On a trip to city hall to check bylaws on heat pump compressor noise, I found that there is no law enforcement on noise on this industrial machine. I find this to be direct negligence of bylaw enforcement and highly discriminatory. City Hall’s excuse is we are a strata and won’t enforce it. Our strata is paid to maintain road, landscaping and fire hydrant under hydro lines only. We own our land and houses and pay taxes to the city at house rates. This strata has no enforcement of this bylaw. Our houses are eight feet apart and three storeys high; the heat pump compressor and fan was installed in the middle of the house, with only five feet clearance between buildings. It sits on a cement slab between the two houses and the noise and vibration is intolerable. It sounds like a line of gravel trucks going by every 20 minutes, 24/7/12.
The bylaw reads, “No person shall make, or cause, or allow to be made, in or on a highway or elsewhere in the city, any noise or sound which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort on convenience of the public, neighborhood or persons in the vicinity.” If I play loud music or have a dog barking or parties, alarms, etc., bylaw is right there.
Why does City Hall enforce part of the bylaw only? This is a discriminatory act.
Our bedrooms are directly above this compressor and fan. The vibration and noise is intolerable. We have to wear earplugs to use our bedrooms in our house, just to be vibrated to sleep.
It is turned on at five or six in the morning for one hour straight, then on and off all day, depending on the weather. In summer, the outside noise from the air conditioner is just as bad; you cannot enjoy your yard without this constant whining and fan noise 24/7. As all our house vents are on this side, hood fan, furnace, dryer, fireplace there is a constant whine through our main floor. We have installed and eight-foot fence but to no avail. There is no peace and quiet or enjoyment of our house and yard that the bylaw states.
Once again, discrimination and negligence of bylaws. As a taxpayer, I should have the same protection as all taxpayers.
Installation of compressors should be licensed and rules applied for a minimum standard of noise and vibration before they are in place. They should never be allowed between three-story buildings this close, unless there are noise enclosures.
Enforcement practices of this noise bylaw and building inspection department is unacceptable to all neighbors of heat pumps. Bylaw enforcement should be amended.
F.W. Bond,
Chilliwack