Noisy appliances: How loud is your house?(bbc.co.uk)
bbc.co.uk
Noisy appliances: How loud is your house?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57200584
109 comments
Working from home last fall, by far the biggest source of noise was leaf blowers. So loud and so constant. It was impossible to work without noise cancelling headphones during the day. The name "The Devil's Hair Dryer" is very appropriate.
And their two-stroke engines are a big source of particulate in the air.
I have an irrational hatred of leaf blowers. Are they even significantly more efficient than a rake?
They're very effective at blowing around clouds of dust and removing topsoil from yards and gardens here in CA.
I’m so glad that someone else is aware of this.
Not many people realize that leaf blowers remove a ton of top soil from grass and tree roots. It does a ton of damage to so many plants. All those exposed roots we often see should not be exposed that way.
The commercial lawn and tree trimming in Southern California is almost criminal what they do in the name of “landscape maintenance”.
Not many people realize that leaf blowers remove a ton of top soil from grass and tree roots. It does a ton of damage to so many plants. All those exposed roots we often see should not be exposed that way.
The commercial lawn and tree trimming in Southern California is almost criminal what they do in the name of “landscape maintenance”.
We rented a house for several years, and the summer we moved in we told the landlord that the sprinkler system wasn't working right, and we wouldn't be using it to water the lawn.
The yard guys our landlord hired proceeded to blow all the topsoil off the yard that summer, and even when I tried to re-seed the lawn, it was impossible because they'd just come by every week and blow everything around. One time we were cooling off a birthday cake outside when the yard guys came and it almost got covered with dust when they arrived unannounced on a day they didn't normally come.
Leaf blowers are awful, noisy, and mostly don't do anything useful - unless you're ACTUALLY moving around fallen leaves.
The yard guys our landlord hired proceeded to blow all the topsoil off the yard that summer, and even when I tried to re-seed the lawn, it was impossible because they'd just come by every week and blow everything around. One time we were cooling off a birthday cake outside when the yard guys came and it almost got covered with dust when they arrived unannounced on a day they didn't normally come.
Leaf blowers are awful, noisy, and mostly don't do anything useful - unless you're ACTUALLY moving around fallen leaves.
fortunately places are starting to ban them.
Much faster than a rake depending on what you use them for. We use them to clear driveways and pathways all the time where I live in the bay area - you'd be spending 30+ minutes for a 1 minute job with a leaf blower.
I prefer the 1 minute of leaf blower versus the 30+ minutes of hearing a rake. Rakes are pretty loud too.
I prefer the 1 minute of leaf blower versus the 30+ minutes of hearing a rake. Rakes are pretty loud too.
Yes, but the much quieter, battery powered electric ones are lighter and more powerful. Anyone not using electric leaf blowers at this point is just being a cheapskate. And considering the lower or nearly non-existent maintenance, they aren't even being a good cheapskate.
Anyone in a position to do so should require in their lawn care contract that only electric leaf blowers or none at all must be used.
Anyone in a position to do so should require in their lawn care contract that only electric leaf blowers or none at all must be used.
I don't see the need to label your hatred as irrational. Just about everyone hates them (including leaf blower owners!), and seems quite rational to me.
Especially those driving their Honda Civics with the special BRAAAAP exhausts when they accelerate in my street just after the speed bump only to then jump on the squeaky brakes for the stop sign a few meters further. That really annoys me.
"You're supposed to be up cooking breakfast or somebody, so that's like an alarm clock!" —Bubb Rubb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUXow3d3-b0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUXow3d3-b0
>> just after the speed bump only to then jump on the squeaky brakes for the stop sign a few meters further.
Speed bumps and stops signs annoy me too. Get rid of those, reduce the unnecessary acceleration/braking, and such cars should sail by quietly.
Speed bumps and stops signs annoy me too. Get rid of those, reduce the unnecessary acceleration/braking, and such cars should sail by quietly.
https://files.edeva.se/brochures/english/evaluation_lkpg_en....
I wouldn't say stop signs are bad, they're put there for a reason. Speed bumps however force you to slow down way below the allowed speed, then while you're on the pedal you might just accelerat back to whatever speed.
The actibump in Linköping, Sweden solves this by only being in the way if you drive too fast. Used to live next to one of these, worked like a charm.
I wouldn't say stop signs are bad, they're put there for a reason. Speed bumps however force you to slow down way below the allowed speed, then while you're on the pedal you might just accelerat back to whatever speed.
The actibump in Linköping, Sweden solves this by only being in the way if you drive too fast. Used to live next to one of these, worked like a charm.
For some reason the US is completely in love with the stop signs in places. They are very frequently used in places where European countries would just put the "yield" sign.
I feel bad that my first thought is because it's easier for the cops to fill their ticket quota with stop signs in stupid places people would probably ignore.
People ignore stop signs everywhere, IME. Best case, they slow way down and yield; worst case, they just blow through it entirely. I've even seen cops roll through stop signs. Nobody actually stops unless they would physically hit something if they didn't, and few use turn signals if they're going to turn. It's maddening as a pedestrian.
My company modeled traffic before I sold it.
Roundabouts (or 'rotaries', depending on where you live) and yield signs could do a whole lot to reduce travel times and increase efficiency by a surprisingly large amount.
The problems are numerous, but mostly the urban areas weren't designed for such, the costs to switch would be large, and the American driver can take up to six years to adjust to a new traffic pattern.
