New Yorkers are fed up with noisy fans

by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition

Photo Credit:  Ready made

New Yorkers fed up with noisy fans are complaining to the city and suing landlords, according to a recent article. I wish our noise colleague Arline Bronzaft PhD were still alive to write about this because she understood both noise and New York City noise regulations better than I do. But in her absence, I’ll offer a few comments. 

I’m a little puzzled about why there’s a problem with getting rid of the noisy fans or enforcing New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection’s very clear noise regulations. “The NYC Noise Control Code Section 24-227 specifies the following HVAC equipment noise limits: 42 dBA Lmax (slow) for a single air circulating device. 45 dBA Lmax (slow) for the cumulative noise level of multiple air-circulating devices. Both limits apply to noise levels measured within the receiving property at a distance of 3 feet from the open portion of a window.”

One woman profiled in the article has endured significant health impacts and says she is on the verge of homelessness because of the constant noise from the ventilation systems used by commercial tenants who are renting in her building. 

Arline would understand why there’s a problem and probably had a contact at NYC DEP to be able to learn more. The noise code violation seems pretty clear to me, and I hope those affected by fan noise in New York City are able to get the problems fixed.

A quieter city, as part of a quieter world, will be a better and healthier place for all.