The totally off-topic thread

[cove]

Whatmeworry where are you living ? It must be a place where the temperature drops to 22 degrees by 11pm.

 

[medhead]

Have you checked your water bill?? They use huge amounts of water! Once that didn't much matter, but in 2014 Melbourne (and I guess Adelaide) it can be very expensive (unless it's your own water...)

(Edit: They can use >100 litres/hour. So the water supply and disposal costs for that have to be factored in. In MEL that can cost between $4 and $5.80/1000 litres (so > $0.40 to $0.58/hour). Still probably cheaper than electricity ...)

Hence why I run my A/C overflow into the garden. Great knowing that the plants are getting relief from the heat as well.

 

[Austman]

Hence why I run my A/C overflow into the garden. Great knowing that the plants are getting relief from the heat as well.

Do they overflow much? I note that in MEL (City West Water at least) the disposal charges are just based on consumption. They don't seem to care if a lot of it actually 'evaporated'.

 

[Bundy Bear]

The updated tapatalk app is terrible updates are meant to make things easier or better not worse, seems like the newer version has added more functions I am not going to use.

Currently on my 2 hotel of 3 in Singapore, holiday inn express is rather nice and a great rate using cash and points.

 

[Shelf]

Our local council laws mean that you can only have cooling on till 11pm.

Surely you jest

 

[penegal]

Another crazy week of work comes to a close... Now, where is the bar?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Surely you jest

No I don't think so. We have particularly officious greeny neighbours (one is stone deaf) who put letters in our mailbox quoting Council Regulations if on the odd 30 plus night we forget to turn off our ducted AC which is positioned at the side of our house adjacent to their boundary fence/property

 

[Kieran2274]

No I don't think so. We have particularly officious greeny neighbours (one is stone deaf) who put letters in our mailbox quoting Council Regulations if on the odd 30 plus night we forget to turn off our ducted AC which is positioned at the side of our house adjacent to their boundary fence/property

Charming :-| If such people just focused on improving their own lives, they wouldn't be such unhappy people feeling the need to make everyone as bitter and miserable as they are.

 

[Pushka]

We lived right next door to a new development of housing that was built in such a way that the heat inside was immense as soon as even winter Sun was shining. Our bedroom wasn't airconditioned as we planted trees and foliage and we would water them on hot nights and leave our sliding doors open. We happily did that for 20 years until the house next door was knocked down and the new development built. The airconditioner plant was massive for a two storey house and was placed on the other side of our fence just next to our bedroom door. No council regulations meant it stayed on 24/7. There was nothing we could do to stop the constant turning on and turning off. You'd get to sleep and then clunk, it would turn on. Get used to that noise somewhat then clunk, it would turn off again. All night long. They couldn't hear the noise - their bedroom was on the other side of the house upstairs. We had a one storey house and the motor unit was with a few feet of us.

In the end we moved after the first summer. We could not sleep. So I am most certainly not a greenie but please think about what living next door to some of the motors might just be like. Your motor is no doubt strategically placed so you don't hear it but maybe this completely wrecks someone else's sleep. It's not a matter of minding your own business. Our ability to sleep in summer disappeared.

 

[legroom]

Charming :-| If such people just focused on improving their own lives, they wouldn't be such unhappy people feeling the need to make everyone as bitter and miserable as they are.

You can choose your friends, your work colleagues and (on AFF) your preferred seat on your chosen airline but you, sadly, cannot select a friendly neighbour (speaking from experience).

Mine would gather up the fallen leaves on his side footpath from the trees on the boundary (my trees) and then put in a net at the end of a long (2m) pole to throw back over the fence onto my property, standing on a chair to do so.

All that effort just to ease his bitterness.

 

[Austman]

Charming :-| If such people just focused on improving their own lives, they wouldn't be such unhappy people feeling the need to make everyone as bitter and miserable as they are.

I suggest that such people might see those using their A/C after hours as improving their lives at the expense of others. It's really a very tricky area. But there are laws and regulations.

Why not stick to the laws and regulations or campaign to have them changed?

 

[Princess Fiona]

We lived right next door to a new development of housing that was built in such a way that the heat inside was immense as soon as even winter Sun was shining. Our bedroom wasn't airconditioned as we planted trees and foliage and we would water them on hot nights and leave our sliding doors open. We happily did that for 20 years until the house next door was knocked down and the new development built. The airconditioner plant was massive for a two storey house and was placed on the other side of our fence just next to our bedroom door. No council regulations meant it stayed on 24/7. There was nothing we could do to stop the constant turning on and turning off. You'd get to sleep and then clunk, it would turn on. Get used to that noise somewhat then clunk, it would turn off again. All night long. They couldn't hear the noise - their bedroom was on the other side of the house upstairs. We had a one storey house and the motor unit was with a few feet of us.

In the end we moved after the first summer. We could not sleep. So I am most certainly not a greenie but please think about what living next door to some of the motors might just be like. Your motor is no doubt strategically placed so you don't hear it but maybe this completely wrecks someone else's sleep. It's not a matter of minding your own business. Our ability to sleep in summer disappeared.