Roundabouts (or 'rotaries', depending on where you live) and yield signs could do a whole lot to reduce travel times and increase efficiency by a surprisingly large amount.
The problems are numerous, but mostly the urban areas weren't designed for such, the costs to switch would be large, and the American driver can take up to six years to adjust to a new traffic pattern.
My rural county has gone wild for roundabouts. It appears we got a new traffic engineer about five years ago and they've set about to make as many roundabouts as possible. We even have a double roundabout now. I'm surprised by how little controversy it created and how quickly everyone adapted. I can only think of one that hasn't worked out well and that's because traffic from a very close Chick-fil-a ends up back up into the roundabout and clogging it up.
Due to the rural/exurban character of the area, space for roundabouts isn't much of an issue. I suspect lots of other similar counties could do the same with similar results but it takes someone in the planning office to take the chance on doing it. Also it takes money so from a fiscal point of view, it's best to redo intersections when they're already scheduled for being repaved or they're having capacity issues that need to be addressed.
Due to the rural/exurban character of the area, space for roundabouts isn't much of an issue. I suspect lots of other similar counties could do the same with similar results but it takes someone in the planning office to take the chance on doing it. Also it takes money so from a fiscal point of view, it's best to redo intersections when they're already scheduled for being repaved or they're having capacity issues that need to be addressed.
That's actually measurable. You take the data from before the change and the estimations (based on similar changes elsewhere) and plot how long it takes for the traffic to reach expectations (in terms of things like throughput and decreased collisions). With that, you can find out how long the average drivers took to adjust.
It can be depressingly long.
It can be depressingly long.
Roundabouts everywhere is what I built on a city in Cities: Skylines. I wish there are more roundabouts in real world.
My rural area has rules against roundabouts. Depending on dimensions, they can be difficult for large farm machinery to negotiate. And in in the winter they are more difficult to plow.
That's strange. We have lots of roundabouts here in Norway and the farmers don't have any problems, nor the snow ploughs.
Perhaps ours are a different design?
Perhaps ours are a different design?
For reasons that are unclear, a lot of roundabouts in the U.S. are so small that its nearly impossible for two vehicles to be in the roundabout at the same time.
Which makes them basically useless, and difficult navigate for e.g. vehicles with trailers--you end up running dragging the trailer over the center or something.
Which makes them basically useless, and difficult navigate for e.g. vehicles with trailers--you end up running dragging the trailer over the center or something.
Small roundabouts in Europe are typically just a disk of white paint in the middle. Anything too big to go around just drives over it.
There are a lot of these in Berkeley. On top of being small, they have stop signs at the entrances, too! I tend to believe they're mostly an excuse to put a tree in the middle of the road, because a lot of them do have trees in the center.
OTOH, roundabouts with stop signs are just the worst of both worlds. I've seen this distressingly often. Looking at you, Berkeley....
I didn't know about actibump thank you. I have long wanted to see solutions like this (although I would have loved it to be low tech : some clever engineering device that would mechanically make a bump if speed is too high) I wish they were more common.
https://dai.ly/x4nt0sd
https://dai.ly/x4nt0sd
Are you seriously suggesting make streets more dangerous for pedestrians so that self absorbed <explicative removed> with noisy cars can enjoy them more quietly?
How about we instead regulate the noise cars make and not purposefully disable road safety features. That way we can enjoy quiet roads without asking other people to risk their lives for it.
How about we instead regulate the noise cars make and not purposefully disable road safety features. That way we can enjoy quiet roads without asking other people to risk their lives for it.
You don't need to brake to go over a speed bump if you're already going slowly enough, and there's no reason either way to immediately accelerate up to the end of the street where you're just going to have to slow again, regardless of the signing.
Speed bumps in the US are frequently built at such an obnoxious level that you have to slow down below the speed limit in order to get past them decently.
In my car - I have to frequently take them at an angle unless I want to scrape (comes from the factory that way) - even then, it's not bullet proof. Especially in parking lots where there are no rules - I've scrapped the middle section of my car because they built them for lifted vehicles.
If the goal is to reduce speed - it kind of works - but it adds the extra layer of obnoxious noise which basically kills any of the benefits IMO. On top of this - you now have people introducing far more brake dust and tire material into your local environment because everyone has to slow down to cross a speed bump and then accelerate again too. If we had speed bumps on my street - I'd be advocating for them to be removed. They're burdensome on the locals due to the noise pollution they create. You want a loud vehicle to get by as fast as possible and with as little throttle as possible. Nothing worse than hearing it crawl over multiple speed bumps.
In my car - I have to frequently take them at an angle unless I want to scrape (comes from the factory that way) - even then, it's not bullet proof. Especially in parking lots where there are no rules - I've scrapped the middle section of my car because they built them for lifted vehicles.
If the goal is to reduce speed - it kind of works - but it adds the extra layer of obnoxious noise which basically kills any of the benefits IMO. On top of this - you now have people introducing far more brake dust and tire material into your local environment because everyone has to slow down to cross a speed bump and then accelerate again too. If we had speed bumps on my street - I'd be advocating for them to be removed. They're burdensome on the locals due to the noise pollution they create. You want a loud vehicle to get by as fast as possible and with as little throttle as possible. Nothing worse than hearing it crawl over multiple speed bumps.
> Speed bumps in the US are frequently built at such an obnoxious level that you have to slow down below the speed limit in order to get past them decently.
