While researching our noise problem in MD I ran across your article. We are certain the Low & High frequencies going through our home since October 2016 is coming from a Wild Life Repellent Machine. The machine was designed for: Ex. Farms w/Crows or Commercial w/Pigeons. The directions state "Do Not Aim at Neighbors". The Health issues are endless for Humans and their Pets when abused. For anyone who reads my comment/my opinions: "If feasible in your area, Watch the wild birds. Is there any birds around?, Are they flying faster then normal?, Can the birds eat from a feeder? Watch your pets: Are they shaking their heads/ears? Sleepy?, Want to go out but refuse? The Site's who sale the machine, advise it's safe, (my opinion only): I feel they should be banned in Residential. Question: How can this machine be safe when you have no control of frequencies? My inner ears burn, my husband falls who has pacemaker. "Humans hear humming/sisling, Pets hear db's resulting in sirens/alien sounds. A pressure builds inside the home. My only proof, I own African Grey's, they mimic every sound in high pitch. No Way for them to know the sounds. We respectfully explained the problem with no results to the neighbors. Next a LawFirm for us. I believe it's time for Noise Control to be revised by Government for all vibrations. Study: BirdX, abuse of frequencies & abuse of ultra sonic, make sure your local Gov knows and keep a Daytimer. "Just a FYI Study"
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I had that problem when the next-door church installed a heat pump just outside my dining room window. It drove me crazy, but there wasn't any law against it. I eventually moved. I could live with church bells, but not that constant hum.
8
I have the same problem. The cause in this case is a large vent fan on the roof of a new construction directly next door with bathrooms that do not have windows. New York City is a noisy place. My solution has been to get used to it. It's not nearly as bad as when I lived in Dumbo directly under the Manhattan Bridge. Every time a subway went over you would have to stop your conversation until it passed.
1
I've had a low-frequency hum for the past several months now and I've isolated the hum at it's loudest in one corner of my shower. The low hum strangely can only be heard in the bathroom and in parts of the bedroom at infrequent times for only a few seconds to a few hours. It is more of an occasional nuisance rather than a major problem, but I am curious what could be causing this strange situation. At least I know I'm in good company.
3
Lou,
Could it be someone else's bathroom fan? Do you live in an apartment building? The sound of fans and their vibrations can be heard and felt.
1
I never knew where the constant low-level hum came from until the power went out -- it was from the transformer on the electric pole outside near the street that was making the noise. I'm glad we moved as I'm not sure the City or electric company would have wanted to move that transformer. It was constantly annoying, especially since I was the only one who heard it.
9
I once had a similar problem in Manhattan. There is a building across the street from mine, occupied by a foreign consulate, that installed some huge heating/coooling/whatever equipment on the roof that kept humming on and off. I did at one point (or maybe 2) call 311 to complain, and I assume others did as well, as the noise ultimately ended. There is all sorts of heavy noisy equipment going on Manhattan rooftops these days, and also sometimes at ground level in the back, so you need to watch out. If you are considering renting or buying an apartment, you need to, especially if buying, check it out at various hours during the day and night. Also not a bad idea to check and see what noise complaints may have been filed.
9
I had a similar issue in a suburban apartment building of about 30 units. When I laid my ear down on my pillow or mattress I could hear a low humming vibration. Drove me absolutely nuts, kept me awake, basically made me miserable for a year. I have a very strong sense of hearing and it was even louder in the kitchen area of my tiny apartment. When I complained to the management, they talked to me like I was a nut job. And of course, when they came by during the day, they couldn't hear a thing. They said, just close your bedroom door, which anyone who owns a cat knows is not going to work, but I could hear it in the bedroom too. I eventually had to just move out, which unfortunately the letter writer can't do but, I can definitely relate. My new place once had a similar hum and I was all set to be crazy about it but I figured out it was a neighbor running their bathroom fan at night. An anonymous note slipped under a series of doors fixed the problem, thank goodness.
15
Everyone I know has noticed that constant low tone. I understand there's a combination of causes - cell phone towers, the new smart street lights, computers and other electronic devices, and the mechanical systems of new high-rise buildings - which all happen to produce sound that seems to be the same or very similar and harmonic low tone, amplifying the effect.
