I am located in the UK and live in a semi detached 2 storey brick house with suspended wooden floors built 1934
My problem is, my neighbour uses their washing machine at unsociable hours and I am being woken up due to either vibration or resonance, I cannot say which as it is not my field. however if I am in bed (1st floor, carpeted, wood frame bed with space foam mattress) I feel the motion enough to wake me up also if I am in my sitting room sitting on the sofa, I can also feel the motion. This motion seems to relate to the spin cycle in length and style.
I have approached the neighbour who stated that they use the machine at least 4 times a day every day of the week (must be a very clean family of 4)
they have also said that it is a new machine and is sitting on a tiled floor (however tiles sit on suspended wooden floor) and I am talking a load of rot.
I eventually reported to local Environmental Health Dept who are not prepared to do anything without proof (even though had 8 months of times of use).
I have tried using phone apps to register vibrations unsuccessfully. I purchased a WIT Motion 3 axis sensor but this did not pick up the vibrations. I have purchased WS420 & WS1801p sensors, but now realise I greatly need the help of experts in this field before I proceed any further, circuit production/programming.
Could anyone please advise on the best method to detect and record these vibration/resonance and tell me what parameters I am look for to achieve the best results
I have several major illnesses and this constant waking is affecting my health, so any help gratefully received

 

It must also be annoying for them. Will they allow you to observe it whilst it is spinning, as it might just need its feet adjusting or moving fractionally from the wall?
It’s a pity they don’t have an Ebac as I used to have one and it refuse to spin anything that was even slightly out of balance (which made it really annoying).
If they are an awkward bunch of b******s and you don’t give a damn about annoying them, bypass the local authority and get a magistrate to serve a Noise Abatement Order under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
You might still have the same trouble if they ignore it as it obviously isn’t easy to prove a breach, but it might concentrate their minds.
Or get a 2-stroke strimmer and get up nice and early. . .

 

they will not let me observe operation, but EHO suggested they use noise reducing mat, I was later informed they had put a T towel between the machine and wall ( this improved slightly) but after a week they returned to normal.
Even to get NAO if need evidence to put before a magistrate.

 

Is this any help?

 

Is there any chance of getting your neighbor to stop by for a cup of coffee while the machine is running?

 

Is there any chance of getting your neighbor to stop by for a cup of coffee while the machine is running?

Ah yes, the diplomatic approach…

 

Have never got on with them. They feel entitled. Built garden chalet without regards to legislation.could not be bothered to fight. But this one is really ruining my health

 

I thank you for your suggestions but not really the info I was looking for.
The legal aspect is already covered, my wife is a lawyer. I am looking at the evidence gathering and best ways to get that evidence i.e circuit types parameters etc

 

You need an expert to provide evidence.

You could waste time and money on the cleverest and most amazing circuits and sensors ever invented and still be ignored in court because you do not have sufficient credentials.

An accredited expert will be believed in court even if he/she is an idiot, just because he/she has the relevant credentials.

If your wife is a lawyer, then why does she not know that your amateur measurements are near useless in law?

A cell-phone app is unlikely to be taken seriously in any legal setting, although it might help you to work out whether you have a case and get a better diagnosis of the issue. I don't think I would trust an app anyway. An app might lead you down the wrong path.

How could you ever show that you cell-phone app and your home-made gadgets are accurately calibrated, reliable and correctly applied?

Maybe you could bluff your neighbour into thinking you have a case even if you do not. Your neighbour does not sound like someone who would give in easily, but who knows. The threat of legal action just might be enough motivation for better behaviour.

These are just my random amateur thoughts. Feel free to ignore.

EDIT: cheeky afterthought - If your wife is a lawyer, then you must be an obscenely rich couple. Why not simply move to a better neighbourhood? Might be cheaper than the cost of experts and law suits.

 

This may or may not help but in elementary school (US) during a science fair I built a shaker table (up and down) with a variable speed vibrating motor. On the table there were several long spring steel rods (very small gauge - don't remember) and with the changing speed of the motor there was almost always one rod that would bounce up and down with the rate of the motor speed. The rods were of differing lengths. At higher speeds (frequencies) the shorter rods would react strongly while at lower speeds the longer rods would react.

Since the cycle of spinning is long enough to give you time to grab a video recording device AND provided you get the right frequency (length of rod weighted at one end) you can have a visual and audible means of proof of the event happening in real time.

Where I live there's a railroad about 150 yards west of my house. Usually trains pass by with no effect. But occasionally a heavily laden train would pass by and I'd notice the up and down vibrations. Very subtle but I could look at the TV (when off) and notice the vibration of the image in the reflectivity of the screen and confirm what I thought I was feeling. Seems the TV's weight and the length of the wall support arm are close enough to react to the vibrations. Perhaps one day I'll discover the vibrations and make a video and post it on YT. For now I don't have such evidence.

 

Have never got on with them. They feel entitled. Built garden chalet without regards to legislation.could not be bothered to fight. But this one is really ruining my health

If it's less than 10 years since they built the chalet, complain now.

 

You need an expert to provide evidence.

You could waste time and money on the cleverest and most amazing circuits and sensors ever invented and still be ignored in court because you do not have sufficient credentials.

An accredited expert will be believed in court even if he/she is an idiot, just because he/she has the relevant credentials.

If your wife is a lawyer, then why does she not know that your amateur measurements are near useless in law?

A cell-phone app is unlikely to be taken seriously in any legal setting, although it might help you to work out whether you have a case and get a better diagnosis of the issue. I don't think I would trust an app anyway. An app might lead you down the wrong path.

How could you ever show that you cell-phone app and your home-made gadgets are accurately calibrated, reliable and correctly applied?