Blame truck and SUV drivers. Speed bumps must be designed to slow the largest vehicle down to a safe speed, thus harming lighter and less off-road capable vehicles more.
Blame truck and SUV drivers. Speed bumps must be designed to slow the largest vehicle down to a safe speed, thus harming lighter and less off-road capable vehicles more.
We have some ridiculously high ones in my neighborhood. In my car, I have to come to a complete stop and then roll over it very slowly to keep from dragging.
In my pickup, I have found that it is much smoother to speed up and hit them faster so that the shocks engage and it causes much less of a bump in the cabin than if I slow down.
In my pickup, I have found that it is much smoother to speed up and hit them faster so that the shocks engage and it causes much less of a bump in the cabin than if I slow down.
The neighborhood I grew up in was obnoxiously “think fo the children” and the speed bumps were labeled to be 5mph. They looked more like a spike than a bump. There is no reasonable way to travel at that speed, so it will make noise.
It was a residential street nowhere close to high traffic, so it basically only punished the residents
It was a residential street nowhere close to high traffic, so it basically only punished the residents
I have a car that sits very low from the ground. Speed bumps are uncomfortable at any non-zero speed whatsoever, on top of that, there is always a risk that they will simply bottom out the car. I always take speed bumps at the absolute minimum speed the car will do without stalling.
Agreed!
My wife and I are building a home at the moment and, when it came time to consider appliances, noise of a given appliance was a factor and something we took into consideration. For example, we chose a very quiet vent hood to go over the hob/stovetop since it's an open plan kitchen/living area. Vent hoods can be very noisy (65+ dB) when running maximum.
However, given that there are tractors in fields nearby, dogs, chickens, and other "sounds of rural life" ... we made sure to put in a LOT of insulation and also went for triple-paned windows. While the house isn't yet complete, we hear almost no outside sounds when we are inside.
When we compare that to our current location - on a side street, but a moderately busy one - with sometimes couriers on loud motorcycles, lorries, police/fire vehicles (sirens), and the occasional person with a car that has an exhaust tuned to be loud ...the difference is really quite remarkable.
My wife and I are building a home at the moment and, when it came time to consider appliances, noise of a given appliance was a factor and something we took into consideration. For example, we chose a very quiet vent hood to go over the hob/stovetop since it's an open plan kitchen/living area. Vent hoods can be very noisy (65+ dB) when running maximum.
However, given that there are tractors in fields nearby, dogs, chickens, and other "sounds of rural life" ... we made sure to put in a LOT of insulation and also went for triple-paned windows. While the house isn't yet complete, we hear almost no outside sounds when we are inside.
When we compare that to our current location - on a side street, but a moderately busy one - with sometimes couriers on loud motorcycles, lorries, police/fire vehicles (sirens), and the occasional person with a car that has an exhaust tuned to be loud ...the difference is really quite remarkable.
It's absurd to me that a person on a motorcycle is allowed to literally inconvenience thousands of people just by passing through a street, so much that one has to pause a conversation for 5-10 seconds while the fucker passes.
Cars are loud even if the owner hasn’t made the exhaust louder. Just the sound of tires on pavement, when multiplied across a dozen or more cars, can be quite loud.
This is true, but a motorbike or a chav car is 10 times louder than a Tesla. If it were only the sound of tyres then road noise wouldn't be remotely as bad as it is. I can't wait for the day when petrol motorbikes are banned! (Assuming I am still alive.)
I don’t think it would be fair to ban all motorbikes. It’s only certain types bikes, generally choppers (e.g. Harley Davidsons), crotch rockets and dirt bikes that are loud. Most of the other types are fairly quiet. Although the type of bike probably matters much less than who owns it—-I had a crotch rocket for a while and you couldn’t even hear it a block away.
I don't know where you live, but most places have regulations regarding how loud vehicles can be. Maybe that doesn't apply where you are?
Generally these regulations are not enforced though..
They're not? Over here, periodic car inspections are mandatory. New car models can't be sold until they've been checked and found to be compliant with various regulations, presumably including loudness. I guess there will always be "car enthusiasts" who think that LoUD pIpEs sAvE LiVeS (they don't), but I don't see/hear heavily tuned cars anywhere near as often as in the early 2000s.
Many people just revert the modifications in order to pass the regular inspection. And enforcing is hard logistically because the Police should be able to detect and confirm such cases. Which means personnel, training, equipment, and a lot of time taken away from other duties. This won't deter anyone from tearing up the asphalt in an area that appears to have no police around.
Lots of cars have buttons to set the exhaust modes and adjust baffles and stuff in the engine / exhaust system to make louder pops and crackles.
Some people think it sounds cool.
Some people think it sounds extremely annoying.
Either way it is possible for a lot of these cars to sound quiet during an inspection.
Some people think it sounds cool.
Some people think it sounds extremely annoying.
Either way it is possible for a lot of these cars to sound quiet during an inspection.
Here that is quite illegal, and would be required to be removed at the yearly inspection, or the vehicle will be suspended.
These come stock on many performance cars. e.g. Porsche, BMW M, Mercedes AMG, Ford Mustang GT350, etc. all have these.
Not if they are driven on european roads. Any car made after 2018 (??) can't have them. I know mercedes AMG plays an modified/amplified sound inside the car, but the new regulations in the EU forbids any new car from having this.
