Although early residential air conditioners were usually water‐cooled, air‐cooled versions, which may result in complaints if not properly controlled, quickly became by far the dominant type. The first efforts to control such noise by means of ordinances took place about 1958. These efforts continued on a quite sporadic basis until the summer of 1966 when they mushroomed in such widely separated suburbs as Coral Gables (Miami), Fla., Beverly Hills (Los Angeles), Calif., Irvington (New York), N.Y., and even Etobicoke (Toronto), Ontario. Since sound tends to be confusing to people who are not experts in acoustics, it is not surprising that these noise ordinances vary from effective to unenforceable. To fill an obvious need in this regard, ARI made a study of the factors that should be taken into account by communities considering such ordinances. The resulting “model ordinance” is designed to control noise that will be a nuisance to most people and is practical to enforce in the field. The ARI ordinance is not a panacea for this problem. The real solution will require a coordinated blend of good equipment, proper installation practices, and realistic controls.

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