Maybe you could bluff your neighbour into thinking you have a case even if you do not. Your neighbour does not sound like someone who would give in easily, but who knows. The threat of legal action just might be enough motivation for better behaviour.

These are just my random amateur thoughts. Feel free to ignore.

You are unfortunately right. A calibration certificate carries some weight, even though all noise measurements are relative measurements made in reference to the background noise, and the absolute noise level noise level never comes into it.
The usual "expert" is the council's noise officer, and they are not always that smart.
Smartphone apps are probably more accurate than the cheapest sound-level meters, and a video or audio recording can correlate the noise level with the actual sound. Readings from sound level meters will not be believed as there is no corroborating evidence for what actually made the noise.

 

Have you, or preferably your wife read the actual noise ordinance?

The ordinance in my city, in part, prohibits any noise that is disturbing to someone in their residence between 9:00 PM and 6:00

Edited: Which would not require proof, only your word.

 

Have you, or preferably your wife read the actual noise ordinance?

The ordinance in my city, in part, prohibits any noise that is disturbing to someone in their residence between 9:00 PM and 6:00

There are several, mostly it's the Environmental Protection Act, and there's also the Noise Act. Then there's BS4142 for industrial noise. Mostly it's 10dB A-weighted above background measured at the place that the nuisance is being perceived not where the noise is generated, averaged over an hour for day time and five minutes at night. Night starts at 11pm and finishes at 7am or 8am depending on which piece of legislation! Then they made an amendment to the A-weighting as it gave carte blanche to the drum and bass brigade!
There's also a clause in most tenancy agreements about "peaceful enjoyment of the property" which makes the landlord responsible for keeping the neighbours quiet.

 

I am located in the UK and live in a semi detached 2 storey brick house with suspended wooden floors built 1934
My problem is, my neighbour uses their washing machine at unsociable hours and I am being woken up due to either vibration or resonance, I cannot say which as it is not my field. however if I am in bed (1st floor, carpeted, wood frame bed with space foam mattress) I feel the motion enough to wake me up also if I am in my sitting room sitting on the sofa, I can also feel the motion. This motion seems to relate to the spin cycle in length and style.
I have approached the neighbour who stated that they use the machine at least 4 times a day every day of the week (must be a very clean family of 4)
they have also said that it is a new machine and is sitting on a tiled floor (however tiles sit on suspended wooden floor) and I am talking a load of rot.
I eventually reported to local Environmental Health Dept who are not prepared to do anything without proof (even though had 8 months of times of use).
I have tried using phone apps to register vibrations unsuccessfully. I purchased a WIT Motion 3 axis sensor but this did not pick up the vibrations. I have purchased WS420 & WS1801p sensors, but now realise I greatly need the help of experts in this field before I proceed any further, circuit production/programming.
Could anyone please advise on the best method to detect and record these vibration/resonance and tell me what parameters I am look for to achieve the best results
I have several major illnesses and this constant waking is affecting my health, so any help gratefully received

I would think there would be an engineering company similar to Trinity Consultants that could help with this, for a fee of course.

You could try adding some thick carpeting, at a cost of course.
You could try moving a heavy piece of furniture if there are any in the room, or add a new, heavy item to the room.

Sometimes the solution is very simple, sometimes quite complicated if you do not have access to the source itself.

 

Sometimes the solution is very simple, sometimes quite complicated if you do not have access to the source itself.

I suspect that in this case, the solution is very simple, but unfortunately the TS isn't at liberty to deploy it!

 

I suspect that in this case, the solution is very simple, but unfortunately the TS isn't at liberty to deploy it!

Yeah, and it's a shame some neighbors are hard-nosed about a lot of things while others are very cooperative.

However, there is usually a common denominator and that is of course money. Offer the neighbor $50 to allow you to personally try to modify their setup in order to reduce noise. If they don't accept, up it to $100 or so. There is probably some threshold where they will start to actually like the idea

 

I am located in the UK and live in a semi detached 2 storey brick house with suspended wooden floors built 1934
My problem is, my neighbour uses their washing machine at unsociable hours and I am being woken up due to either vibration or resonance, I cannot say which as it is not my field. however if I am in bed (1st floor, carpeted, wood frame bed with space foam mattress) I feel the motion enough to wake me up also if I am in my sitting room sitting on the sofa, I can also feel the motion. This motion seems to relate to the spin cycle in length and style.
I have approached the neighbour who stated that they use the machine at least 4 times a day every day of the week (must be a very clean family of 4)
they have also said that it is a new machine and is sitting on a tiled floor (however tiles sit on suspended wooden floor) and I am talking a load of rot.
I eventually reported to local Environmental Health Dept who are not prepared to do anything without proof (even though had 8 months of times of use).
I have tried using phone apps to register vibrations unsuccessfully. I purchased a WIT Motion 3 axis sensor but this did not pick up the vibrations. I have purchased WS420 & WS1801p sensors, but now realise I greatly need the help of experts in this field before I proceed any further, circuit production/programming.
Could anyone please advise on the best method to detect and record these vibration/resonance and tell me what parameters I am look for to achieve the best results
I have several major illnesses and this constant waking is affecting my health, so any help gratefully received

Check post #17 see if it's a workable solution.

 

Mitigate the vibration using sufficient dampening to the base of the machine.

 

Mitigate the vibration using sufficient dampening to the base of the machine.

Is the TS supposed to break into his neighbours' house while they are out to do this?
Whilst he is breaking in, all he needs to do is replace the fuse in the plug with a blown one. The neighbour will call the repairman. The TS can lie in wait for the repairman, hijack him on his way to the neighbour and say "Are you here to fix their washing machine? Whilst you're there, mate, can you stop it vibrating against my wall".
Job done.