There has been talk about a labelling similar to environmental zones (which means older, dirty exhaust cars can't drive in cities) as well, meaning loud cars would not be allowed in cities.
Edit: oh, and everything louder than 72db, 0.5m from the exhaust at a 45degree offset, is already forbidden for cars iirc.
There has been talk about a labelling similar to environmental zones (which means older, dirty exhaust cars can't drive in cities) as well, meaning loud cars would not be allowed in cities.
Edit: oh, and everything louder than 72db, 0.5m from the exhaust at a 45degree offset, is already forbidden for cars iirc.
Pipes can give a car a cool sound. But most people like music too. But they sure don't like it blasted at all hours of the day and night at random intervals.
We have annual safety inspections here (US-MA). Those also connect up to the OBD2 port (if equipped) to verify no emissions-related fault codes.
In my younger days, I had a heavily modified car that was no problem to get to pass, despite numerous possible non-compliance items.
In my younger days, I had a heavily modified car that was no problem to get to pass, despite numerous possible non-compliance items.
In France, for example, car inspections are mandatory. Motorcycle's are not. Here's part of your problem.
Even for cars, there's also the issue of how the noise measured, compared to the real-world use. And even for motorcycles, that are standards, and even if there's no mandatory regular inspection, police are allowed to control vehicles randomly. But they practically never do it for some reason.
I'm familiar with the measuring method for motorcycles, which basically means that a powerful enough motorcycle will be very quiet when tested because it will be running at very low RPMs (the standard is 3rd gear at 50 Km/h – on my bike that's around 1500-2000 RPM out of 10000).
The noise issue is with people flooring it just to stop at the next light 200 m down the road. And also badly tuned exhausts that pop like crazy.
I'm actually wondering if this hasn't become a fashion for some reason, since I hear more and more cars make that noise. And those cars look pretty expensive, so I don't think they have aftermarket exhausts, if only because changing it is a bit more involved than on motorcycles, and pretty much all newish-looking "fast" cars seem to make that noise.
But I agree, in Paris at least, loud motorcycles are more of a nuisance than cars, if only because there's more of them. Cars do tend to get on my nerves on weekends, though.
I'm familiar with the measuring method for motorcycles, which basically means that a powerful enough motorcycle will be very quiet when tested because it will be running at very low RPMs (the standard is 3rd gear at 50 Km/h – on my bike that's around 1500-2000 RPM out of 10000).
The noise issue is with people flooring it just to stop at the next light 200 m down the road. And also badly tuned exhausts that pop like crazy.
I'm actually wondering if this hasn't become a fashion for some reason, since I hear more and more cars make that noise. And those cars look pretty expensive, so I don't think they have aftermarket exhausts, if only because changing it is a bit more involved than on motorcycles, and pretty much all newish-looking "fast" cars seem to make that noise.
But I agree, in Paris at least, loud motorcycles are more of a nuisance than cars, if only because there's more of them. Cars do tend to get on my nerves on weekends, though.
And it's just yearly I think? I think modders will just revert mods for inspection and then redo mods after they have passed.
> LoUD pIpEs sAvE LiVeS (they don't)
Where can I learn about this?
Where can I learn about this?
"Loud pipes save lives" was a popular slogan on bumper stickers on obnoxiously loud cars for a good while. It completely ignores the fact that loud pipes wake people up, which shortens lives, or that it increases stress in people and animals alike.
Probably just the fact that pedestrians and other cars can hear you coming if you have loud pipes.
Motorcycles in particular have the danger that if a driver in a vehicle doesn't see them, they can get ran over. Being smaller, they have a tendency to easily hide in blind spots or just not be noticed at all because the driver is expecting another large vehicle.
So many motorcycle riders use flashing headlights and loud pipes to announce their presence.
Motorcycles in particular have the danger that if a driver in a vehicle doesn't see them, they can get ran over. Being smaller, they have a tendency to easily hide in blind spots or just not be noticed at all because the driver is expecting another large vehicle.
So many motorcycle riders use flashing headlights and loud pipes to announce their presence.
The only thing that makes noise here is:
- fab in the bathroom
- fridge sometimes, it’s old
- the washing machine
- heating thing when you use warm water
No fans nothing. Loving my m1
- fab in the bathroom
- fridge sometimes, it’s old
- the washing machine
- heating thing when you use warm water
No fans nothing. Loving my m1
What is the "heating thing when you use warm water"? Aren't water heaters quiet since they constantly boil the water?
In the UK most homes don't have a hot water tank. We have a wall mounted gas boiler, that heats water on demand. These are often located in the kitchen.
New builds in the last 10-15 years now typically have “unvented” systems - you still have the combi boiler unit but instead of heating on demand, it circulates hot water through a coil in a mains-pressurised insulated tank. The advantage of this is that cold and hot water are both at the same pressure, and you don’t have to wait for the combi to kick in once you open the tap.
I've never met anyone in Sweden burning anything that isn't wood to heat things in their home (except the district heating, which burns our sorted trash) in a central location. And the people burning wood usually only do it during the winter months when it's really chilly outside, else it's heat pumps or electric.
> These are often located in the kitchen
Also, traditionally, in an 'airing cupboard': a space where washed clothes 'air' before being put in drawers. There is a lot of variation.
Also, traditionally, in an 'airing cupboard': a space where washed clothes 'air' before being put in drawers. There is a lot of variation.
