Complaints From Neighbours

[Simon Rose]

Hi,

We've got a bit of dilemma. Our neighbours are complaining about the noise coming from the spa when its doing its heating cycle.

Its a D1 Cove spa with Ozone.

Unlike the higher spec ones, the heat circulation pump is the same one used for the slow speed when actually using the spa (1.5hp) rather than the little pump used for the ozone circulation.

The spa is on a bed of about 3 tonnes of compacted hardcore and is in the corner of the garden surrounded by the back wall of our garage and the neighbours fence.

We don't hear the noise at all, but having visited their house it is certainly much noisier than in ours.

Short of housing the tub in a large cabin (which defeats the object of it being outdoors) we need to isolate it from the ground to reduce any mechanical vibrations through the floor/ foundations.

Has anyone any experience of this. I have spoken to a number of industrial rubber matting but non of them have tested their products in this situation so not sure which to buy (most are quite expensive too, though cheaper than a shed).

I've spend a lot of time isolating the pump and control gear inside the spa (the installers didn't remove the shipping bolts!) but its still pretty bad.

We want to use the spa, but like the neighbours and don't want to upset the harmony of the village.

Help!?!?

Simon Rose

[thestallion]

Hi,

We've got a bit of dilemma. Our neighbours are complaining about the noise coming from the spa when its doing its heating cycle.

Its a D1 Cove spa with Ozone.

Unlike the higher spec ones, the heat circulation pump is the same one used for the slow speed when actually using the spa (1.5hp) rather than the little pump used for the ozone circulation.

The spa is on a bed of about 3 tonnes of compacted hardcore and is in the corner of the garden surrounded by the back wall of our garage and the neighbours fence.

We don't hear the noise at all, but having visited their house it is certainly much noisier than in ours.

Short of housing the tub in a large cabin (which defeats the object of it being outdoors) we need to isolate it from the ground to reduce any mechanical vibrations through the floor/ foundations.

Has anyone any experience of this. I have spoken to a number of industrial rubber matting but non of them have tested their products in this situation so not sure which to buy (most are quite expensive too, though cheaper than a shed).

I've spend a lot of time isolating the pump and control gear inside the spa (the installers didn't remove the shipping bolts!) but its still pretty bad.

We want to use the spa, but like the neighbours and don't want to upset the harmony of the village.

Help!?!?

Simon Rose

I would contact e-z pad and see if this would help you, they make pads that are a high density foam that is used instead of a deck or concrete but may be the perfect fix for you. Normally they can be bought for about 300.00 dollars.

[watersentinel]

You could try putting a piece of rubber or thick carpeting between the filter and the base of the spa it sits on. You said you isolated the pump so I'm not sure if you already tried this. Is this a new spa or one you've owned for awhile? Have you determined that there is nothing causing the pump to be louder than it should; like a damaged seal,worn bearings, blockage somewhere or leak causing air to be introduced?

[Jake the dog man]

I'd have it checked out by the dealer before you spend too much. I really dont think a hottub should ever be that loud, let alone new. I have a TR that is on a one story deck w/ lattice on ends and I can bearly hear it running on high from inside my house, not to mention from out neighbors yard. You would think that would reverberate more too then on the ground pad like yours. Our houses are pretty close together too and I know you can not hear ours from our neighbors or vice versa.

You are not positioned on a shared footer or something are you? What about some kind of oddly placed rebar or pipes? You mentioned a fence, what about it maybe being tied into their house that could carry vibration?

Good Luck & let us know how it turns out.

[thestallion]

I'd have it checked out by the dealer before you spend too much. I really dont think a hottub should ever be that loud, let alone new. I have a TR that is on a one story deck w/ lattice on ends and I can bearly hear it running on high from inside my house, not to mention from out neighbors yard. You would think that would reverberate more too then on the ground pad like yours. Our houses are pretty close together too and I know you can not hear ours from our neighbors or vice versa.

You are not positioned on a shared footer or something are you? What about some kind of oddly placed rebar or pipes? You mentioned a fence, what about it maybe being tied into their house that could carry vibration?

Good Luck & let us know how it turns out.

