Noise and Vibration

[whariwharangi]

Some of my neighbors might hear my hot tub it they stood and the window on a very quiet night, between gun shots and  speeders on the nearby street.

I guess I'm lucky that way ... very few gun shots and the speeders go to bed around midnight. In the wee hours of the morning the only noise to be heard is that generated by hot tubs and residential heat pumps. Which makes it really annoying. One of the standards suggest 10dBA should be added to any noise readings in otherwise quiet residential areas like mine.

[whariwharangi]

Buy him a mat for under his tub see if he bites. Neighborhood rules likely apply and they can get grey/sketchy/difficult to enforce or most likely non existent. Have you gone to your city/township/association/county board?  See if codes are in place?

The bylaw is there ... no noise that may annoy a person or persons ... no machinery silent hours ... The problem is enforcement. The bylaw officer has no meter, no standard (ie world health organization guidelines for community noise) and no backgound or training in noise and acoustics. Apparently I don't qualify as a person and hot tubs don't count as machinery ...

The only option left is to go to the courts. The problem is to get evidence that ties the noise and vibration experienced in the house with the one or more noise sources running at any given time. Thats thousands in consultant fees and thousands in legal costs ... the only positive note is that the environmental law usually requires the polluter to pay those costs. You could probably buy several hot tubs for that amount ... and all because the owners don't want to change bearings/impellors and put up sound deflectors.

[Topline Mike]

Life's too short to worry about a hum.  What do people do who live next to a freeway or interstate?  They get used to it.  I get the feeling that you want to hear it so you can beeotch about it.  Move on. 

[whariwharangi]

Life's too short to worry about a hum.  What do people do who live next to a freeway or interstate?  They get used to it.  I get the feeling that you want to hear it so you can beeotch about it.  Move on.

Have a read and try again ...

Neighborhood noise is serious health endangerment.

Noise Facts
http://www.freewebs.com/noisefacts/

[rosewoodsteel]

I suggest you invest in a set of foam rubber ear plugs. 

[dunecritter]

I guess this is an example of why a small silent circ pump is a better way to go....Being a good neighbor!

[whariwharangi]

I suggest you invest in a set of foam rubber ear plugs.

The problem is the vibration wakes me up. Sometimes the episodes last for hours (probably due to heating cycles) The ear plugs don't stop the vibration.

Besides which I paid a quarter million for my home and you have no right to make noise in it.

[Tman122]

How about white noise?

[whariwharangi]

How about white noise?

I try running a fan ... it helps until the vibrations start ... after which 'white' noise no longer works.

[Topline Mike]

I suggest you invest in a set of foam rubber ear plugs.

The problem is the vibration wakes me up. Sometimes the episodes last for hours (probably due to heating cycles) The ear plugs don't stop the vibration.

Besides which I paid a quarter million for my home and you have no right to make noise in it.

Who would pay a quarter mil for a paper mache home?

I'm just joking pal.  I'm getting some bad vibes from this thread now, must leave.

[clover]

Noise is a serious detractor of health. If the hot tub community wants to have this sort of attitude instead of coming up with solutions ensuring no noise in my house then perhaps we should just make hot tubs illegal.

Obviously this is a serious matter to you.  You have a better understanding of what you're talking about, but it is impossible for us to hear what you hear.  At the same time, we do not know the conditions, surroundings, the rules in play, or the people involved, but we have offered some accomodating insight to the problem.  Focus on sound absorption at the point of origin.  But it doesn't sound like that is going to work either.

In that case, I would suggest turnabout as fairplay, get a bigger hot tub, take a soak every evening.  You can mellow out each evening, soon you will have forgotten what bothers you, and you will discover hot tubs are a serious health enhancement, and you will sleep like never before.  Maybe that's why they got thiers

[whariwharangi]

Noise is a serious detractor of health. If the hot tub community wants to have this sort of attitude instead of coming up with solutions ensuring no noise in my house then perhaps we should just make hot tubs illegal.

Obviously this is a serious matter to you.  You have a better understanding of what you're talking about, but it is impossible for us to hear what you hear.  At the same time, we do not know the conditions, surroundings, the rules in play, or the people involved, but we have offered some accomodating insight to the problem.  Focus on sound absorption at the point of origin.  But it doesn't sound like that is going to work either.

In that case, I would suggest turnabout as fairplay, get a bigger hot tub, take a soak every evening.  You can mellow out each evening, soon you will have forgotten what bothers you, and you will discover hot tubs are a serious health enhancement, and you will sleep like never before.  Maybe that's why they got thiers

I'm not interested in being a nuisance to my neighbors. These machines are causing a nuisance for a lot of people. Theres lots of evidence that there is a problem and it needs to be dealt with.

Calgary
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/24/calgary-council-noise-bylaw-hot-tubs-air-conditioners_n_3146621.html

Kamloops
http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20120911/KAMLOOPS0101/309119980/-1/kamloops/neighbours-complain-about-noisy-hot-tub

London UK
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-1305456/HOME-TRUTHS-Hot-tub-relaxing-fence.html

Mayfield Heights Ohio
http://www.olympichottub.com/hot-tubs-sauna-blog/2011/05/hot-tub-noise/

[Tman122]

I'm not sure the industry can prevent people from getting a noisy hot tub. There's lots out there that are noisy. And some that aren't. Most people don't consider noise when they purchase.

[Hottubguy]

How do you know the noise is coming from a hot tub?  My tub is just outside my bedroom window. I don't hear that but I hear my central air when that kicks on.

[whariwharangi]

How do you know the noise is coming from a hot tub?  My tub is just outside my bedroom window. I don't hear that but I hear my central air when that kicks on.

By wandering the neighborhood after being woken for the upteenth time. Then its cause and effect. 'That hot tub is on while there is noise in the house' attributions can be made over time. Unfortunately thats likely not enough proof for a court.

Right now trying to obtain audio recordings inside and outside house and as close to the tub as I can get. Apparently FFT analysis will render an acoustic signature. The problem is getting a recorder with a microphone sensitive enough for the low volume and low frequency inside the house.  Accelerometer to record the vibration ... but I don't know yet how to attribute structure borne vibration being caused by noise.