"Combi boiler" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankless_water_heating#Combina...). Are these not common elsewhere in the world? We got rid of our old tank and central heating system and replaced it with a combi a few years ago. We simultaneously gained lots of extra space - a whole walk-in cupboard and a lot of loft space - while gaining a new device which requires hundreds of pounds of replacement parts every year. Really the most unreliable of technologies, but also very convenient when it's working.
Here it’s common to have a combination of hot water and heating. Sometimes with a boiler. But in general it’s on-demand gas heating
fab? m1?
For fab, Google says:
> British an expression of agreement to, or acknowledgment of, a command
m1 is a carbine, ok no surprise that makes noise, but in the house?
For fab, Google says:
> British an expression of agreement to, or acknowledgment of, a command
m1 is a carbine, ok no surprise that makes noise, but in the house?
My guess is fab = fan? (n and b keys next to each other on the keyboard, and our bathroom fan is also loud).
M1 = apple’s new m1 microchip that is the brains of their new machines. It never gets hot since it was designed for phones, so it doesn’t need a fan to cool it like Intel chips.
M1 = apple’s new m1 microchip that is the brains of their new machines. It never gets hot since it was designed for phones, so it doesn’t need a fan to cool it like Intel chips.
Yeah. Fan
No fab at home either though
No fab at home either though
Something might be done by me. To your car. ;)
I agree with other posters that external noise - neighbours, cars, loud music - is more stressful than internal noise.
However, the trend with modern homes (houses and flats) to create open plan layouts with combined kitchen and living spaces makes appliance noise feel more intrusive.
I live in a modern (new build) flat with a combined kitchen and living room which I have come to dislike.
The constant hum of the fridge/freezer - harmless 'white noise' to some - is annoying when it's ever present in the living room. My food processor sounds like a drill penetrating concrete.
The worst offender is the cooker hood or cooker extractor. It sounds like a jet engine about to take off. It's impossible to listen to music or other audio (even with headphones) while the cooker hood is switched on.
Washing machines have improved a bit on the noise front, but many UK homes still have washing machines in the kitchen - problematic if you have an open plan layout. Modern front-loading washing machines also have ridiculously long wash times for normal wash programmes e.g. 3 hours. Imagine having to listen to your washing machine for that duration while sitting in your living room.
All these things have made me really dislike the open plan layouts that are the default in new build housing today.
However, the trend with modern homes (houses and flats) to create open plan layouts with combined kitchen and living spaces makes appliance noise feel more intrusive.
I live in a modern (new build) flat with a combined kitchen and living room which I have come to dislike.
The constant hum of the fridge/freezer - harmless 'white noise' to some - is annoying when it's ever present in the living room. My food processor sounds like a drill penetrating concrete.
The worst offender is the cooker hood or cooker extractor. It sounds like a jet engine about to take off. It's impossible to listen to music or other audio (even with headphones) while the cooker hood is switched on.
Washing machines have improved a bit on the noise front, but many UK homes still have washing machines in the kitchen - problematic if you have an open plan layout. Modern front-loading washing machines also have ridiculously long wash times for normal wash programmes e.g. 3 hours. Imagine having to listen to your washing machine for that duration while sitting in your living room.
All these things have made me really dislike the open plan layouts that are the default in new build housing today.
I agree with you, those noises are terrible, but at least, they only happen when you use the appliances. Aside for your fridge, which I find strange. Mine isn't running particularly often.
In my apartment, which is open-plan also, by far the worst offender is the building ventilation. The extractor sounds like a jet engine, 24/7, and I have to cover it with something to not go crazy.
In my apartment, which is open-plan also, by far the worst offender is the building ventilation. The extractor sounds like a jet engine, 24/7, and I have to cover it with something to not go crazy.
My apartment's washing machine is in the bathroom, which is normal in Denmark. I can close the bathroom door when it's running, and it's not a problem during calls.
The fridge is not noticeable except at night, with all the windows closed.
The extractor hood's fan is somewhere else (top of the building?) so it's only at night that I can hear it running.
The building ventilation is also quiet. I noticed the absence when there was a power cut, but otherwise don't hear it, even at night.
The windows are excellent too.
Most of this seems to be typical in above-average newer apartments in Denmark.
The fridge is not noticeable except at night, with all the windows closed.
The extractor hood's fan is somewhere else (top of the building?) so it's only at night that I can hear it running.
The building ventilation is also quiet. I noticed the absence when there was a power cut, but otherwise don't hear it, even at night.
The windows are excellent too.
Most of this seems to be typical in above-average newer apartments in Denmark.
> Most of this seems to be typical in above-average newer apartments in Denmark.
Yeah, I think this is the point that matters. Don't know about Denmark, but in France only recently standards started to take into account noise. In Paris, most housing stock is from before 1990 [0].
There are some very old buildings (<1900) which I think may be fairly quiet (prefab wasn't a thing yet) and supposedly newer buildings (>2000) are quiet also thanks to the laws. I've never been in the latter, but have been in an older one (not sure about the year though) and it was very, very silent AND cool despite the hot summer outside and lack of AC.
[0] An interactive plan of the age of buildings https://www.comeetie.fr/galerie/BatiParis
Yeah, I think this is the point that matters. Don't know about Denmark, but in France only recently standards started to take into account noise. In Paris, most housing stock is from before 1990 [0].