Jake,

you are right it is odd for any tub to make so much noise that it would be a issue with neighbors. A call to your dealer just might be the best thing.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Jake,

you are right it is odd for any tub to make so much noise that it would be a issue with neighbors. A call to your dealer just might be the best thing.

Look to see if the pump housing is making contact with the equipment compartment housing. That could cause the issue.

[Simon Rose]

I've checked the pump as best as possible and it is now correctly seated on its rubber mount. One issue maybe there is solid pipe between the pump, heater and spa unit so any vibration from one item will be transmitted to another. I could replace this all with rubber sections to isolate it but I am sure it would invalidate my warranty.

I'm wondering if my base isn't as flat as I first thought and thus the spa isn't fully contacting the floor properly. I'm thinking of a layer of sand and then a rubber mat to level and soften the vibrations.

I'll let you know how I get on but still keep the ideas coming in the mean time.

I don't think I'm going to get much more sense out of my dealer - they are not very technical.

Simon

[cyroute]

I've checked the pump as best as possible and it is now correctly seated on its rubber mount. One issue maybe there is solid pipe between the pump, heater and spa unit so any vibration from one item will be transmitted to another. I could replace this all with rubber sections to isolate it but I am sure it would invalidate my warranty.

I'm wondering if my base isn't as flat as I first thought and thus the spa isn't fully contacting the floor properly. I'm thinking of a layer of sand and then a rubber mat to level and soften the vibrations.

I'll let you know how I get on but still keep the ideas coming in the mean time.

I don't think I'm going to get much more sense out of my dealer - they are not very technical.

Simon

We have an older 2000 D1 Californian sitting on a concrete porch right outside our bedroom window and when the tub does it cleaning cycle at 12:00 am, I can hear it when its on high but when it turns to low after 5min all i can detect is a very slight hum. This thing is less than 10ft from my ears when i'm in bed. I would have someone come look at it if its that loud. By the way I have nothing under ours to soften the noise at all.

Joe

[Chas]

Can you schedule the cleaning cycle for daytimes only?

[Roger]

I've checked the pump as best as possible and it is now correctly seated on its rubber mount. One issue maybe there is solid pipe between the pump, heater and spa unit so any vibration from one item will be transmitted to another. I could replace this all with rubber sections to isolate it but I am sure it would invalidate my warranty.

I'm wondering if my base isn't as flat as I first thought and thus the spa isn't fully contacting the floor properly. I'm thinking of a layer of sand and then a rubber mat to level and soften the vibrations.

I'll let you know how I get on but still keep the ideas coming in the mean time.

I don't think I'm going to get much more sense out of my dealer - they are not very technical.

Simon

If you need a cushion, go to your local gravel pit or concrete factory and see if they have some old conveyor belt material they want to part with.

[RickJ]

I'm wondering if the noise is echoing off of the garage wall or the fence. Have you tried hanging anything on the walls to deaden any noise bouncing off them?

[Simon Rose]

We have an older 2000 D1 Californian sitting on a concrete porch right outside our bedroom window and when the tub does it cleaning cycle at 12:00 am, I can hear it when its on high but when it turns to low after 5min all i can detect is a very slight hum. This thing is less than 10ft from my ears when i'm in bed. I would have someone come look at it if its that loud. By the way I have nothing under ours to soften the noise at all.

Joe

Which 'series' is this part of? It seems the higher spec ones have a different circulation pump which is much quieter. Ours uses the main pump during the heat cycle rather than the small pumps which run and heat continuously on the higher spec spas.

Ours is one of the @home range.

[Simon Rose]

Can you schedule the cleaning cycle for daytimes only?

Yes, this is easy to control, but the heater is thermostatic and thus we have no control over it. The dealer sugegsted turningthe temp down overnight, but this means we can't use it in the morning before work as it would be cold.

[Simon Rose]

I'm wondering if the noise is echoing off of the garage wall or the fence. Have you tried hanging anything on the walls to deaden any noise bouncing off them?

This is a thought as there is an 8" gap between the two adjacent garage walls. I'l goign to try blocking it up and see, but I still feel the spa is making too much noise.

