When you’re sitting in the garden, taking advantage of the sun, it’s easy to notice your neighbour’s air conditioning unit working away and disturbing the peace. You’re less likely to notice the noise your own unit is making, though, because you’ll be inside when it’s on.
Brisbane City Council has put a limit on the permitted noise level from air conditioning units, with direction notices and on-the-spot fines for breaking the rules. If your unit is too noisy, you could face a heavy penalty.
How loud is too noisy?
Brisbane City Council rules defines an unacceptable air conditioning noise level as more than 5 decibels above background during the day, and 3 decibels at night. When you consider that during the day, in a quiet residential street the normal background level is 35-45 decibels, the unacceptable level is not very loud at all.
How can you reduce the noise your air conditioner makes?
With just a few simple tips you can ensure you minimise noise levels generated by your air conditioner. These tips may even save you money on running costs:
- Limit the hours you use your air conditioning – Do you really need it to be running all day and night?
- Locate your outside units as far away as reasonably possible from neighbours and sensitive areas such as bedroom windows.
- Erect a solid fence or barrier to absorb some of the sound, or install an acoustic enclosure.
- Ensure your unit is serviced regularly, as units can become noisy over time due to constant running and lack of maintenance.
Should you decide to modify your existing unit to reduce noise, remember such modifications should only be carried out by a qualified engineer.
Of course, you can avoid the noise issue altogether by ensuring you select the correct size of air conditioning units, and the best model for your home, before initial installation.
Don’t fall foul of Brisbane City Council noise levels
If you think your air conditioning units are too noisy or you are looking to replace old units, our experienced air conditioning Brisbane technicians will be happy to advise you. All units sold by Brisbane Air are extremely quiet, and our fully qualified service technicians will advise on the optimum location for external units.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you stay within the noise laws and save money with energy efficient air conditioning units.