Excessive Noise from Refrigeration Units

[CarlyTB]

A question please from the other side please if that’s ok.

I live in a very quiet old street which is all residential except for a historic 400yr old pub 2 doors along. The pub is great, a tourist attraction, noise levels in the beer garden are acceptable and all other potential disruptions acceptable in this fine old inn. Except, that is, for the noisy refrigeration units on the outside walls.

There’s a constant drone from them 24hrs a day. I hear it in my garden which I could live with but also inside my flat, even with the windows closed. In summer I’d like to open the windows at night but the drone is too loud.

I’ve been round to speak to them but they said for data protection reasons they can’t give me the manager’s contact details. I left my details and await a call back.

Helpful barman did say one of the units is a cellar cooling unit, only a year old and the quietest on the market. There are another 2 units on the back wall though and these are louder.

Pub owned by a premium country pub brand with lots of well known names so will have resources to fix this if there is a fix.

If it was ventilation units I could ask for them to be turned off at night. What can I do about refrigeration units though? Do you get silent ones? Is it worth contacting the Council if the manager doesn’t respond? Any advice appreciated.

 

[fisicx]

call the council. They will do a noise assessment and take action as necessary.

 

[CarlyTB]

call the council. They will do a noise assessment and take action as necessary.

If a manager doesn’t call me I’ll do that for sure, thanks

 

[CarlyTB]

Is there such a thing as a silent or near silent refrigeration unit? One of the three at the pub says on the side it’s a Hubbard Lite cellar cooling system (the one I was informed is the quietest on the market).

 

[Mark T Jones]

It's unlikely the manager will have a say in such matters

I'd suggest you contact their head office who will direct you to a relevant property manager

 

[fisicx]

If a manager doesn’t call me I’ll do that for sure, thanks

He won’t. The freeholder installed the units not the manager. Don’t wait for them not to call, send an email to the council today.

 

[Newchodge]

Is there such a thing as a silent or near silent refrigeration unit? One of the three at the pub says on the side it’s a Hubbard Lite cellar cooling system (the one I was informed is the quietest on the market).

You can get acoustic blanket type thingys (technical term) that can reduce noise. I don't know enough about them to know if they could be used in this setting. @hunny may be able to advise?

 

[CarlyTB]

It's unlikely the manager will have a say in such matters

I'd suggest you contact their head office who will direct you to a relevant property manager

Found property manager’s contact details online. Thanks for tip.

 

[CarlyTB]

You can get acoustic blanket type thingys (technical term) that can reduce noise. I don't know enough about them to know if they could be used in this setting. @hunny may be able to advise?

Would be good to know, didn’t know there was such a thing.

 

[fisicx]

Would be good to know, didn’t know there was such a thing.

There are loads of solutions to the noise. But the pub managers isn’t going to do anything. You first need a noise assessment to determine if you have a case for complaint. Without this the pubco is just going to ignore you.

 

[CarlyTB]

There are loads of solutions to the noise. But the pub managers isn’t going to do anything. You first need a noise assessment to determine if you have a case for complaint. Without this the pubco is just going to ignore you.

I’m going to contact the Council tomorrow and will take it from there.

 

[HFE Signs]

You can get acoustic blanket type thingys (technical term) that can reduce noise. I don't know enough about them to know if they could be used in this setting. @hunny may be able to advise?

You can, however you have to be careful not to restrict ventilation and cooling

 

[Mark T Jones]

I’m going to contact the Council tomorrow and will take it from there.

Personally I'd start by contacting the property manager.

they may be helpful & accommodating over and above what EHO will do.

Or the may just ignore or or fob you off, in which case the EHO is still open to you.

 

[IanSuth]

When were the units installed ?

When did you move in and when did current owner take over the pub ?

If these are new units and you have been there ages then the pub and or manager managed without them before.

If you however moved in and the units were already there (or in the case of the Hubbard Lite a louder predecessor unit) then I don't think you should complain and if you do should expect a short reply. You bought/rented at a price that must have taken into account the situation or didnt do due diligence.

Cooling units on a food premises are pretty standard and if I moved next to a pub I would be expecting a degree of disturbance at all hours (from punters to dray deliveries or glass empties being removed)

 

[CarlyTB]

When were the units installed ?

When did you move in and when did current owner take over the pub ?

If these are new units and you have been there ages then the pub and or manager managed without them before.

If you however moved in and the units were already there (or in the case of the Hubbard Lite a louder predecessor unit) then I don't think you should complain and if you do should expect a short reply. You bought/rented at a price that must have taken into account the situation or didnt do due diligence.

Cooling units on a food premises are pretty standard and if I moved next to a pub I would be expecting a degree of disturbance at all hours (from punters to dray deliveries or glass empties being removed)

It’s just been a few months since I bought the flat which is in a conservation area in a quiet street with no other commercial/retail in the street or streets nearby.

Before offering, I visited the pub, checked out their opening hours and spoke to staff and punters. It’s an iconic pub, full of character with mainly elderly regulars and some tourists chucked in. It opens Midday to 11pm daily and I fully anticipated a degree of disturbance … I naively assumed though that this would not extend into the small hours.

Whether I should have noticed/expected an incessant 24hr drone is debatable but I’m just trying to work out what measures could be taken to either deaden the existing noise level or replace the units with quieter versions.

I left my details for the local manager to contact me within a week which they haven’t so I understand my next step is to contact the company’s national Buildings Manager as a courtesy before approaching EHO.