When I turn off my devices at night, I notice the tone is reduced, but I still hear it coming from the outside - seemingly from all directions.
It's louder in the city, especially in areas with a lot of new high-rises - which is most of Manhattan now. But I notice it far outside the city too - in small towns and outer suburban areas, where at night, it's super-quiet, with nearly no other man-made sound - yet there's that tone, fainter yet more conspicuous in the silence.
To escape it altogether, it seems you have to go out into a wilderness area, where there's no cell phone coverage.
I can't help but wonder what effect this pervasive and very recent phenomenon is having on our brains and biological functions - as well as on other creatures.
When I turn off my devices at night, I notice the tone is reduced, but I still hear it coming from the outside - seemingly from all directions.
It's louder in the city, especially in areas with a lot of new high-rises - which is most of Manhattan now. But I notice it far outside the city too - in small towns and outer suburban areas, where at night, it's super-quiet, with nearly no other man-made sound - yet there's that tone, fainter yet more conspicuous in the silence.
To escape it altogether, it seems you have to go out into a wilderness area, where there's no cell phone coverage.
I can't help but wonder what effect this pervasive and very recent phenomenon is having on our brains and biological functions - as well as on other creatures.
23
I too have noticed a never ending hum from outside my Manhattan apartment. I only hear it from one end of the apartment, so I don't think it's in my imagination...
3
I never really experienced this until I moved to the LA area. Freeways can provide an ongoing hum or brown noise as you call it. The constant gaggle of Harleys are the worse. The problem wasn't too bad when we moved in, but then we had to build a higher retaining wall to keep our neighbor's hillside and house from eventually becoming our back yard. The sound, though a fair distance away, now resonates and bounces off the wall, which drives me....well you get it.
11
I once found a similar low-frequency hum a few hundred yards from my apartment building.It was a refrigerated truck that parked overnight, every night. It drove me nuts and I complained but I had to learn to live with it. It was horrible!
12
I've been dealing with this near Palo Alto for 2 years. and so have many people in other areas all over the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum. I've been researching it extensively, all sorts of different theories. the only thing that works for me is brown noise or a recording of the ocean that I have to sleep with all night. I think it's smart meters - but I have no idea for sure. It feels like it changes your body chemistry - it's disturbing. so happy to see it printed in the NY Times. some people hear it and some people don't...
38
The citation on wikipedia you provide suggests that the noise may not be measurable even with sophisticated audio instrumentation:
" David Mark Baguley, said he believed people's problems with the hum were based on the physical world about one-third of the time, and stemmed from people focusing too keenly on innocuous background sounds the other two-thirds of the time. His current research focuses on using psychology and relaxation techniques to minimise distress, which can lead to a quieting or even removal of the noise."
" David Mark Baguley, said he believed people's problems with the hum were based on the physical world about one-third of the time, and stemmed from people focusing too keenly on innocuous background sounds the other two-thirds of the time. His current research focuses on using psychology and relaxation techniques to minimise distress, which can lead to a quieting or even removal of the noise."
4
You cannot escape pure tones. The tones can be measured. with high resolution digital recording instruments. It is not a broadband noise. This is not allowed in our air as per Federal EPA Regs.
The hum is audible and the source is digital telecommunication signals leaking on the power lines. It is broadcasting every where the smart grid is turned on. The lines cannot shield the RF.
www.sandaura.wordpress.com
6
Same noise mystery was happening to us when a new 740 unit apartment building opened up, my husband was able to gain accesses with the super to mechanical room, and found the noise coming from a loose cover to a hot water heater.
31
My neighborhood has the same noise problem. The culprit? A brand new grammar school, built with its mechanical systems on the roof instead of the basement. This "green building" has air handlers running 24/7, 365 days a year. It's like having a large truck idling on the roof, all night long, cycling on and off. We complain, but the noise ordinance in our town covers only decibles, not low-frequency noise. You are lucky if the city noise ordinance covers low-frequency noise.
34
I had a similar problem for years: Tonal noise generated by my apartment line's rooftop fans. I did a lot of research and found that this can be a real issue, especially for women(!). Finally, after much angst and a reputable engineering firm confirming the excessive tonal levels, my management office made the necessary adjustments. I could finally fall sleep without earplugs (which can lead to and aggravate tinnitus).
