Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Loud new boiler next door
We live next door to a house that seems to be permanently in the midst of a refurb - bare unfinished floorboards etc. Landlord doesn't live on site & the bedrooms are inhabited by a revolving cast of young mostly eastern europeans who keep to themselves.
We get on reasonably well (take post for each other etc), and because the dividing walls are nice & thick, & they don't have a thing for houseparties, I never hear them. No radio, no TV, no voices, not even the washing machine on spin or the hoover. I hear the flat upstairs from the moment their alarm goes off, but never next door.
Until now. Recently, around 6am, I've been woken by a sound which I first assumed was a goods train loudly idling in the siding at the end of the garden. When I realised it was coming through the wall I wondered whether the landlord had left them without power & they'd resorted to a generator. It's also quite a lot like an overhead helicopter - a loud, fast whomp-whomp-whomp.
Obviously this is a bit shit, I'd rather be asleep at 6am. I'm pretty sure it's a boiler, based on the times & the fact our bedroom aligns with their kitchen.
My questions are:
a) Has the landlord installed the world's loudest new boiler or is it likely an old one on its last legs?
b) If it's an old one, do I need to worry about it exploding (never heard a boiler make such a racket)
c) In either case do I have any right to complain? It's not hugely decibel loud but it's certainly enough to wake you up and makes your ear drums vibrate unpleasantly once you're conscious.
To be clear, this is a new thing, we've all been here years with no problem.
Talking to the tenants won't do anything, talking to the landlord has never been productive (even after the time he climbed the fence and had a stamp around in our garden cutting bits off a tree without permission while we were out).
If I have any recourse it'll have to be the council & I don't see the point in getting into that if they can't do anything. It could also open up a can of worms because I don't think that place will be a registered HMO & it's probably not in a fit state to be rented out.
Do I just put up with it & start going to bed earlier?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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My neighbour's flat was refurbished and the shower suddenly sounded like Niagara Falls through the wall - also waking me up at 6 am. There's also a loud knocking sound when they turn off the tap. It really annoyed me at first, but you know - I've realised I just don't hear it any more. Sounds like you have pretty reasonable and quiet neighbours - there's nothing they can do about the boiler (and new condenser boilers are definitely louder than the old combis in my experience). I don't think the council would intervene so try not to let it irritate you, perhaps put earplugs in at night as you would with a snoring partner, and you'll probably find you adapt pretty quickly.
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Permalink Reply by V&M on
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That's what I was thinking - I sleep through the trains and have done for years. Can't exactly say Oi, change your boiler...
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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Surely it must be worth speaking to tenants, they too must be aware of the noise and the cause of. I wouldn't hesitate to notify landlord - if you don't lodge you can't esculate and why should you have to put in ear plugs, or put up with it? With regard to council, it should be reported, especially if its a HMO and in bad condition. Faulty applicances are be dangerous for tenants.
It may be a air lock, which should be easy to resolve, so it has to be worth it.
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Bit of a language barrier with the tenants. Good point about the air lock, maybe will stick a note in the door and see if it percolates to the landlord. Re: poor condition of the place, aside from being woken up, that's reason I've been sort-of worried, in case it's something shoddy or about to pack up that's going to do some exploding.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Your English seems fine to me. I'd be more confident speaking to them if I were you.
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sorry John are you implying some kind of negative bias on my part?
talking to them isn't pointless because their english is too poor, but because it's been made pretty clear their landlord doesn't give a monkeys what they/anyone wants/thinks.
the language barrier comment is because i've found in the past that as soon as i try to get beyond basic conversation they clearly find it quite hard work (i recognise this because my husband is french & sometimes has similar moments with certain accents).
i don't see the value in accosting them about something they have no influence over, especially when it's likely to (mis-)read as me telling them they're doing something generally wrong. which would make it all a bit awkward going forward & is unfair because they are perfectly good neighbours.
but thanks for you input, super useful.
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Oh I see now. THEY don't speak English! How terrible of me? So sorry.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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The problem with forums like this is that a joke can be taken seriously, especially when there is no facility to insert emoticons :-)
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Thanks - going to pop a note through their door to this effect. Then if they have a problem they know & if it's just a new noise I'll wait to adjust to it.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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You could try this organisation for advice https://noisenuisance.org
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