There are some very old buildings (<1900) which I think may be fairly quiet (prefab wasn't a thing yet) and supposedly newer buildings (>2000) are quiet also thanks to the laws. I've never been in the latter, but have been in an older one (not sure about the year though) and it was very, very silent AND cool despite the hot summer outside and lack of AC.
[0] An interactive plan of the age of buildings https://www.comeetie.fr/galerie/BatiParis
I understand the fridge annoyance because those things can run at any time. I'd have expect the hood and the food processor to not be much of a problem because presumably they only run when meals are being prepared.
My washing machine got a lot more annoying when I realized its whosh whosh whosh is timed to perfectly accompany the old "Badger Badger Badger" Flash animation [1] [2].
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzagBTcYsYQ
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badgers_(animation)
My washing machine got a lot more annoying when I realized its whosh whosh whosh is timed to perfectly accompany the old "Badger Badger Badger" Flash animation [1] [2].
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzagBTcYsYQ
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badgers_(animation)
Since January, there has been a 10-storey office building under construction directly outside my apartment window.
It has been a lesson in the debilitating effect of loud noise. Even in with the windows closed it is impossible to ignore.
I've also realised that different types of noise cause me to react differently. Intermittent noises (stop start drilling, bolting together parts, hammering) are the most annoying and cause me to feel anger. Constant noises (a table saw, cutting equipment) are more fatiguing. After a few hours you think you are just ignoring them but you instantly feel better the moment they are switched off.
People's voices are particularly hard to ignore. I fairly regularly hear screams of "Ouch" and there's a certain emotional tinge to the discomfort that causes.
It has been a lesson in the debilitating effect of loud noise. Even in with the windows closed it is impossible to ignore.
I've also realised that different types of noise cause me to react differently. Intermittent noises (stop start drilling, bolting together parts, hammering) are the most annoying and cause me to feel anger. Constant noises (a table saw, cutting equipment) are more fatiguing. After a few hours you think you are just ignoring them but you instantly feel better the moment they are switched off.
People's voices are particularly hard to ignore. I fairly regularly hear screams of "Ouch" and there's a certain emotional tinge to the discomfort that causes.
I lived right next to such construction, I wish you strength! The hardest part for me was the fact construction started between 6-7am, well before I rise and shine. A large and not particularly well oiled generator was running 24/7, making sure that also at night there was no quiet.
I recommend good noise-cancelling headphones (Sony makes excellent ones). Or just earplugs.
Pile drivers are special: the bang/ping of compression and release. They are hard on those who have a reason for sleeping during construction hours.
Sound is so hard to shop for - in every product category.
Im shopping for a home now and I detest open floor plan homes because I was raised in a large family and know how a house sounds when sound can take the shortest path to reach your ears. Similarly, in my area the style of renovated homes is to strip the ceiling of any tiles or insulation to expose the bare baseboards to the room below - which is essentially a giant diaphragm to propagate footsteps. Laundries have moved upstairs or into kitchens and pantries to add a spare bathroom or bedroom/office in the basement as well.
The cumulative effect of all these changes is to make homes louder. But you would never notice it until you lived there.
On the plus side modern double paned windows with argon/low pressure gaps (often sold as energy efficiency windows) and good weather sealing makes an enormous difference in sound isolation from the outside. It's an expensive upgrade, to be sure, but well worth it.
That and some hidden foam paneling with thick carpets to reduce echoes, but that is mostly an illusion and doesn't affect sound transmission between rooms.
Im shopping for a home now and I detest open floor plan homes because I was raised in a large family and know how a house sounds when sound can take the shortest path to reach your ears. Similarly, in my area the style of renovated homes is to strip the ceiling of any tiles or insulation to expose the bare baseboards to the room below - which is essentially a giant diaphragm to propagate footsteps. Laundries have moved upstairs or into kitchens and pantries to add a spare bathroom or bedroom/office in the basement as well.
The cumulative effect of all these changes is to make homes louder. But you would never notice it until you lived there.
On the plus side modern double paned windows with argon/low pressure gaps (often sold as energy efficiency windows) and good weather sealing makes an enormous difference in sound isolation from the outside. It's an expensive upgrade, to be sure, but well worth it.
That and some hidden foam paneling with thick carpets to reduce echoes, but that is mostly an illusion and doesn't affect sound transmission between rooms.
I recently replaced my fridge because it was unbearably loud for me. The noise was pretty much the primary source of stress in my life, no exaggeration.
Perhaps it was on its way out anyway, but my new one is deathly silent, just the way I like it.
Perhaps it was on its way out anyway, but my new one is deathly silent, just the way I like it.
I tried to do so, too. Decided to make no compromises, i.e. that any compressor-based refrigerator is unacceptable. So, bought a small absorption refrigerator from Dometic. Indeed no noise at all (because there are no moving parts), but it still feels like a huge waste of money: a bit too small and "suitable only for keeping the frozen food, but not for freezing it". But it does make ice.
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/food-and-beverage/refrigerator...
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/food-and-beverage/refrigerator...
I'm not able to find an article now but a psychologist (I think?) that lived in Lebanon was interviewed on the quite high level of noise pollution. He said the effect is very real on anxiety, anger, unhappiness even if people don't realize it.
He also remarked that people think they are going to move here and adapt. And that's because, in his words, they haven't had the experience.
The idea that our lives could be adversely effected and we don't realize the cause? And if someone pointed it out we might disagree? That's scary to me.
