New Westminster is taking action to ensure heat pumps don't disturb the neighbourhood.
A staff report states the increased popularity of heat pumps in residential areas has created the need for municipalities to consider how they are sited, screened and installed in order to minimize impacts on adjacent residents. Between April 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015, the city received 50 noise complaints - 13 that involved heat pumps, cooling systems, ventilation systems, hot tubs and generators.
The city's noise bylaw states the maximum level of continuous noise must not exceed 55 decibels during the daytime and 45 decibels at night.
"Fifty-five decibels is pretty high," said Coun. Bill Harper. "Eighty-two, if memory serves me correctly, is when you have to wear earplugs in a production plant."
Harper wonders if there's a way to insist that noise is muffled so it's lower and doesn't disturb neighbours.
Bev Grieve, the city's director of development services, said 45 to 55 decibels falls within the CMHC standards. While there are currently no restrictions on the placement of pumps, Grieve said they wouldn't be as close to the neighbouring property if they were placed in backyards instead of sideyards.
"The new heat pumps are much quieter than the existing heat pumps," she added. "The technology is improving."
Council directed staff to prepare amendments to the zoning bylaw to control the siting, screening and installation of heat pumps in residential areas, and to develop measures for assessing the location of heat pumps within residential areas for new homes as part of the building permit application process.
"With rising energy costs for homes, more and more homeowners are opting to install heat pumps," stated a staff report. "Such devices are typically installed outside a building or structure where connections to the heating and ventilation system is easiest. ... The noise generated by a heat pump can create a nuisance to adjacent property owners and impact quality of life, particularly due to the placement of bedrooms and windows within a home."