Simon

[Simon Rose]

I've had a good chat with a different D1 dealer and they have been more useful to me. They too think the problem is with my base and not the spa so I have ordered a rubber sound absorbing mat from Noise Stop Systems;

http://www.noisestopsystems.co.uk/soundpro...n_mat/index.asp

They have also suggested digging the hardcore back where it meets the garage wall and their fence and replacing it with sand or even a rubber infill material to reduce the vibration transmission further.

I'll lay a layer of sand on top of the hardcore pad before I lay the mat to ensure its totally flat - they wondered if the pad had a raised area which wasn't supporting the tub evenly.

Thanks to your all for your ideas and reassurance that all tubs should not be as noisy as ours.

I'll let you know how it progresses.

Simon

[cyroute]

Yes ours uses the small circ pump during heating cycles but still even with our two main pumps on high during a cleaning cycle the spa is not that loud.

Joe

[cplarsen]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

[Simon Rose]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

It's not feasible to add a circ pump for the heat cycle without some major surgery and it would invalidate the warranty. Afterall, this is a NEW spa so I don't see why I should have to re-engineer it internally.

The higher spec spas do have a small circ pump for heating, but not on the D1 @home range.

Simon

[Simon Rose]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

It's not feasible to add a circ pump for the heat cycle without some major surgery and it would invalidate the warranty. Afterall, this is a NEW spa so I don't see why I should have to re-engineer it internally.

The higher spec spas do have a small circ pump for heating, but not on the D1 @home range.

Simon

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

It's not feasible to add a circ pump for the heat cycle without some major surgery and it would invalidate the warranty. Afterall, this is a NEW spa so I don't see why I should have to re-engineer it internally.

The higher spec spas do have a small circ pump for heating, but not on the D1 @home range.

Simon

Are you sure the pump/motor housing isn't making contact with the equipment compartment?

[Simon Rose]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

It's not feasible to add a circ pump for the heat cycle without some major surgery and it would invalidate the warranty. Afterall, this is a NEW spa so I don't see why I should have to re-engineer it internally.

The higher spec spas do have a small circ pump for heating, but not on the D1 @home range.

Simon

Are you sure the pump/motor housing isn't making contact with the equipment compartment?

Yes, the pump and heater/ control unit ( a Gecko SSPA) is on rubber mounts. I think its either the pipes of the water flowing thats causing the vibration.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Are you sure the pump/motor housing isn't making contact with the equipment compartment?

Yes, the pump and heater/ control unit ( a Gecko SSPA) is on rubber mounts. I think its either the pipes of the water flowing thats causing the vibration.

I know the bottom has rubber mounts but I wasn't talking about the bottom of the pump. The question I'm asking is if the pump/motor housing is contacting the walls of the equipment compartment because that will cause the issue you speak of. Sometimes the pumps are pushed back in the equipment compartment and the sides/top of the pump/motor housing contacts the walls of the compartment if they're not careful when the make the spa.

[Simon Rose]

Are you sure the pump/motor housing isn't making contact with the equipment compartment?

Yes, the pump and heater/ control unit ( a Gecko SSPA) is on rubber mounts. I think its either the pipes of the water flowing thats causing the vibration.

I know the bottom has rubber mounts but I wasn't talking about the bottom of the pump. The question I'm asking is if the pump/motor housing is contacting the walls of the equipment compartment because that will cause the issue you speak of. Sometimes the pumps are pushed back in the equipment compartment and the sides/top of the pump contact the walls of the compartment if they're not careful when the make the spa.

Sorry, you are right, I didn't answer the question. No, the pump is not in contact with the shell or frame etc. However I think that the vibration from the pump is being transmitted through the hard pipes and causing them to resonate somewhere else in the spa. It might be that the hard pipes are in contact elsewhere, but I can't get at the at the moment due to all the foam or insulation etc.

[cplarsen]

Have you asked if a circ pump can be added?

It's not feasible to add a circ pump for the heat cycle without some major surgery and it would invalidate the warranty. Afterall, this is a NEW spa so I don't see why I should have to re-engineer it internally.

The higher spec spas do have a small circ pump for heating, but not on the D1 @home range.

Simon

OK.

Just asking as they are an add-on for most models, along with the ozone.