Outlawing gas power engines

Started by MichaelT21 • 23 replies • 386 views

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MichaelT21 (Arkansas)
Posts: 501

Posted:

California is working on phasing out gas power engines. Electric powered stuff, while inferior in power and capability, is a lot quieter.

Have any HOAs looked at adopting similar language?

I'm writing this listening to a neighbor pressure wash their driveway. Prior to them pressure washing, a different neighbor was carefully lawn mowing and edge trimming. Prior to that homeowner, another homeowner was leaf blowing.

I'm not a big fan of additional regulation. But I will say that my backyard is a noisy place this summer. A little peace and quiet sure would be nice.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

I'd wait to see if your community develops a orobkem. this evolves. As you know, noise can be objective. - sometimes it IS clear there's a problem, like someone starting up the lawnmower at 6 am on a sunday. Sometimes what's annoying to you may not be the case with everyone else (note the poster who shows up every now and again complaining about the upstairs tenant stomping around the condo. The owner's did get a fine, but the lady still isn't happy).

If the people you mentioned live close to you, are they doing this all day and night? If not, chalk it up to people living their lives and taking care of their homes. There are plenty of other things to worry about.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

LetA (Nevada)
Posts: 2,679

Posted:

Why would any community want to inflict and amend their governing documents with such a hideous and ludicrous edict?
Lets say the rolling blackouts and brownouts happen, people on oxygen generators, CPAP and other medically necessary pulmonary devices need electricity, NOW WHAT???
Does the food in peoples refrigerator go bad, do people die because they can't breathe because you don't like the noise of a generator?

California is an example of what NOT to do.. In case of an emergency normal people, normal ordnances allow for generators to be used for such emergencies.
buy some earplugs to drown out the noise.
BTW my Honda generator barely gets to 57db as do many emergency generators for home use that run off LPG and NG
I don't want the headache of a lawsuit brought by an owner because a loved one died because they couldn't run a generator to power a oxygen generator or other medicaly necessary device.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

California doesn't appear to always make the right decisions.

MarkR21 (North Carolina)
Posts: 710

Posted:

Yes you should. Climate change is real and all those gas lawn tools pollute more than most cars

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Would not jump to unsubstantiated conclusions about CA's present or future. Our diesel powered-fire pump is very noisy when tested. It must pump water from a below-ground reservoir to our building sprinklers to 25 stories.

MaxB4
Posts: 3,513

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 07/15/2022 6:42 PM
California doesn't appear to always make the right decisions.

Last I checked, Tennessee was rank #18 in US economies, while your former state ranked #13. California is ranked #1 by 1 1/2 times its nearest competitor. California is ranked #5 in world economies, I believe we make more right decisions than bad.

JohnT38 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,631

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MichaelT21 on 07/15/2022 5:26 PM
California is working on phasing out gas power engines. Electric powered stuff, while inferior in power and capability, is a lot quieter.

Have any HOAs looked at adopting similar language?

I'm writing this listening to a neighbor pressure wash their driveway. Prior to them pressure washing, a different neighbor was carefully lawn mowing and edge trimming. Prior to that homeowner, another homeowner was leaf blowing.

I'm not a big fan of additional regulation. But I will say that my backyard is a noisy place this summer. A little peace and quiet sure would be nice.

For someone that claims to be overworked, how can you seriously consider this? Do you really think you could get the needed votes? For people that use lawn services how do you think they will react when the company they use has to replace expensive equipment just because the CEO is bothered by noise in his backyard?

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

One of the reasons I sold my former house was due to the "lawncare sounds". I worked 3rd for some time. You have no idea how annoying it is to hear someone's lawnmower, weedeater, or blower going all hours of the day. It got so bad that I tried multiple things to drown out the noise. Surprisingly it was a small "Sound machine" that played "ocean/Storm" sounds. It seemed to match the noise to cancel it out on some of the whiny motors. It also did not help my neighbors would still mow when it was raining... The only time I felt could sleep best.

Got in a fight on Facebook with someone when I posted a complaint about it. Seriously? Had to unfriend and block people over it. Just because I stated did not like hearing lawncare equipment after working an 9 hour shift at work all night... It was my fault apparently..

