How to stop pool motor noise from next door?

[avril]

My neighbour has a pool filter installed next to my fence (wooden) and refuses to cover, enclose or soundproof the filter. The sound and vibrations reverberate through my garden and house. Is there some acoustic material I can put on the fence to block the sound and vibration?

[JacobZ]

Hi @avril,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution to this problem and without assistance from your neighbour, it would be difficult to completely negate the sound coming over the fence.

There are however a few solutions I can offer that will assist in dampening the noise and give you some reprieve from the frustrating sound. As sound is transferred through vibrations in the air, all of the solutions I have to offer are about limiting the amount of direct air flow over the fence into your home. 

You could install fence extensions to your fence to help block the path of the sound. This will force the air to travel further to get to the wall of your house. You could also look at our Fence Extension Installation service as a possible option with this.

After these fence extensions are installed, you could attach some bamboo screens to the fence to help dampen the sound being transferred through the fence. Adding mass to the fence will help dampen vibrations coming through the fence and the bamboo screens would be a good option for this.

You could also plant some fast-growing plants such as bamboo that with growth will help to dampen the sound. 

There are also options for Acoustic Fencing that may be worth looking into, but this would require cooperation with your neighbour for a fence replacement to happen. 

Inside your home, you could have additional sound dampening insulation installed, as well as thick curtains for the windows and acoustic foam panels over the walls.

You might also like to look at How To Winter-Proof Your Home, as many of the solutions and principles are the same when looking to soundproof.

Allow me to tag some of our helpful members to see if they have any further advice they can offer, @Dave-1, @Noyade, @TedBear, @Nailbag.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[TedBear]

Hi @avril , further to @JacobZ 's suggestions, I'd add that most local councils have laws about noise from pumps, air-conditioners, etc.

Since you have approached your neighbour already, you would now be in a position to approach your council to see what they can do. If the noise is above their allowable limits your neighbour will have to take the necessary measures to keep the noise down.

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @avril

I am seconding @TedBear 's suggestion on contacting the council in regards to excessive noise. My local council has hours stated that you can run a pool pump and how long for. Yeah I have a pool and must admit I havnt looked up the actual rules eaither

I like the idea of a a plant to help mitigate the noise tho that wont be an immediate fix It is still worth looking into as the noise is frustrating.

I am concious of my pool runing noise and try and limit it to the minimun I can. If you can see the pool pump of your neighbours maybe offer to make a sound proof box to fit over it? yeah you shouldnt have to but it could go towards a step that shows your neighbour how frustrating it is. If you start it and offer to give them a hand? Long shot but maybe in a worse case scenario. All you really need is a soundproof box that fits over the pump itself, not the whole sandfilter/filter and piping. (rem heat does need to escape as well and the box shouldnt touch the pump itself.)

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @avril I am also with @TedBear on going to the local council before spending any money your side. However I would suggest first putting it in writing with a copy of date and time it was delivered. Give the neighbour a deadline to respond and advise if there is no correspondence that you will escalate the matter to council. Then you can be sure you have done everything possible your end.

Nailbag

[Noyade]

Morning @avril 

I'm with all of the above. At the end of 2020 I had major Achilles tendon surgery and bed-bound. One day from that bed I could hear a persistent whine. I hobbled out on crutches to the backyard and determined it was emanating south-west of me and thought it was a bearing failure on an air-compressor.

But it was non-stop.

I rang the local Council - they came to my door and with satellite imagery, located three pools within 400 metres of me and off they went.

That afternoon one rang back. They found the culprit.

No more noise.

I was very impressed with the service and outcome.

Worth a try.