Neighbors in a clinch

Sounds from heat pumps “As annoying as a lizard”

An eco-heating system (symbolic image) in Flachgau robs the neighbor of sleep, according to her.(Bild: zVg)

Heat pumps cause many a noise conflict. A noise expert explains why some of the eco-heaters with special sound frequencies are robbing surrounding homeowners of sleep and nerves. In a municipality in Flachgau, expert opinion is pitted against expert opinion.

Those affected by noisy heat pumps find it difficult to get a good night's sleep. In Neumarkt am Wallersee, a pensioner has been fighting for years. However, as the "Krone" reported on Tuesday, the municipality believes it is in the right. According to the mayor, the system that the neighbor had installed on his property complies with the regulations.

A noise expert commissioned by the homeowner has now commented on the question of why he does not accept this. Harald Graf-Müller talks about the particularly annoying sounds that some heat pumps produce. "These frequencies can be as annoying as the sound of mosquitoes. The mosquito is very quiet, but you can't stand it," he says.

These so-called tonal frequencies must also be taken into account. In the case of the Neumarkt heat pump, this was not done. An insider who deals with the health damage caused by noise refers to the online decibel calculator of the "Netzwerk Wärmepumpe Tirol". With just a few clicks, anyone can calculate whether their own or their neighbor's system complies with the night-time limit of 30 decibels. This calculator also takes tonal frequencies into account - and the distance to the system owner's house. Both increase the noise that reaches the neighbor.