Stress of Living with Vibration Noise

 

I’ve been living in my two-bedroom, second floor condo at Kings Point in Delray Beach, FL since last August. It’s cozy, functional and, with many windows, refreshingly bright.

I enjoy especially the calming relaxation of lying on my zero-gravity chair on my screened-in balcony. Surrounded by pots of pink, yellow, and purple flowers and green plants, and silhouetted by a blanket of tall green trees as far as the eyes can see, my balcony view is a feast for the eyes. Blue jays and other birds hop from tree branch to tree branch, singing away, while the wind stirs the song of hanging chimes.

All changes as I walk into my house. Penetrating the walls, especially the bathrooms, kitchen and hallway is this horrifically disturbing vibration noise that sends my body into overdrive: my stomach tightens, my shoulders tense, my breathing accelerates, my heart pounds.

The noise comes from the overhead compressor on the roof from my downstairs neighbor’s AC unit.

This vibration noise is common when home, apartment, or condo A/C condenser units are installed on roofs, decks and upper floors. When the AC is operating, occupants of space adjacent to or below these units experience disturbing noise/vibration.

According to research, vibrations can cause several health-related issues, such as fatigue, headaches, stomach problems, among others. For this reason, many regulations aim at controlling the exposure of humans to vibrations. For instance, car manufacturers are required to reduce vibration levels to ensure the comfort of passengers and prevent health hazards.

Unfortunately, such regulations don’t exist for the AC condensers on the roofs of Kings Point. It’s up to individual unit owners to take measures to reduce the noise/vibration coming from their compressors and that's costly. Very costly.

How have I solved the problem? White noise in each room!

Sharon Heller, PhD, is a psychologist and consultant in sensory processing disorder.  She’s the author of Too Loud, too Bright, too Fast, too Tight, What to do if you are sensory defensive in an overstimulating world and Uptight & Off Center, How sensoryprocessing disorder throws adults off balance & how to create stability. Her website is www.sharonheller.net and email info@sharonheller.net.