Neighbour complaint
By malpoa
@malpoa (1216)
India
August 13, 2009 1:55am CST
Today morning I got a complaint from the family who lives just below our flat. They have been compalining on silly things like the water dripping from the air conditioner is damaging their walls!!!, this same water dripping sound doesnt let their 28 year old son go to sleep!!!
Have anybody heard of water dripping from the exhaust pipe of air conditioner damaging your walls...i mean the walls are made of 10-12cm thickness right of concrete.
And regarding his unsound sleep, i checked it and to my astonishement, the pipe is almost 1 meter away from his bedroom window and the water clearly drops to the ground. his bedroom is atleast 20ft above ground level...
I just dont know what to do and waht to say, they simply do not see reason in what i point to them.
what shoul i do?
4 responses
@zoey7879 (3092)
• United States
13 Aug 09
Living below an air conditioner can be a pain...The water drainage from air conditioners can do damage, but typically not the type they are compalining about. When constant water dripping hits things such as wood, vinyl siding, or cement.. It typically promotes a fungus / mildew growth that might not be evident for several months. However, the water hitting the ground, can make a sound that can be heard at some distance which is one might find annoying if there are no other noises to drown it out, but its typically nothing anyone complains about, and certainly not two stories from the ground. Is it perhaps hitting the outside wall and making noise on its way down.
I think that they are just being nitpicky, but AC units can do a lot of damage if they are not properly draining... I'm going to assume that it's a window unit? If a window unit isn't draining properly, it can do SEVERE damage to inside walls that may take months to years to notice. I found out that mine had not been draining properly only after I went to check if it was.. I leaned my hand against the wall and went through it :s So you may wish to see *exactly* what the complaint is because structural repairs can be costly.
Good luck!
@malpoa (1216)
• India
14 Aug 09
It is a window ac, and we have got a drain pipe fitted. It does fall on their window shade, but we use it only for three months in a year, so by calculating the damage it can cause, it is very less. Moreover, it doesnt affect their wood or anything, it falls on the shade and flows out to the ground from one corner. Regarding the other ac, I could see from my verandah that it is falling directly to ground. And considering we live just infront of an avenue, the sound of vehicles just nullify the water dripping sound!!!
So i do not see any reason in their claim.
@zoey7879 (3092)
• United States
14 Aug 09
If it's hitting their window shade, that leaves me to believe their window is open and I can almost guarantee that some of the water is dripping down into the window sill... if that sill/pane isn't properly sealed, yes it can and probably is causing damage. That's what happened to my old apartment. We weren't even aware until through the wall I went.
@malpoa (1216)
• India
21 Aug 09
Here window shades are built in a length which covers entire window width and it stretches half a foot further. So there is no way, the water can go inside. I believe she probably lived in a house all these years and now the sudden shift to a flat is causing her problems. Even water from ac above our flat also falls on three of our window shades, and it is her sister who lives above...we do not have any complaint regarding that. Her point is her window shade will also be damaged....t hen when it was asked how about the damage caused by rain, she said 'oh it is a natural thing' !!!
@malpoa (1216)
• India
21 Aug 09
Ours is a cooperative building and we do not have a management. We anyhow tried solving the problem by attaching a slab of asbestos under the ac so that water doesnt fall along their wall. It however falls on the window sill and then flows to ground from there. This lady is blowing things ut of proportion. The other day she came up half drenched and accused our maid of throwing water to her verandah!!! I mean doesnt she use her logics...how can we throw water from a verandah to one just beneath it???
The best way I adopted is to ignore her.
@sblossom (2168)
•
13 Aug 09
Relationship between neighbours is very important. I understand what you said and your feeling. However if I were you I would try to do something to see if it helps or not. I mean at least you would show your attention to the complaints and do something. If it failed you can talk with them calmly. Be sure not make things worse.
I had an experience being complained for noise when I moved to new flat. I explained with the man detailed at last he said sorry for his complaints. Now we are not friends but at least we are in peace.
@malpoa (1216)
• India
14 Aug 09
That is one of the possibility when I thought about the fact that they have only one verandah and we got three. It just slipped from her mouth only that I should take this matter into consideration because I have three verandas!!!
Im trying hard to ignore this issue, thoug it is getting to my nerves at times...
I donot like to have an argument or cold war like situation.