He also remarked that people think they are going to move here and adapt. And that's because, in his words, they haven't had the experience.
The idea that our lives could be adversely effected and we don't realize the cause? And if someone pointed it out we might disagree? That's scary to me.
I replaced a brand new Frigidaire refrigerator (internet reviews said it was quiet) with a new LG unit (which is actually quiet) and removed a lot of stress from my life.
I got an LG as well, because the linear compressor is supposed to be quieter.
I keep my fridge on a porch, mostly for energy efficiency reasons but also to keep it out of living spaces. But when I am on the porch and the fridge starts to annoy me, I just ask it to pause running for an hour or so. Having control over noise makes it much less stressful.
On a scale of kids, wife, pets, the appliances are the least of the noise concerns. Soft insertable ear plugs with hunting ear muffs on top keeps me sane. I don't focus well with most kinds of music unfortunately.
I recently bought a pair of Sony active noice cancelling headphones and spend a lot of time in the house wearing them in noice calcelling mode without playing any music.
I find it takes away large amounts of anxiety and stress - and as much as you don't notice the silence quite that much, the second you switch them off it's surreal how noisy reality actually is.
Saying that, before I got them I was doing a lot of DIY round the house and would occasionally catch myself wearing ear defenders even hours later without realising, so it coukd just be me that's overly sensitive.
Random one, I love washlets but I hate that many of them make a, to my ears, a fairly loud noise when I sit down, not when I wash. They do some kind of prep work. It's not all of them either. The one in my bathroom makes no noise (does no prep-work), It's a Lixil brand. The washing itself is not loud and anything after that is hidden by the sound of flushing.
My friend's Toho makes medium high amount of noise though prepping the moment I sit down. The worst are the ones in most Japanese hotels. Their prep is loud enough I'm surprise I'm not waking up the people in the next room.
What makes it the noise stick out is it's something I use in the middle of the night when everything else is silent.
I'm in the market for a new one but this particular issue is not covered in any sales material.
My friend's Toho makes medium high amount of noise though prepping the moment I sit down. The worst are the ones in most Japanese hotels. Their prep is loud enough I'm surprise I'm not waking up the people in the next room.
What makes it the noise stick out is it's something I use in the middle of the night when everything else is silent.
I'm in the market for a new one but this particular issue is not covered in any sales material.
ANC headphones have been a real increase in my quality of life. Being able to do the dishes or vacuuming while able to choose my own sound scape is very relaxing.
I find it very annoying if appliances (or anything) emit high pitched noises. Mostly, this is just ignorant engineering (e.g. whining coils) and it often slips under the radar, because older people cannot hear those. This makes it also rather hard to return these for some people hardly usable devices. Usually it is hard to hear those sounds in a busy shop and the people checking are often older, more experienced managers who cannot hear these frequencies any more. It should be much easier to measure these noises even using e.g. a smartphone or you know, bringing your kids to work sometime to listen to the new model of a device in operation or just powered on. It is not rocket science. Actually, I own a smartphone that emits high pitched noises e.g. when calling, I cannot grok, how anybody can engineer such junk. I thought, Nokia HMD/ Foxconn should know better.
Unnecessarily loud cars, motorbikes, trucks etc. are really disturbing too. People are so ignorant about how loud their cars are. Manufacturers aren't very upfront about how quiet their cars are, ideally I would like a car that I cannot hear the motor at any point in time without the air drag being much louder. I hate it, that electric cars have to emit extra sound below a certain speed. They wouldn't be silent by any stretch even without the buzzer sound. I think this mandate is actually the product of the combustion engine car manufacturers lobby, who don't seem to be able to produce near silent cars. The doors on cars could close much more quietly too, there is not much reason, why that is not the case.
And while we are at it, I hate how there aren't more laptops without any kind of fan. Is it so hard to have some kind of passive cooling or are we just so lazy to engineer better/ more efficient computers? I don't mind good mechanical keyboards, which tend to be rather clicky and loud. It is a satisfying experience somehow but I wouldn't mind, if the feeling was the same and the clicky sound just wasn't there.
Unnecessarily loud cars, motorbikes, trucks etc. are really disturbing too. People are so ignorant about how loud their cars are. Manufacturers aren't very upfront about how quiet their cars are, ideally I would like a car that I cannot hear the motor at any point in time without the air drag being much louder. I hate it, that electric cars have to emit extra sound below a certain speed. They wouldn't be silent by any stretch even without the buzzer sound. I think this mandate is actually the product of the combustion engine car manufacturers lobby, who don't seem to be able to produce near silent cars. The doors on cars could close much more quietly too, there is not much reason, why that is not the case.
And while we are at it, I hate how there aren't more laptops without any kind of fan. Is it so hard to have some kind of passive cooling or are we just so lazy to engineer better/ more efficient computers? I don't mind good mechanical keyboards, which tend to be rather clicky and loud. It is a satisfying experience somehow but I wouldn't mind, if the feeling was the same and the clicky sound just wasn't there.
Blenders are probably the loudest kitchen appliance. The glass is loud but seen as required for visual effects and cleanliness. In theory there should be a way to blend that is not that loud, or at least is insulated.
Even if it wouldn't be a "serious" startup project, it would be a good brain exercise for startup people to think of a way to engineer a disruptive quiet blender.
