What to do...
So we are having some pool work done, last summer the return for the pool broke beneath the cement line. Thinking they would have to go through my pool house and break the cement underneath I was worried what they were going to do. They came yesterday and they were able to reconnect in a different spot alltogether, and while they are here I am getting them to move the big filter out of the shed as well.
I was going to get them to move the pump as well, but that's another story...
A little history;
The neighbour who lives right behind us has complained for the past two summers that our pool pump is too loud. He can't work in his office, and it drives him nuts, so being a good neighbour I would turn it off at night, even though I would rather leave it running. The pump is noisy in the pool house, but it's a pump, it sounds like a motor running, HMMMMMMMM... Anyway last night there was a knock on the front door, and it was the neighbour, which was unusual because in the past he lobbed his complaints by shoving his head through the cedars in the backyard. He said the following... "I see that you are having work done on your pool and I thought this would be a good time to discuss the noise of your pump, I will buy you a new pool pump, a new pool shed, whatever you need to keep my sanity, money is no object..." on and on he went. He said it doesn't bother his wife the same way, but he needs something to be done or he will have to move, and he cannot even go in the backyard during the summer due to the noise.. Oh come on.
I told him I was going to put some foam padding on the bottom, and I would look into. To make him feel guilty I handed him a few baby clothes we had - they are having a baby in a few weeks.
I went outside to tell the pool crew about my problem, they said he was being fussy, that a new one would be a little bit quieter, but it would certainly still bother him. I'm not sure what to do now, I might call the city and ask them about noise by-laws, maybe they can meter it to determine if it's too noisy.
He even replaced all his windows!! And still hears the humming... Ahhhh
Any thoughts??
I was going to get them to move the pump as well, but that's another story...
A little history;
The neighbour who lives right behind us has complained for the past two summers that our pool pump is too loud. He can't work in his office, and it drives him nuts, so being a good neighbour I would turn it off at night, even though I would rather leave it running. The pump is noisy in the pool house, but it's a pump, it sounds like a motor running, HMMMMMMMM... Anyway last night there was a knock on the front door, and it was the neighbour, which was unusual because in the past he lobbed his complaints by shoving his head through the cedars in the backyard. He said the following... "I see that you are having work done on your pool and I thought this would be a good time to discuss the noise of your pump, I will buy you a new pool pump, a new pool shed, whatever you need to keep my sanity, money is no object..." on and on he went. He said it doesn't bother his wife the same way, but he needs something to be done or he will have to move, and he cannot even go in the backyard during the summer due to the noise.. Oh come on.
I told him I was going to put some foam padding on the bottom, and I would look into. To make him feel guilty I handed him a few baby clothes we had - they are having a baby in a few weeks.
I went outside to tell the pool crew about my problem, they said he was being fussy, that a new one would be a little bit quieter, but it would certainly still bother him. I'm not sure what to do now, I might call the city and ask them about noise by-laws, maybe they can meter it to determine if it's too noisy.
He even replaced all his windows!! And still hears the humming... Ahhhh
Any thoughts??
posted by St. Louis Family at 9:39 AM
10 Comments:
If he's going to have a baby in a few weeks then the crying should drown out the noise and put things into perspective.
I didn't mention this is his second baby....
And he's never complained about our screaming kids in the backyard which is way louder than the pool pump...is that next?
Maybe it's something inside his head that makes it seem louder than it is. He's picking up on frequencies that others can't. That's probably not too helpful but it's just what I thought of. Maybe the stress of thinking about the pump somehow amplifies it in his head!
He should look into putting some of his money into therapy for his OCD.
Joking aside, you can buy sound insulation for the interior walls of the shed. If he's paying, it might buy you some peace from his complaining.
Alison is right, though- his brain is picking up on the most annoying frequencies for him- it's like tinnitus. I had is after Mae was born and when they actually explained that to me it went away. What a stupid thing for your brain to do. Tell him about it (in a more diplomatic way)
This post seems to have hit a chord of some kind. Noisy neighbours (or the perception thereof) may be a common theme, either as noisor or noisee. From the remarks, I am suspecting many more from the noisee camp.
Neighbour really offered to pay for a new shed? OK, the brain may pick up and focus on certain frequencies, but the pump, footings, floor and whole shed may also be acting as a sound box - like a guitar.
How about you get a manual pump and put the kids to work?
DoD
No, I think I may buy the kids a drum set actually.
We have a problem with noisy dogs which bark day and night. I did look up the bylaws about dog noises but haven't checked on other sounds. I never heard your pool pump. Does it really make a noise?????
Mum
Maybe you could get some kind of adapter that would "tune" your pump to a different, less annoying frequency, without actually having to reduce the volume. Or maybe a pleasant chord, like wind chimes. There are definitely certain frequencies that drive me crazy and if I had to hear them all the time I'd probably shoot myself. Lately I notice the high pitched whine of like a camera flash warming up in my ears a lot, and it's kind of worrying me. Guess I should have it checked out by an ear doctor. Maybe your neighbour should go to one too.
- Andrew
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