Weird Noise by Hospital/Brook Hollow
All day I’ve heard this loud humming/machinery type noise that has continued past midnight in the area of the hospital/Willow Grove Street/Brook Hollow neighborhood. Does anyone else hear it and know what it’s from? Could the hospital’s HVAC system be that loud?
Htown Gal
Walker The hospital has a temporary chiller unit parked on a trailer at their loading dock. The AC system there is undersized and it provides extra cooling for them during the warmer months. It could possibly be coming from there.
It has been running day and night. Can still hear it with windows closed. Interferes with sleep.
PBM I was thinking the same thing!!! I was in the park and heard it in the morning and now this evening too!!!
Nj I don't believe it is coming from the hospital. I am familiar with that noise. This is entirely different and much louder.
Call the police. May not stop the noise, but at least give you an answer, and possibly someone to call to inform them of just how loud and inconsiderate their noise level is.
Come on. It's not a police matter. Do the work yourself! If the noise is such a tremendous public nuisance or as described a severe quality of life issue, so outrageous as stated keeping people from sleep, running day and night then go out find the source and address it with the property owner. Don't pass the buck to the police. I guarantee it's not remotely as bad as being described.. Lets all relax LOL.
Greg Greg --that's quite an idiotic response. You think someone should walk into the hospital, or to Mars (where it's probably coming from) and say "excuse me, can you stop the noise" ??????????????
Might have to go to legal action if it is not a temporary problem.
I never stated or suggested to walk into anywhere and say "excuse me, can you stop the noise" ??????????????. That would be a ridiculous, inappropriate,and an amateur approach.
I suggested to find the source and address it with the owner. There are a multitude of ways to deal with this type of situation. It takes a polite, reasonable, educated person to handle this type of issue appropriately. Really not a life altering event by any stretch.
Actually, above 50dbs at night, 65dbs during the day and it is a police issue. I think there is a noise complaint number at the State level you can google.
Strangerdanger It is horrible. It’s just been kicked on for the past week and a half now. I think it is Mars. Because I live across from it and it’s louder at night when the town is quiet.
If you call the police non emergency line they may know. Don’t know if it’s something Mars or the Hospital has to report in when turning it on, ya know just in case of fires or anything.
Noisometer.... ok, decibel meter.
Like I said, google noise complaint and all will be answered: https://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/contact-noise.html
You can download a decibel app to your phone. It's likely that the noise won't really register as dangerous, just annoying.
maja2 It has been very loud at night. Like white noise on steroids. We took a drive yesterday to try to identify the source and it seems to be behind Hurley Dr toward Mars. But last night it stopped, maybe around 4AM.
hktownie Amazingly, the same exact sound IS louder at night. There’s a scientific reason that goes beyond,”its quieter,” but that explain is above my pay-grade. Uphill is louder too.
I agree, chances are it’s under 50dbs. Things are just built that way for obvious reasons.
Please post here if source is found. It has been going on awhile but still not sure where it is coming from. I agree with PBM really hard to sleep even with windows closed.
LD Both the town and county have noise ordinances and while neither has adopted the states template, idiots, I am sure the states metrics would suffice unless they getting paid under the table. Otherwise, basically if it sounds bad, it’s illegal, according to our ordinances. .
County reporting is board of health, town - who knows, call the mayor.
Funny that it’s obvious the town bought its ordinances, all 900 glorious pages, bought the same package as warren township’s consultant template and yet not one metric for sound like a numeric rating. It’s all touchy, feely like if it makes you feel bad, it’s an illegal noise. Guess that just sounds bad, heh, heh. Dudes, you can just lift the state noise ordinance, they told you it’s OK. Update.
Hope that helps, HG, turn them in. Let loose the dogs of war: basenjis I guess (is that spelled right? For those barkless dogs???)
We are closer to Main Street and have heard it every night too - first thought it was coming from near the train but not for hours every night.... Would love to know what it is - here 15 years and only started hearing it the last few nights (yes when it's quieter out).
A. Ragamuffin This post provides more info on the noise from M&M Mars.
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/925076#t925101
Calicat Yes, that's a great post..... And like I said, sound at night travels farther, sounds louder, but not just because there's less white noise. It's science as described (and more even) in you post link:
"50Dbs is not too much actually. However.....since God has a miraculous sense of humor......guess what......sound travels much more at night, and for a reason. Here, from the first link: "I think the key here is the question of isotropy of propagation." Those who get that, raise their hands :>) But wait, there's more: "The speed of sound in an ideal gas goes as the square root of the temperature. Another way of saying this is that the refractive index for sound waves goes as the inverse square root of temperature. Colder air has a higher refractive index.
At night, it can be the case that the temperature close to the ground is colder than higher up - a temperature inversion. A wave travelling away from the ground will be bent back towards the ground by the decrease in refractive index with height. This (along with the fact it is generally quieter!) can enable you to hear distant events at night." OK, you can hear more at night.....I get that :>)
TMI stranger, TMI....
Amazing how folks are talking, squawking, but has anyone called it in?
just for the record Calicat that parking lot has not been approved yet and even if it were, it would be years before it was installed.
Jim L 
Michael PMB, you observation just confirmed to me that it is coming from the hospital temporary chiller. (See my comments above). The last few nights have been cool and there wasn't a big load on the chiller, but last night was hotter and more humidity putting a larger load on it making it louder!!!
Bernie https://www.esmagazine.com/articles/98239-temporary-hvac-system-design-how-does-this-work
Her is some information.
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