How To Block Neighbours Pool Pump Noise - A Simple Guide

Noisy pool pumps can be a source of irritation. Whether you are outside trying to enjoy your own pool or garden, or are inside trying to get a restful night’s sleep, noise from your neighbour’s pool pump can greatly disrupt your experience of your own home.

In this article, we will suggest a few different steps you can take to block or reduce your neighbour’s pool pump noise.

Block It Out

The best way to deal with a neighbour’s noisy pool pump is to block out the noise. The first step you should take to do this is to install a fence between your property and the area where your neighbour’s pool pump is located.

We recommend that you select a tall and sturdy privacy fence constructed out of wood. This is because the natural fibres of wood panels are better at muffling noise than many other materials.

If a fence is not a great option for you, you may also consider planting hedges, which act as a more natural type of sound barrier.

From this point, consider more soundproofing options. If you have a fence put up, you should be able to attach sound-dampening materials to your side of the fence.

These include traditional options, such as foam sound-proofing panels, but can also include more D.I.Y. friendly options, like heavy blankets, scrap wood or other building materials, or adding more plants near the fence area.

If you can hear your neighbour’s pool pump from inside your home, similar measures can be taken with the walls of your house.

We recommend using foam panels intended for soundproofing. These can be placed on the inside of your home, and may also be placed on the outside of your home so long as the panels are adequately weatherproofed.

Share Your Concerns With Your Neighbor

One of the best options for dealing with a neighbour’s noisy pool pump is to discuss it with your neighbour directly.

This is typically a good option if you already know your neighbour and consider them to be a friendly person, but may not be feasible if you already have a rocky relationship with them.

When opening up a conversation about their noisy pool pump, avoid stating your concerns in a way that could be perceived as hostile. Instead, politely voice your discomfort while mentioning how it has impacted your day-to-day activities.

If your neighbour seems empathetic to your concerns, you could then suggest solutions to them that would reduce the noise that their pool pump is making.

Ask your neighbour if the amount of noise being produced by their pool pump is normal. If a pool pump is particularly loud, it most likely has a problem. Certain pieces of the pump may be attached incorrectly, or may be loose or broken.

Additionally, if air is trapped inside of a pool pump, it can be considerably more loud than it should be. Releasing air from a pool pump is a very simple step that your neighbour can take to reduce the amount of noise coming from their machine.

Your neighbour may also be running the pump for longer than they need to.

If this does not work, suggest that your neighbour take further steps to diagnose the cause of the loud noise emanating from your pool pump. You might share a guide like this one with them to help them troubleshoot the problem.

If the noise from the pool pump is normal, or the neighbour in question does not seem interested in investigating potential problems it may have, suggest a pool pump noise cover to your neighbour.

Because these are made of sound-proofing foam and are constructed for pool pumps specifically, this option is likely to lead to the best reduction in pool pump noise, so long as your neighbour is willing to cooperate.

They might also be able to switch to a variable speed pool pump, which tend to be much quieter than standard single speed pumps.

Contact Council

If all else fails, you can look up your local council’s noise laws and see if your neighbour is in breach of them.

For example, Brisbane City Council does not permit more than 5 decibels of noise above background from 7am to 7pm, and only 3 decibels of noise additional to background from 7pm to 10pm. They do not permit any clearly audible noise from 10pm to 7am.

Look up your local council’s rules and contact them if you believe your neighbour is in breach.