What is that beeping?

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littleheaven

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#185397 21-Nov-2015 01:11

I have neighbours who live directly in front of me - the back of their house and the front of mine are separated by a driveway which feeds my house and another neighbour to my right. They have a deck that wraps around the back of their house, which they have done all sorts of non-code things to, like enclosing parts with laser-lite panels, dodgy electrics fed out of windows, an outdoor kitchen, and have what appears to be several large-format digital printers on it (and associated inks/chemicals), along with a pile of household junk.

About two weeks ago something on said deck started beeping. It's intermittent during the day but always beeps consistently at night. I can hear it in my house with all the doors and windows closed. It sounds exactly like a smoke alarm when the battery is running down - a loud 'chirp' every 35 seconds.

Is there anything else that would make that noise? Like some kind of security system? It seems like it is being turned on and off since it mainly beeps at night, but I can't imagine any system that would do that because of the nuisance factor. I do recall seeing them attaching something to the wall of their house around the time the noise began. If it's a smoke alarm with a dying battery, how long might it beep before it dies? If it's an indoor alarm they've used, could it be beeping because of the temperature outside?

I intend to pop a polite note in their letterbox (maybe with a fresh battery) but would like to know what I might be dealing with first, and I can't see what it is because of all the junk. They have a double mattress stood up in front of where I think the device is, and a hot water cylinder and a BBQ in front of that (what a lovely view I have from my living room window).

If they refuse to deal with the beeping, is there anything I can do? Does that kind of noise fall foul of noise regulations? Can I insist they sort it out or am I stuck with it? I can't imagine what it will be like over summer once I open the windows in the evening.

All advice gratefully received.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

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#1432026 21-Nov-2015 02:14

Could be a smoke detector. If the battery is getting low it will drop in voltage as the temperature drops.

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MikeB4

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#1432043 21-Nov-2015 07:27

P lab?

frankv

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#1432048 21-Nov-2015 07:58

Rather than dropping a note in the letterbox, go and talk to them.

Geektastic

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#1432070 21-Nov-2015 09:15

Move.

littleheaven

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#1432100 21-Nov-2015 10:53

frankv: Rather than dropping a note in the letterbox, go and talk to them.

I'm a bit shy, so find this difficult, but I will try to catch them this afternoon. The are a lot of people living there (an extended family) and I'm a single tiny little woman so it's a bit intimidating.

Thanks jarledb for the smoke detector info. I will take a battery with me when I go talk to them.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Jase2985

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#1432125 21-Nov-2015 11:47

Geektastic: Move.

@Geektastic great advice.....not

littleheaven

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#1432127 21-Nov-2015 11:52

I just got excited that they were moving - a big van showed up (and has parked on my driveway, of course). But no, it was delivering stuff. Yay, now there's a sofa on their deck too.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

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Geektastic

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#1432136 21-Nov-2015 12:12

Jase2985:
Geektastic: Move.

@Geektastic great advice.....not

Bogan neighbors would be a good reason to move in my world.

Geektastic

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#1432138 21-Nov-2015 12:13

littleheaven: I just got excited that they were moving - a big van showed up (and has parked on my driveway, of course). But no, it was delivering stuff. Yay, now there's a sofa on their deck too.

They sound like proper gypsies.

littleheaven

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#1432158 21-Nov-2015 12:26

Geektastic:
Jase2985:
Geektastic: Move.

@Geektastic great advice.....not

Bogan neighbors would be a good reason to move in my world.

Problem is, you could end up with worse! My street is nice and quiet and all the other neighbours are great. These guys are good-hearted but come from part of the world where people live differently. There's three generations squished in a 3-bedroom bungalow. They have 6 cars and a boat on the property (which has off street parking for 2). They've built a lovely corrugated iron shed in the back garden. I've had to have words with them previously for using my driveway as a parking lot, their dog pooping all over my lawn, and the same dog howling for hours on end when they went out. It disappeared a couple of days later after I left them a note that it was doing it. I try really hard to be tolerant and to give them the benefit of the doubt, but there is a line.

On the other hand, I am pretty sure it's illegal to run printing presses off your back deck, and I suspect they know it.

Edited for bizarre autocorrect.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Geektastic

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#1432171 21-Nov-2015 13:11

littleheaven:
Geektastic:
Jase2985:
Geektastic: Move.

@Geektastic great advice.....not

Bogan neighbors would be a good reason to move in my world.

Problem is, you could end up with worse! My street is nice and quiet and all the other neighbours are great. These guys are good-hearted but come from part of the world where people live differently. There's three generations squished in a 3-bedroom bungalow. They have 6 cars and a boat on the property (which has off street parking for 2). They've built a lovely corrugated iron shed in the back garden. I've had to have words with them previously for using my driveway as a parking lot, their dog pooping all over my lawn, and the same dog howling for hours on end when they went out. It disappeared a couple of days later after I left them a note that it was doing it. I try really hard to be tolerant and to give them the benefit of the doubt, but there is a line.

On the other hand, I am pretty sure it's illegal to run printing presses off your back deck, and I suspect they know it.

Edited for bizarre autocorrect.

Or you could move south and buy a few acres to keep the riff raff at bay...!

I'd be ringing the council and mentioning the rats you see all the time..!

MadEngineer

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#1432184 21-Nov-2015 13:51

littleheaven:
frankv: Rather than dropping a note in the letterbox, go and talk to them.

I'm a bit shy, so find this difficult, but I will try to catch them this afternoon. The are a lot of people living there (an extended family) and I'm a single tiny little woman so it's a bit intimidating.

Thanks jarledb for the smoke detector info. I will take a battery with me when I go talk to them.

cure for shyness is to do things like this. whatever the outcome - either they bark at you to get off their grass or they oppologise and offer to find the offending item immediately but either way you've tried and you'll be proud for doing it :)

start by introducing yourself as their neighbour, mention the beeping and no matter how they respond leave by saying thank you.

and please, stop using notes :/

http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

littleheaven

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#1432189 21-Nov-2015 14:23

MadEngineer:
littleheaven:
frankv: Rather than dropping a note in the letterbox, go and talk to them.

I'm a bit shy, so find this difficult, but I will try to catch them this afternoon. The are a lot of people living there (an extended family) and I'm a single tiny little woman so it's a bit intimidating.

Thanks jarledb for the smoke detector info. I will take a battery with me when I go talk to them.
cure for shyness is to do things like this. whatever the outcome - either they bark at you to get off their grass or they oppologise and offer to find the offending item immediately but either way you've tried and you'll be proud for doing it :)

start by introducing yourself as their neighbour, mention the beeping and no matter how they respond leave by saying thank you.

and please, stop using notes :/

http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

Thanks for the advice. We've been neighbours for over a decade and they know me well enough to say hi to, so no introductions necessary. I just feel really uncomfortable because I feel like I'm always complaining!

Edited to LOL about that website.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Rikkitic

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#1432192 21-Nov-2015 14:31

So take a cake over with you and say you thought it would be nice to share a neighbourly moment. Don't start with the complaint, ease into it after pleasantries, oh by the way, what is that interesting beeping sound coming from your junkpile?

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littleheaven

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#1432193 21-Nov-2015 14:33

Rikkitic: So take a cake over with you and say you thought it would be nice to share a neighbourly moment. Don't start with the complaint, ease into it after pleasantries, oh by the way, what is that interesting beeping sound coming from your junkpile?

LOL! Now I just have to find the door behind all the crap :)

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

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