ᐅ Noise from Outdoor Units of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery – Are There Regulations Regarding Noise Levels at Specific Times?
Created on: 15 Sep 2016 14:54
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Illo77- Hello everyone, Is there any regulation regarding the times when a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery is allowed to operate and when not, or on which settings it may run?
We are currently having quite a bit of trouble with one of our neighbors, who becomes very upset as soon as the system runs on level 3 or level 4. According to the manufacturer, level 1 should only be used when the house is unoccupied (for example, during vacations), levels 2 to 3 are for normal operation (we usually use level 2), and level 4 is for situations like guests, drying laundry, cooking, showering, bathing, and so on.
In the summer, we run the system on level 3 in the late afternoon or early evening (depending on the day) to bring the relatively cooler outside air from the east side (where the intake is located) into the upstairs rooms (children’s rooms). Otherwise, it gets very hot in there, and since the children go to bed early, the windows can’t be opened — partly because of the risk of the child climbing out the window, but also because it becomes too bright in the room, not to mention the evening sun shining on the laminate floor, which then radiates heat back into the room overnight. This regularly leads to angry complaints from the neighbor. I work at a care facility for people with disabilities and have already been asked by my neighbor whether I work there or am a client myself, and that my poor child unfortunately can’t choose his parents, etc.
Anyway, the installer was already here and said everything is okay (it could have been a problem with the system).
Now the question, which no one has been able to answer for me so far: Is there a general regulation specifically for systems like this (similar to rules for operating a lawn mower, for example, only until 8 p.m.) that limits noise or operational levels at certain times? Or does only the general noise protection ordinance apply, or whatever its official name is? Maybe someone knows more about this. I only know someone working at the environmental authority who said this is an increasing issue right now (also regarding air source heat pumps).
The house was built in 2013, the system is a Vallox 090sc, the device is installed in the attic on the inside of the east gable wall, with the air intake and exhaust vents located on the exterior of the gable wall, combined in one unit (a wide slot for one and a large downward-facing opening for the other; I’m not sure which is intake and which is exhaust).
And yes, I know it’s not an air conditioner, but the benefit in summer is definitely the cooler outside air, and according to the manufacturer, level 3 is still “normal” operation; we have only used level 4 during winter when we had guests. However, I’m not sure how big the difference between level 3 and 4 actually is.
Oh, and the location is Schleswig-Holstein.
Best regards
Payday schrieb:
Basically, any point can serve as the reference point The location of the relevant measurement points, to which the immission guideline values apply, is clearly and unambiguously defined in the Technical Instructions on Noise Protection (TA Lärm). There isn’t anything more serious to add on this matter.
EinMarc schrieb:
For comparison: 45 dB(A) prevail INSIDE a quiet(!) apartment. Well, that’s not really quiet at all, quite the opposite. I have conducted expert noise measurements in luxury hotels and apartments where residents complained about noise from nightclub operations. The measured levels (not evaluation levels!) were well below 30 dB(A), yet due to the impulsive nature of the sounds, a peaceful night’s rest was out of the question. In a quiet apartment, nighttime levels of about 25 to 30 dB(A) are expected, but not significantly higher.
Back to the topic:
If a neighbor feels disturbed, they must provide proof that the noise is actually excessive. This proof is not established with random smartphone apps but through a measurement conducted by a certified §29b measurement agency.