 

[fisicx]

If that’s the case you will struggle to get anything done as the equipment was already installed before you moved in.

Most phones have a decibel level app you can install. If the noise level is below 70db with the windows closed you don’t have a case.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Guidance we had from EHO was a nuisance is defined as 30db above background noise level. Though other factors are often taken into account.
In our case it was the neighbours behaviour that won the case, as much as the absolute noise level.

 

[IanSuth]

Whether I should have noticed/expected an incessant 24hr drone is debatable but I’m just trying to work out what measures could be taken to either deaden the existing noise level or replace the units with quieter versions.

I left my details for the local manager to contact me within a week which they haven’t so I understand my next step is to contact the company’s national Buildings Manager as a courtesy before approaching EHO.

Just as a thought

If you were running that pub, what amount of £ do you think would be acceptable to pay out in upgrade costs to plant to keep a new neighbour happy ?

Have a think on that - then go look at the cost of what you think could do the job - then you will know whether you will get what you want or cause the pub to shut and get a building site next door

I used to meet at a CAMRA award winning terrace pub in a conservation area every Monday, it was a lovely pub us a a few motorcycling mates met there for our weekly meeting, it also did folk nights n it's back bar, had the morris men visit outside during the summer and held a famous pickled onion competition every autumn (you could find which pub from that). When the rules changed about 10 (maybe 15) years back we had to stop visiting as did the Morris men as it gave neighbours the right to complain about the noise caused by us arriving/leaving the pub or the morris men performing in the street (as they had done for >100 years), the bakery at the end of the street had already closed after complaints about noise form deliveries and when we all left the pub changed hands and has done regularly ever since as landlords struggle to make money with no regular punters.

 

[fisicx]

@CarlyTB - how often do you visit the pub? Are you a regular patron? Do you take visitors in for a meal? Do you go for Sunday lunch?

Your patronage will help your cause.

 

[GFI]

Karen buys a house next to a pub. Karen moans about the refridgeration noises from said pub. Pub has been trading c.400 years without issue.

*Karen is a modern term for a whinger/complainer/**(&^%$£)(*&^

 

[Newchodge]

Karen buys a house next to a pub. Karen moans about the refridgeration noises from said pub. Pub has been trading c.400 years without issue.

*Karen is a modern term for a whinger/complainer/**(&^%$£)(*&^

The oub has not been running refrigeration units for 400 years. Also you don't know that no-one else has complained. Please don't be nasty to Karen's.

 

[Mark T Jones]

The oub has not been running refrigeration units for 400 years. Also you don't know that no-one else has complained. Please don't be nasty to Karen's.

In a built up area it's a near certainty that others have complained - and that the owners are very aware of staying within legal limits.

There is a chance that old or faulty equipment has put them outside (or close to ) those limits.

There is also a chance that advances in technology could reduce noise further, which us why discussion with the property manager may yield better results than adding your complaint to the council's file

 

[fisicx]

It’s also possible the coolers are pointing towards Carly’s property and the noise doesn’t affect other neighbours.

I was out for lunch yesterday with friends and they had coolers rattling away. Checked with the DB meter on my phone and they were well below acceptable limits. But I can imagine the constant noise would be annoying to some.

@Mark T Jones - finding out the name of the property manager might be a struggle if it’s a pubco. The bar manager probably has no say in any maintenance.

 

[Mark T Jones]

@Mark T Jones - finding out the name of the property manager might be a struggle if it’s a pubco. The bar manager probably has no say in any maintenance.

I can guarantee that I could get contact details for the relevant person within 30 minutes.

In fact if @CarlyTB wants to pay me £50 I will do so - with a full refund if I fail.

 

[CarlyTB]

I can guarantee that I could get contact details for the relevant person within 30 minutes.

In fact if @CarlyTB wants to pay me £50 I will do so - with a full refund if I fail.

I can guarantee that I could get contact details for the relevant person within 30 minutes.

In fact if @CarlyTB wants to pay me £50 I will do so - with a full refund if I fail.

The oub has not been running refrigeration units for 400 years. Also you don't know that no-one else has complained. Please don't be nasty to Karen's.

Or Carlys.

 

[CarlyTB]

It’s also possible the coolers are pointing towards Carly’s property and the noise doesn’t affect other neighbours.

I was out for lunch yesterday with friends and they had coolers rattling away. Checked with the DB meter on my phone and they were well below acceptable limits. But I can imagine the constant noise would be annoying to some.

@Mark T Jones - finding out the name of the property manager might be a struggle if it’s a pubco. The bar manager probably has no say in any maintenance.

Myself and one other neighbour are most affected. Only 3 others are within earshot but they are elderly and it’s possible they do not hear it.

I have the name of the Buildings Manager as the company is a huge national one with many branded pubs and it was easy to find online.

Will update when I have further info. Thanks!

 

[fisicx]

That’s a good start. What about my question regarding patronage?

And have you downloaded a sound meter app on your phone and taken some readings?

 

[CarlyTB]

That’s a good start. What about my question regarding patronage?

And have you downloaded a sound meter app on your phone and taken some readings?

I’m on first name terms with some of the staff so hopefully that will help.

Have also downloaded DB Meter app and will do some sampling next week when I’m home. I suspect sound levels will be within those deemed acceptable but … as a constant drone during the night is still obstructive to sleep.

Another neighbour similarly affected has made a contact within the relevant Council Noise Team but on balance I may as well approach the Buildings Manager first to give them the opportunity to address the issue.