Tonal noise can also travel over distance, especially when HVAC equipment is installed out of doors. The current trend toward open equipment may be one culprit.
BTW: Tonal noise is measured by hertz, not decibels. If you or the offending building hire an acoustics inspector, be sure they bring the correct measurement tools (DEP told me they didn't have tonal meters). Meanwhile, acoustic headphones may offer some temporary relief.
Most of all, I wish you a speedy solution.
Tonal noise can also travel over distance, especially when HVAC equipment is installed out of doors. The current trend toward open equipment may be one culprit.
BTW: Tonal noise is measured by hertz, not decibels. If you or the offending building hire an acoustics inspector, be sure they bring the correct measurement tools (DEP told me they didn't have tonal meters). Meanwhile, acoustic headphones may offer some temporary relief.
Most of all, I wish you a speedy solution.
34
No. Hertz describes tone/pitch, decibels indicate volume. You would not even hear a low decibel sound.
3
Minor point of clarification - Hertz and decibels are measurements of different aspects of sound, sort of like light being able to be bright or dim and having different colors. The number of Hertz (cycles per second) is the frequency - low, like a note played on a trombone; high, like a note played on a violin. The number of decibels indicates how loud the sound is. They're independent variables, so you can have a low frequency sound (low number of Hertz) that is very loud (high number of decibels) or barely noticeable (low number of decibels). It's analogous to having dim red or bright red lighting in a room or dim blue or bright green.
11
I've been dealing with this for years in my office on the top floor underneath the rooftop fans. Installation of a dropped ceiling with insulation (not sound-proofing) didn't help much. The only relief I get is in the summer when I turn on the window AC. For some reason, even that is not as bad as the hum.
3
I live in the suburbs and a few years ago put an electrical deer repellant unit on the front steps to keep the deer at bay in an effort to keep them from devouring our foliage. I couldn't hear the low-frequency hum but the neighbor across the street could. They complained to the police, instead of alerting us, so when the town police visited during the middle of the night we had to remove the unit. Could the hum be emanating from a similar (perhaps rodent repellant) appliance?
34
Sometimes a loud, low-frequency hum is caused by something as simple as an incomplete connection from an RCA Jack in electronic equipment! This happened during my childhood in my own home, and it corrected in two seconds.
20
Yes, a good audio expert will cost $5K and bring lots of fancy equipment. But you might need it if this hum is that disturbing to multiple people, including neighbors in other buildings nearby. Low frequency audio is very problematic, travels far, and is harder to screen out.
I'd also want to know if the noise is present 24-7 and whether the noise precludes basic life activities, for example. Does it disrupt sleep? Interfere with ordinary conversation, reading, telephone conversation, music, meditation, self-care? Is it louder or more persistent than the surrounding ambient street noise? Does your building actually vibrate, meaning sound transmission through solid ground and building rather than the air? Do ear plugs help? (not that wearing ear plugs all the time is acceptable, jeez) Having multiple parties reporting is key as well. Contact people in a radius around the building. For this you will need a good legal counsel and strategist, and you might not make many friends among the owners of this luxury building.
If the culprit is the luxury building, their noise abatement could be expensive, meaning they'll fight you by any means necessary and you might need to get the entire neighborhood together. OTOH if it's really that bad their own residents might appreciate a blessed relief.
I'd also want to know if the noise is present 24-7 and whether the noise precludes basic life activities, for example. Does it disrupt sleep? Interfere with ordinary conversation, reading, telephone conversation, music, meditation, self-care? Is it louder or more persistent than the surrounding ambient street noise? Does your building actually vibrate, meaning sound transmission through solid ground and building rather than the air? Do ear plugs help? (not that wearing ear plugs all the time is acceptable, jeez) Having multiple parties reporting is key as well. Contact people in a radius around the building. For this you will need a good legal counsel and strategist, and you might not make many friends among the owners of this luxury building.
If the culprit is the luxury building, their noise abatement could be expensive, meaning they'll fight you by any means necessary and you might need to get the entire neighborhood together. OTOH if it's really that bad their own residents might appreciate a blessed relief.
