How to quiet HVAC closet.

[Bike N Gear]

My son just moved into a loft type apartment. An HVAC closet with a new unit and washer dryer is less than 10 feet from his main living area. It's just a sheetrock wall with a ventilated wood door. When the AC kicks on it sounds like a jet is going to take off in the living room.

Any way to insulate the noise that won't be too expensive nor difficult for him to install?

 

[JerseyPete]

Smart Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 | Bose

The smart Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are our most elegant yet. With accurate hands-free voice control and next-gen active noise reduction.

www.bose.com

I used to see lots of people wearing them in NYC for good reason.

 

[Juggernaut]

My son just moved into a loft type apartment. An HVAC closet with a new unit and washer dryer is less than 10 feet from his main living area. It's just a sheetrock wall with a ventilated wood door. When the AC kicks on it sounds like a jet is going to take off in the living room.

Any way to insulate the noise that won't be too expensive nor difficult for him to install?

Don’t know if it’s an own or rent situation…. But I used double-up’d moving blankets on the walls and some cheap home gym mat pieces on the floor to cut down the noise in his vocal recording space at school. Cheap/impermanent/low consequence.

 

[EJphotos]

Easy. Tell him to not turn on AC and suck it up.

Or fire + video.

 

[mpope68]

There are definitely things that can be done to help soundproof the walls, but the fact that you need the louvered door for ventilation negates any likely benefits.

Other than making sure the unit is working properly, turn up the TV?

 

[qclabrat]

Hopefully it's a short lease. I passed on a house in Pt Pleasant with the furnace in one of the bedrooms. Knew it would be a racket for anyone sleeping there. The house ended up getting sold then flipped for a 800k profit, so it means I know zilch

 

[Bike N Gear]

Hopefully it's a short lease. I passed on a house in Pt Pleasant with the furnace in one of the bedrooms. Knew it would be a racket for anyone sleeping there. The house ended up getting sold then flipped for a 800k profit, so it means I know zilch

It's his first real apartment post graduation. It's actually way to nice a place with the exception of the jet engine in the living room. He'll deal.

 

[shrpshtr325]

There are definitely things that can be done to help soundproof the walls, but the fact that you need the louvered door for ventilation negates any likely benefits.

Other than making sure the unit is working properly, turn up the TV?

maybe some systems need a louvered door, but my old apt with a similar set up had a solid door on the room with the HVAC unit, as long as there is a central return no need for additional airflow in there.

It's his first real apartment post graduation. It's actually way to nice a place with the exception of the jet engine in the living room. He'll deal.

im surprised the HVAC is that loud, i only ever remember hearing the water heater in my old place (it was one of those tankless units)

 

[Patrick]

maybe some systems need a louvered door, but my old apt with a similar set up had a solid door on the room with the HVAC unit, as long as there is a central return no need for additional airflow in there.

if it combines a furnace, it needs combustion air - unless supplied from outside.
standard caveats apply.

 

[shrpshtr325]

if it combines a furnace, it needs combustion air - unless supplied from outside.
standard caveats apply.

true, but the setup (i didnt look that closely bc i didnt pay for mainetnance on it) had a solid door, must have had a dedicated intake for combustion air. . . was brand new in 2012

 

[Magic]

I used to set the a/c in the apartment to 80 at night just so we could sleep in silence. In ours, maintenance needed to open the access panel in the bedroom closet every 6 months before winter and summer, so any permanent fixes would be a no go. Also, wasn't worth investing anything in terms of insulation in a rental. They just used a removable sheetrock access door, so maybe it wasn't as bad as a louvered door.

Fire, new apartment.

 

[Bike N Gear]

Anyone think that covering the inside closet wall with this will make a noticeable difference?

 

[gmb3]

Try using towels/blankets/etc. first as a free test to see if that makes a difference with the louvered door. If so, then buy something (like that foam).

 

[Bike N Gear]

Try using towels/blankets/etc. first as a free test to see if that makes a difference with the louvered door. If so, then buy something (like that foam).

That's what I told him. Let's see if he listens.

 

[EJphotos]

Is it hard/wood flooring? If so, a majority of the sound might be being transferred via the floor. Under that vented wood door, is there a substantial gap between the bottom of the door and the floor? Maybe he could try sliding one of those door draft stoppers underneath the door:

 

[Magic]

That's what I told him. Let's see if he listens.

If he doesn't listen, it's just because he couldn't hear you over the sound of the a/c.

 

[Bike N Gear]

Is it hard/wood flooring? If so, a majority of the sound might be being transferred via the floor. Under that vented wood door, is there a substantial gap between the bottom of the door and the floor? Maybe he could try sliding one of those door draft stoppers underneath the door:

View attachment 192927

Not sure that would help.

 

[TommyF]

So the louvered doors is the return for the system. See if you can pick up a huge piece of filter media and cover the louvers with it. That should help reduce the noise while allowing air flow. The bonus - double filtered HVAC air quality.

 

[Bike N Gear]

So the louvered doors is the return for the system. See if you can pick up a huge piece of filter media and cover the louvers with it. That should help reduce the noise while allowing air flow. The bonus - double filtered HVAC air quality.

There's a huge return vent right next to the door that leads to the hvac filter. This HVAC system was installed last year. Maybe the door was needed for the old system? Rental, don't know.

I spent so much time moving and building furniture that I didn't pay attention to this when I was there.

And, @w_b thanks again for the chair.

 

[w_b]

There's a huge return vent right next to the door that leads to the hvac filter. This HVAC system was installed last year. Maybe the door was needed for the old system? Rental, don't know.

I spent so much time moving and building furniture that I didn't pay attention to this when I was there.

And, @w_b thanks again for the chair.

View attachment 192939

Looks good in there! Glad he can use it.