Rules stymie heat pumps

Noise regulations affect installment

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published May 16, 2008

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The complaint, which hasn't been resolved, prompted city leaders to enforce the city's noise law, which states that heat pumps can't emit noise that could be measured at 55 decibels in a neighbor's yard during the day and 45 decibels in the evening, Stahley said.

Meeting requirements

Further complicating things, "there aren't any standard market-provided ... heat pump, heating and cooling systems that meet the requirements," Stahley said.

"There isn't a whole house system we're aware of that is compliant coming out of the box," he added.

It's unclear how many units are in violation. The city only responds to complaints about noise, Hill said.

Stahley said most heat pumps emit 70 to 72 decibels and would have to be 40 to 50 feet from a property line to be in compliance.

But what about residents such as Rose Ann Penney, who said her lot is only 40 feet wide?

Penney said she recently learned that the air-conditioning unit she requested from Sunset Air in Lacey couldn't be installed because of the city's scrutiny.

"I was really surprised," she told the council Tuesday.

Stahley acknowledged that such situations will have to be addressed as the city encourages denser development.

Representatives of the building and contracting industries were confident that a solution is near, but they would not be specific.

Brian Fluetsch, president of Sunset Air, said the "issues have been pretty well resolved" in Thursday's meeting with the city.

Will Stakelin, government affairs director for the Olympia Master Builders, agreed.

"I think the good news is there's going to be a resolution to this in the very near future," he said.

But Frink said she's without cooling during the hottest weather yet this year.

"I blame thoroughly the city of Olympia," she said. "They've just shot themselves in the belly."