Noise pollution . . .

[willshak]

on 11/20/2007 4:13 PM Malcolm Hoar said the following:

Yes, I remember reading about those ordinances. I forgot where they are, but I am almost sure they are in California. BTW. I have one and feel guilty whenever I use it. I try to do it during the week when people are working. I live on a cul-de-sac off a dead end road and we all have one acre plots, so we are not on top of each other. All of my neighbors work except for one couple, but they use a leaf blower, so I don't feel my leaf blowing is a problem for them. Two of my neighbors have jobs whose shifts rotate, so I check that their commuter cars are not home when I leaf blow.

[JimR]

[snip]

The reason HeyBub's city has noisy leaf blowers and dadiOH's area has noisy airboats is because HeyBub got first choice.

[Norminn]

clipped

Every week x52 the lawn is mowed, edged, hedges trimmed, and all the stuff blown away somerwhere. That is four power tools each week, on each property. It's only one hour of noise on our property, and I don't really notice the surrounding neighbor's noise. And since I am at it, I have a gripe about light polution :o) Yard lights, spot lights, floods on all night along our channel. It is great to go out after dark, when it is dark, and check out the moon and stars. One neighbor across the channel has a flag in his back yard and keeps it lighted, which is proper, but ... I like the dark at night :o) And then there are the nasty parakeets that are extremely noisy and not a natural species here. At least the neighbor with the squaky parrot moved away. Now all I hear at night is the drunk neighbors fighting :o)

[Oren]

San Francisco got first choice and San Diego ended up with all the lawyers.

[Ray]

I could easily live with the low-power, electric leaf blowers. It's the industrial-strength gas-powered monsters that would wake the dead -- especially when two are going at the same time and a vaccuum as well.

[Nancy Young]

"Ray" wrote

It's maddening. Fall is a nightmare with these people going on and on with those friggin leaf blowers. Last year the next door neighbor's lawn guy had 4 heavy duty blowers going at the same time. Given that it's a third of an acre, at least half covered by the house, pool and patio, why would it take these young guys over 4 hours to get the leaves off? I felt like going over there with a rake and showing them how it's done. They hardly even have any trees.

I wish they would be banned. The fumes that come out of them, and they are worried about my light bulbs? Leaf blowers are a curse.

nancy

[clot]

Leaf blowers/ suckers - environmental impact of production and operation? Height of self indulgence, idleness and inconsideration of impact upon the planet. Few seem to have knowledge today of the rake and purpose of the compost heap!

[badgolferman]

I see you are part of the "there ought to be a law" crowd. Make everyone else change there lifestyles just to suit you.

Why don't you just go over and ask them kindly when they will be done and then go out for a ride somewhere so your sensibilities won't be offended?

[drydem]

Noise ordinance vary over jurisdictions but most allow for loud noises in residential areas during the day, e.g. construction work, while being more restrictive at night. Local zoning ordinances can also be restricted or superceded by federal and state laws. Most of the noise abatement on tools (like leaf-blowers) is done to promote worker safety. Worker and Tool safety would fall under Occupational Safety Heath Agency (OSHA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC)

HTH

[Meat Plow]

All lawn and garden equipment have mufflers. Buy a pair of noise reducing headphones, ear plugs etc...

What do your neighbors do when you more your lawn, use your trimmer/blower etc...?

[Malcolm Hoar]

Yes, the examples I was thinking of are in CA. Menlo Park enacted one but after I moved away from that city.

Lots of professional gardeners protested but from what I understand they've all adapted to quieter alternatives without any significant problems.

In the street where I live now, there's no restrictions and almost every home has a gardener. It means we have leaf blowers running every day of the week. It does drive me crazy and I'd be very happy if my city enacted a ban.

[ds549]

just wondering how you get your leaves up sir. used to be around here,noone did leaves or grass on sunday.it was nice.2 new neighbors defended their right to do it on sunday.so ,now sundays are noisy too.. if it goes on past dark call police for disturbing the peace.

[Joseph Meehan]

They likely do have mufflers, but blowing or vacuuming leaves calls for moving a lot of air and that gets noisy.

Find something else to worry about. I am sure you do something to aggravate them.

[Malcolm Hoar]

Ummm, I don't think so. The leaf blower noise comes from the

*engine*. Electric blowers are *much* quieter.

Yes, fans make noise but that isn't a significant issue in this scenario.

[Joseph Meehan]

I think you are comparing apples and oranges. Few electric models come close to the power of most gas models. I have two electrics and it is a lot quieter than gas models, but the gas models are far more powerful. The more powerful electric is distinctly louder than the less powerful one.

[badgolferman]

I just used my electric leaf blower to clear the front stoop and rear deck. It couldn't even clear the leaves caught in the open rails of the deck. I tried blowing some around in the yard and realized I could do it faster and neater with a rake.

This thread has inspired me to go to the store and buy a new gasoline powered leaf blower. Thanks for the idea Ray!

[Malcolm Hoar]

Well, yes, more powerful blowers make more noise. No argument there.

However, I still maintain that most of the noise comes from the engine versus the fan.

[clot]

Quite, wasting energy and bunging out CO2 when one could get some exercise raking the leaves. Is it any wonder that we are so obese? I'll keep raking.

[ransley]

If its that bad so is the insulating value of your windows and house, or move if its not. But 2 stroke polluters should be banned anyway , and some communities are with you as am I .

[Joseph Meehan]

Actually I mulch most of mine.