Surprisingly my new HOA most people here do not use gas power tools! I was even mowing with a "Reel mower" that is super quiet for awhile. Have now switched to a 40 Volt rechargeable lawnmower. Also switched out most of my other electric corded to battery. It is amazing the difference. Now the quality is not that great with the electric mower so I do go back over it with my Reel one. It makes for a healthier lawn.

As someone who has experienced the "switch" to a mostly electric neighborhood it is kind of nice. We don't have any type of restrictions. It just was a "natural" choice it seems for most of my neighbors. It's the contractors whom use all the gas power stuff. So we kind of know who is paying for their service and those who do it themselves.

I think it's a good thing to encourage but not enforce. It becomes more of a natural change than a forced one. Once you lead by example.

Former HOA President

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnT38 on 07/16/2022 4:02 AM

Well said.

MarkR21 (North Carolina)
Posts: 710

Posted:

You don’t have to do anything most gas powered stuff only lasts 5 years or so and they won’t be able to legally buy anything but electric to replace it

MarkR21 (North Carolina)
Posts: 710

Posted:

Also you are misinformed. The high end electric stuff is better than gas lawn care tools

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MaxB4 on 07/15/2022 11:37 PM

Posted By TimB4 on 07/15/2022 6:42 PM
California doesn't appear to always make the right decisions.

However, more people are leaving CA then TN or VA

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Over many years of Tim's civility, I am surprised to see him, of all people, take a pot shot at a state in our USA. Disappointed. I guess the coarseness among certain powerful "influencers" and politicians is infecting everyone.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 07/16/2022 11:11 AM
Over many years of Tim's civility, I am surprised to see him, of all people, take a pot shot at a state in our USA. Disappointed. I guess the coarseness among certain powerful "influencers" and politicians is infecting everyone.

Fair point.

I lived in Southern CA for many years in the early 80s.
I've spent a lot of time in Northern CA for training.

The people are great.
The countryside is beautiful.
The weather works well.

However, from what I've seen on the news lately, I wouldn't want to live there anymore.

That said, you are right for calling me out on the civility of what I presented.
My apologies.

BillD16 (Texas)
Posts: 973

Posted:

You can buy a sound pressure level meter for around $20 nowadays. It’s not the kind of precision instrument that you’d see employed at the National Bureau of Standards - but it’s good enough to provide an objective standard for “too loud”.

BillD

HOA Board ex-President
Austin, Texas USA

“You can’t put too much water in a nuclear reactor”

BancsS
Posts: 269

Posted:

I love our new electric mower and trimmer. They work beautifully and are very quiet. It may not be possible to require those at this point in time but you could encourage it. Bring it up at a members' meeting sometime.

MaxB4
Posts: 3,513

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 07/16/2022 10:09 AM

Posted By MaxB4 on 07/15/2022 11:37 PM

Posted By TimB4 on 07/15/2022 6:42 PM
California doesn't appear to always make the right decisions.

However, more people are leaving CA then TN or VA

How do you think we turn "red" states, "blue"?

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Happy that you're able to sort of apologize, Tim.

MaxB4
Posts: 3,513

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 07/17/2022 3:35 PM
Happy that you're able to sort of apologize, Tim.

Apologize for what? California has some serious issues. What I pointed out was California pays a number of less fortunate states' bills, the least they could say is "Thank you".

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Tim sorta apologized for smack-talking one of our nations' states, Max. Clearly he now has similar issues with VA, which he abandoned.

DavidG45 (Delaware)
Posts: 994

Posted:

One of the reasons we liked the idea of moving to a community where lawncare was taken care of by the HOA, is that we know we only deal with the noise one day a week. In the leafy suburbs, where we used to live, there was never a day when somebody within earshot was running lawn equipment for hours, such that instead of the sounds of nature, our backyard was the sound of lawn mowers and leaf blowers.

However, it seems to me that banning gas equipment is a quixotic goal. It would be more realistic to specify hours in which lawn equipment can be used, and perhaps battle for a ban on leaf blowers - which are the biggest noise offenders.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

We're smack in the middle of our downtown and there's plenty of noise of various kinds. But our landscape contracts ban blowers on our hardscape (no turf).

I think setting hours in the leafy green HOA makes sense. Getting buy-in form Owners first might be a good idea. quick survey?

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 07/17/2022 4:30 PM
Tim sorta apologized for smack-talking one of our nations' states, Max. Clearly he now has similar issues with VA, which he abandoned.

What??????????

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