20
My sympathies! I just walked past a small apartment building with a ground floor storefront. On the sidewalk there is a kiddie ride - a giant yellow duck with a blue sailor hat. For 50 cents this ride will play Old MacDonald Had a Farm at high volume.
15
Worse are the little kiddie rides that play a jingle continuously when not being used, apparently to attract riders.
3
Call the NSA, it is obviously some kind of spy gear. haha.
10
Sue under the tort theory of nuisance. Select a good tort lawyer. Let the lawyer find the sound expert, as not all engineers are good expert witnesses in court.
57
Wait — the landlord can be held accountable for a noise that emanates from elsewhere?!
46
Of course - it's NYC. If you're the landlord, you're wrong.
8
That is not what the writer said.
13
So...it's always the citizens that are wrong, not the business owners? This is the number one problem today -- everything for the business owners, nothing for the people. And guess what? The businesses spend hundreds of billions of dollars paying off the politicians and doing marketing to make everyone believe that if we do anything to harm a business, the world will fail. Power to the people I say!
16
I have often heard a low-frequency hum, which I believe comes from the dishwasher in the kitchen above mine. When I hear it, I move to another room. Then there are the noises coming from the bedroom above mine, particularly when the tenant comes home at 2:30am on Saturday nights.
26
If the question asker is noticing this vibration during the winter time, it may be coming from a "heat pump," an electric piece of equipment resembling or combined with an AC unit. serving one of the apartments in the new building. (Does the vibration occur more frequently than normal at night, when temperatures drop, or on colder days?)
An architect or engineer (or even a savvy amateur) could review the construction records for the neighbor available at the NYC DOB website online to see what kind of mechanical equipment was installed in the building and approximately when. The roof may be visible from the street (or Google Earth photos) showing new mechanical equipment.
Besides the Noise Code, the NYC Mechanical Code also puts a duty on the neighbor to control their vibrations.
An architect or engineer (or even a savvy amateur) could review the construction records for the neighbor available at the NYC DOB website online to see what kind of mechanical equipment was installed in the building and approximately when. The roof may be visible from the street (or Google Earth photos) showing new mechanical equipment.
Besides the Noise Code, the NYC Mechanical Code also puts a duty on the neighbor to control their vibrations.
42
The legal term of "quiet enjoyment" or "peaceable possession" has nothing to do with a lack of noise. It simply means that a tenant can occupy their unit without others claiming a right to live there. This is a common error, though an attorney should know better.
If the sound is loud enough to bother you, I would think the tenants of the suspect building would have even greater annoyance. Given this, I suspect the sound is more likely from the roof rather than a basement boiler room whose pipes would carry it throughout the structure. Perhaps an exhaust fan is the culprit. Elevator machinery does not run continuously. I recall a building, CitySpire near Carnegie Hall, where wind passing through decorative grilles caused objectionable sounds. Fines were imposed until this was corrected.
If the sound is loud enough to bother you, I would think the tenants of the suspect building would have even greater annoyance. Given this, I suspect the sound is more likely from the roof rather than a basement boiler room whose pipes would carry it throughout the structure. Perhaps an exhaust fan is the culprit. Elevator machinery does not run continuously. I recall a building, CitySpire near Carnegie Hall, where wind passing through decorative grilles caused objectionable sounds. Fines were imposed until this was corrected.
43
Exhaust fans are increasingly used to vent potential airborne hazards like radon and hydrocarbon derivatives. I once traced an annoying buzz to a radon fan installed by a new neighbor on the recommendation of his purchase inspection report.
7
In the covenant of quiet enjoyment, the landlord promises that during the term of the tenancy no one will disturb the tenant in the tenant's use and enjoyment of the premises. Quiet enjoyment includes the right to exclude others from the premises, the right to peace and quiet, the right to clean premises, and the right to basic services such as heat and hot water and, for high-rise buildings, elevator service. In many respects the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment is similar to an Implied Warranty of habitability, which warrants that the landlord will keep the leased premises in good repair. For example, the failure to provide heat would be a breach of the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment because the lack of heat would interfere with the tenant's use of the premises and would also make the premises uninhabitable, especially in a cold climate.
25
You can also contact your city council rep, community board, and local police precinct with non-criminal complaint.
25