I completely understand the noise issue. The irony in this case is that our neighbours have an ancient AC wall unit situated opposite which would wake the dead. Our eldest daughter's bedroom overlooks the boundary fence.
We do understand and comply with the council noise regulations but cannot understand why a little tolerance cannot be applied both ways in extreme weather.
Fortunately for us we are far away just now in Whistler, so nothing for them to complain about

 

[Austman]

but cannot understand why a little tolerance cannot be applied both ways in extreme weather.

Exactly. But, sadly, the laws and regulations might need adjusting to decide what exactly is "extreme weather". "Extreme weather" seems to becoming more the norm these days...

 

[Pushka]

I completely understand the noise issue. The irony in this case is that our neighbours have an ancient AC wall unit situated opposite which would wake the dead. Our eldest daughter's bedroom overlooks the boundary fence.
We do understand and comply with the council noise regulations but cannot understand why a little tolerance cannot be applied both ways in extreme weather.
Fortunately for us we are far away just now in Whistler, so nothing for them to complain about

Well, there are no regulations in SA so they just kept it running even after we explained what was happening.

Thankfully where we live now, are homes where trees etc help keep houses naturally cool so no more issues.

But while the general comments here have been that neighbours are being inconsiderate when asking others to consider the noise of their motors, that is just not always the case. Forced us to move after 20 years of peace as we couldn't handle another summer.

 

[Austman]

Well, there are no regulations in SA so they just kept it running even after we explained what was happening.

Except all of these ones: EPA South Australia :: Information for Households: Frequently asked questions

If air conditioner noise is over 45 dB it can only be operated between 7 am and 10 pm. The sound made by someone speaking is the same as 45 dB.

 

[Pushka]

Except all of these ones: EPA South Australia :: Information for Households: Frequently asked questions

Not around when we had the issue - a few years ago now - maybe 13 years ago. Back then it was in the hands of the council which means nada. But I'm glad to see it has been addressed.

 

[Kieran2274]

I suggest that such people might see those using their A/C after hours as improving their lives at the expense of others. It's really a very tricky area. But there are laws and regulations.

Why not stick to the laws and regulations or campaign to have them changed?

I suggest that such a person has neither a logical viewpoint to take, nor a sign of a healthy mind. Sure, councils can make by-laws (which aren't the same as regulations or legislation - Regs are disallowable instruments of a parliamentary body, tabled in a chamber for a set period to allow formal inspection and objection; legislation is passed through the scrutiny of at least one chamber of Parliament - both are therefore treated with a higher degree of recognition and scrutiny than by-laws which may or may not have been tabled in State/Territory Parliament depending on state and usually offer only minimum scrutiny before taking force) but by-laws are better though of as a set of published rules issued by a recognised body beneath the scrutiny routinely offered by parliamentary bodies (this is not to undermine by-laws for what they are, just explanation how sometime wordings that would never escape the Parliamentary Drafting Office can be found in council by-laws). And even then, it is the job of the authorised officers of that body to carry out enforcement - not for members of the public to self-appoint themselves for roles they have neither the the proper understanding nor authority to conduct.

These are the drop kicks who tie up considerable public resources and time of actual law enforcement personnel sorting out the almighty messes they make, which believe you me we *don't* thank them for! And it does nothing for community relations either. I wouldn't be rushing to defend their warped world's view - if I were you.

 

[Austman]

Sure, councils can make by-laws (which aren't the same as regulations or legislation - Regs are disallowable instruments of a parliamentary body, tabled in a chamber for a set period to allow formal inspection and objection; legislation is passed through the scrutiny of at least one chamber of Parliament - both are therefore treated with a higher degree of recognition and scrutiny than by-laws which may or may not have been tabled in State/Territory Parliament depending on state and usually offer only minimum scrutiny before taking force) but by-laws are better though of as a set of published rules issued by a recognised body beneath the scrutiny routinely offered by parliamentary bodies (this is not to undermine by-laws for what they are, just explanation how sometime wordings that would never escape the Parliamentary Drafting Office can be found in council by-laws). And even then, it is the job of the authorised officers of that body to carry out enforcement - not for members of the public to self-appoint themselves for roles they have neither the the proper understanding nor authority to conduct.

In Victoria the EPA Environment Protection Authority | EPA Victoria is the authority. They make the rules on A/C noise: http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/your-envi...-noise/prohibited-times-for-residential-noise

Are you saying a state government has no authority?

 

[Kieran2274]

In Victoria the EPA Environment Protection Authority | EPA Victoria is the authority. They make the rules on A/C noise. Are you saying a state government has no authority?

Suggest you actually read what was said, the EPA doesn't issue council by-laws - at least last time I looked! Neither does it have any legal standing in the OP's state of NSW. It helps not to be a bush lawyer, best stick to relevance and I note you failed to address self-apoointees having no legal recognition to conduct enforcement either - you're not one of those are you?

 

[Pushka]

I'd rather have the EPA in charge than the local Council.