Not to completely ruin the exercise, but think of marketing a blender that's so quiet it could blend homemade baby food while the baby sleeps. Or imagine selling quiet blenders to sports bars you can see the video commercial already of the old fashioned loud blender noise drowning out the "big play". Or a blender so quiet you can keep talking while having a margarita party. Or a blender so quiet you can mix a drink while watching a movie at home without hitting "pause".
Even if it wouldn't be a "serious" startup project, it would be a good brain exercise for startup people to think of a way to engineer a disruptive quiet blender.
Not to completely ruin the exercise, but think of marketing a blender that's so quiet it could blend homemade baby food while the baby sleeps. Or imagine selling quiet blenders to sports bars you can see the video commercial already of the old fashioned loud blender noise drowning out the "big play". Or a blender so quiet you can keep talking while having a margarita party. Or a blender so quiet you can mix a drink while watching a movie at home without hitting "pause".
The noise a blender makes is also proportional to what is being blended. If you were to try and blend a thick liquid, it'd be far quieter than blending frozen strawberries, for instance. There isn't much one can do about this.
Speaking of blending frozen strawberries, be aware that frozen berries can destroy cheaper blenders.
Speaking of blending frozen strawberries, be aware that frozen berries can destroy cheaper blenders.
It's $800, but here is an example https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00LADQ83O
See also "Vita-Mix Quiet One Blender"
See also "Vita-Mix Quiet One Blender"
I recently replaced a builder-grade dishwasher with a new one. My first criteria was that it be quiet, so that I didn't have to turn up the TV volume in the next room. I found a GE that operates at 45 dB and I can barely notice it.
Bosch have traditionally been very quiet - so much so that they have a light that shines on the floor to let you know when the cycle is complete. Some of the new Whirlpool ones are slightly quieter than the Bosch for a lot less money. Note that many models use the same internals, so you don't have to pay for a prestige brand.
Bosch have traditionally been very quiet - so much so that they have a light that shines on the floor to let you know when the cycle is complete. Some of the new Whirlpool ones are slightly quieter than the Bosch for a lot less money. Note that many models use the same internals, so you don't have to pay for a prestige brand.
I recently bought a clothes dryer and took it back because of the noise (which raised a lot of eyebrows - “of course dryers make noise”). Swapped it for a different brand at about the same price point and the difference in noise is night and day, this new one is so much quieter I can’t even hear it if the laundry door is closed. Compared to the first one which was uncomfortably audible throughout the whole house...
Does anyone else just wear ANC headphones all the time?
I have setup Bluetooth on all my regular used devices and wonder if there is a way to synthesize them to one source so I don't have to switch devices all the time. I don't really know where to start, get a bunch of blue tooth receivers and somehow combine all the channels in windows and then transmit to my headphones?
I have setup Bluetooth on all my regular used devices and wonder if there is a way to synthesize them to one source so I don't have to switch devices all the time. I don't really know where to start, get a bunch of blue tooth receivers and somehow combine all the channels in windows and then transmit to my headphones?
You may want to reconsider this.
Over use will cause your threshold of normal to be far lower than normal as you will have retrained your hearing to perceive when ANC on = normal. Then when ANC off = everything will be too loud. Everything.
Over use will cause your threshold of normal to be far lower than normal as you will have retrained your hearing to perceive when ANC on = normal. Then when ANC off = everything will be too loud. Everything.
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40 dB is way too loud for devices that work for longer period of time like dish washers or fridges.
Ovens with a fan are also not silent or induction hobs that need additional cooling.
The worst case is mostly kitchen exhaust that is very often near 60-70dB.
I shopped for decibels and I am mostly satisfied but many people do not know to pay attention to this before it is too late.
Ovens with a fan are also not silent or induction hobs that need additional cooling.
The worst case is mostly kitchen exhaust that is very often near 60-70dB.
I shopped for decibels and I am mostly satisfied but many people do not know to pay attention to this before it is too late.
I installed a new Beko B-CFB6433XH hood that was surprisingly quiet than the rest. It was the cheapest model available too.
I used a uPVC vent because I couldn't find aluminium ones amidst the lockdown. It probably helped a bit too, because those flexible ones often add up the noise.
I used a uPVC vent because I couldn't find aluminium ones amidst the lockdown. It probably helped a bit too, because those flexible ones often add up the noise.
Don’t ever buy a Bosch dishwasher, or any other dishwasher, based solely on how loud it is.
Make sure that they have an active fan-driven drying/cooling mode at the end.
Otherwise, I guarantee you will regret it.
We will never, ever, buy another Bosch dishwasher again, regardless of how well rated they supposedly are.
Make sure that they have an active fan-driven drying/cooling mode at the end.
Otherwise, I guarantee you will regret it.
We will never, ever, buy another Bosch dishwasher again, regardless of how well rated they supposedly are.
Not sure I can agree. I've bought a new Bosch dishwasher and I am quite pleased with the overall sound level. Maybe except for the obnoxious beeping when it's done :)
I’ve measured an instantaneous 56 dB(A) and 52 dB average in my living room, all appliances turned off and central air not running.
I use the free NIOSH SM app for Apple iPhone.
I use the free NIOSH SM app for Apple iPhone.
At the moment--a/c not running--the cicadas are about the loudest noise, and they are rather quiet.
Semi-joke: Anyone can do it, just drill holes to exhaust before muffler. I thought that maybe I should do that, like annoy so much people that something would be done in regarding this.