they have always been odd and like that."
The previous occupants didn't have a tumble dryer.
Why not mention it to me last year, when it was making the same noise, why wait until now?
I've not said anything to him about his underwear on the line, nor did I say anything when he told me he's seen me working away in the office (I have an office in my garden)