Problem with neighbour's noisy fan?

Question

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I have recently moved to a new flat and most things are great - however we have one big problem.

Every so often there is a noise outside like a loud hairdryer which comes on and lasts between 20 seconds and 10 minutes - the noise seems to be coming from a round plastic cone which is on the wall of the flat next door. The noise sounds like an extractor fan, and comes on and off randomly either throughout the day and often throughout the night....it's about 2 metres away from our bedroom window and is loud enough to wake us both up. Sometimes it doesn't come on for days and often when no-one is there

We think it must be a fan venting from the heating system, it seems to be blowing air out. Today spoke to the neighbours who said they don't know about it and say they'll speak to the landlord.

Does anyone have experience of this sort of thing? Any advice? Is this an environmental health issue and what are our rights in the UK if this keeps waking us up?

Answer 1

contact your local council environmental health officer. they will tell you your rights

Answer 2

I know it sounds obvious, but have you tried speaking to your neighbours to find out what it is? It sounds like it might be an extractor fan probably linked to the bathroom light switch. And, if it doesn't go on all the time and is so noisy, it sounds like it's faulty and needs replacing. They may not be aware of this, as it may not seem so noisy from the inside. Alternatively, if it is the heating system and the fan is malfunctioning, they might be grateful for the information!

If your neighbours are being unhelpful, then your local council is the place to turn. The details for how to proceed with noise complaints are listed on all council websites.

Answer 3

If it's a plastic cowl it won't be a boiler flue! It would melt. It will probably be as others have said, a bathroom extractor fan, linked to the lighjt switch, which they should be able to see in their bathroom (or toilet) ceiling or wall. If it's making so much noise it is either choked with dirt or has worn bearings, probably both. It needs replaced. Since you are in contact with them, why not ask them to turn on the light while you listen outside?

Answer 4

Sounds to me as though the fan is venting the WC - it will come on whenever anybody turns on the light which they will have to at all times of the day if there is no window.

It would be construed as a nuisance and it is the landlord's responsibility to do something about it.

Answer 5

Sounds like a refrigeration unit, i have two outside my flat from the shop below which are used for the air conditioning system and the drinks cooler

Answer 6

have the expenses in touch in sound proofing the area, greater advantageous yet replace the fan maximum are screwed up and out of stability if there is vibration, get it dealt with, c if it rather is positioned on their edge wall and not the place it motives issues, we cope with 3 hundred a lot of crap on appropriate of universities here and all that stuff is concern to alternative no rely if it rather is noisy or out of date or defective in utility that's popular stuff ti hire a contractor to preserve:piece of cake

Answer 7

1 buy a large carton of fish and chips
2 throw small pieces of fish into the fan
3 after a few days the fish will smell really bad and they will have to replace the fan with a new one that will run quietly.
: )

Answer 8

We have something that sounds like that - though it's not a fan. We drive our neighbours mad with it.
It makes a rampant rabbit look like something you'd give a nun!!

Answer 9

Go to your local council and they will tell you what the limits are with regard to noise

Answer 10

Throw a grenade in it.