Adsibob Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 Struggling to find a frost free integrated undercounter freezer. Aside from the supply issues, in that we can probably live without one until Brexit/Covid/Petrol is sorted, the options appear to be: Liebherr IGN1064 - pricy and not a great deal of storage capacity, but nice and quiet at 37dB Liebherr SUIGN1554 - appears to be similar to the above although rated at 35dB John Lewis JLBIUCFZ03 - cheaper and slightly more storage but 43dB and one review on the JL website described it as very noisy AEG ABE682F1NF - slightly cheaper than the John Lewis one and also 43dB They layout of our kitchen means we'll be sitting about 2m from the freezer and 1m from the fridge. I've been careful to find a quiet fridge rated at 37dB but that will be a pointless investment if I will hear the freezer. But maybe 2m is enough of a distance that I won't notice a 43dB freezer anymore than a 35dB or 37dB one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faz Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 I feel your pain looking at this shite - just getting hold of the gear is the issue at the moment. I was looking at the noise of various bits (dishwasher being the main annoying bit of kit potentially) but it is not so vital to us as the kitchen is massive. In fact the whole thing is far too big really if I am honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 I am no fan of the concept of an open plan kitchen / "family" room. For a while while we were "in build" we used that room as a living room and it really really really irked me when the fridge / Freezer fired up. You just do not want that sort of appliance in what is supposed to be a living room. Now we have all but finished I love the separate and quiet living room and regard the other room as what it really is, a kitchen / diner (though it does have a sofa and tv for when we want to watch different things) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 18 hours ago, Faz said: I feel your pain looking at this shite - just getting hold of the gear is the issue at the moment. I was looking at the noise of various bits (dishwasher being the main annoying bit of kit potentially) but it is not so vital to us as the kitchen is massive. In fact the whole thing is far too big really if I am honest. That's an almost identical size and layout to the kitchen of a friend of ours. It won't be too big when you have a couple of people moving around in it! 17 hours ago, ProDave said: I am no fan of the concept of an open plan kitchen / "family" room. For a while while we were "in build" we used that room as a living room and it really really really irked me when the fridge / Freezer fired up. You just do not want that sort of appliance in what is supposed to be a living room. Now we have all but finished I love the separate and quiet living room and regard the other room as what it really is, a kitchen / diner (though it does have a sofa and tv for when we want to watch different things) I appreciate that you've said this before, but I don't know how loud your fridge must be for this to be an issue. We have a separate (admittedly inbuilt) fridge and freezer in our open plan kitchen. I'm extremely sensitive to noise, but I have no idea whether they're on or not. In contrast, I can hear the built-in bar fridge in our pantry clearly when it kicks in, despite it being about three metres further away than the main fridge and freezer. I keep meaning to check the noise ratings of these units to compare them, but frankly there's not a great deal of point given I'm not going to replace the pantry fridge just because it's slightly noisy. However, anyone looking at fridges would do well to factor noise ratings into their analysis, especially if they aren't planning to build them in and/or are sensitive to noise. That said, I think your main point is that you wouldn't want a single open-plan kitchen and family room as your only living space, and I completely agree with that. At the very least, I think a separate TV room or snug is very useful. This is particularly the case if you have kids, who especially in their teenage years will want their own space (and/or you'll want space away from them!) We have a separate living room and a TV room, and even then we sometimes wish there was an additional space for us to get away from each other without going upstairs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Built-in fridges/freezers and pretty much any appliance is all about the install when it comes to noise. Recently installed a neff unit and it was really noisy, loosened a couple of the screws that were making the side panel act like a drum and then made even quieter with a block of timber stuck behind the kick board to stop that resonating … after that couldn’t hear it at all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Can you go built-in, or line the alcove with a sound absorbent material as plan B if end up unhappy? Think the inside of Barbarella's spaceship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Think the inside of Barbarella's spaceship., now that brings back memories … or should I say teenage dreams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Isn’t a 3dB difference double the sound? pretty sure it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnb Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 23 minutes ago, TonyT said: Isn’t a 3dB difference double the sound? Yes. 3dB is a doubling of whatever you are measuring in decibels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 Hmmm, I’m starting to question my decision to order the AEG instead of the more expensive Liebherr. In end, I got offered a pet good deal on an ex-demo Liebherr (that apparently hasn’t been demo’ed - not sure how that works) which meant it was only £220 more than the AEG, but SWMBO pointed out that the Liebherr has a tiny amount of storage compared to the AEG. The AEG I bought was advertised as 41db, though I see the same model being advertised as 43dB elsewhere. Ultimately it will be going under 30mm of Caesarstone and tucked snug between a pull out unit on its right and a full height integrated (much quieter) larder fridge on its left, so I hope it won’t be audible from the breakfast bar island some 1.5m to 2m away (depending where on the island we are sitting). i also understand that the noise that these machines make is not constant. They are most noticeable after they are opened and closed and need to lower temp. Any thoughts? Should I cancel the order, go for the Liebherr and fight it out with SWMBO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 Buy or hire a sound meter and go around your house and garden etc. You will be astonished what readings you get. we make regular sound level checks on machines we sell and the results are often baffling. before overthinking and over scrutinising manufacturer figures, get a feel for sound pressure levels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 It's incredibly difficult to use the appliance ratings to determine exactly how noisy an appliance is going to be when installed in your house because it depends on a number of things. First is that the frequency of the sound makes a big difference to both perception and distance of travel of the sound - e.g. low frequencies travel further than high frequencies. Second is the shape, size and general design of the room together with other background noise. There's also the actual space within which the appliance is installed which can either amplify or attenuate certain problematic frequencies. I spent a few years designing exhaust systems and silencers for motorbikes and in this area it's a bit different because you've got large pressure pulses of hot gas to deal with, but generally it's more important understand the frequency of the sound rather than just the spl as different frequencies will be perceived differently between individuals. As the only way you'll really know is when you've got it installed in a functioning kitchen and house, I'd go for the one that's most practical for your needs and then if the noise is a problem, you can deal with it through some simple acoustic measures. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 On 20/10/2021 at 21:47, Ferdinand said: Can you go built-in, or line the alcove with a sound absorbent material as plan B if end up unhappy? Possibly, I think it depends on the thickness of the material. Would a dense rubber sheet, like one of Cellecta products attached work? It comes in various thicknesses, but I probably only have space for the 4mm thickness if I’m going to do each side of the freezer. Spec Sheet - IMPACT and ULTRATOP.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 10 hours ago, Adsibob said: Possibly, I think it depends on the thickness of the material. Would a dense rubber sheet, like one of Cellecta products attached work? It comes in various thicknesses, but I probably only have space for the 4mm thickness if I’m going to do each side of the freezer. Spec Sheet - IMPACT and ULTRATOP.pdf 629.46 kB · 0 downloads There's a difference between sound protection and sound absorbtion. I was talking about the second. Barbarella''s space ship was like putting a carpet in a room to reduce echoes ... it was lined with fur. (Apologies to any furious feminists for the incidental inclusion of Jane Fonda in her prime in my pic illustrating the background.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted October 22, 2021 Author Share Posted October 22, 2021 23 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: There's a difference between sound protection and sound absorbtion. I was talking about the second. Barbarella''s space ship was like putting a carpet in a room to reduce echoes ... it was lined with fur. (Apologies to any furious feminists for the incidental inclusion of Jane Fonda in her prime in my pic illustrating the background.) So you are suggesting i line the cavity with furry carpet and invite a 1960s Jane Fonda lookalike round to make me tea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 5 minutes ago, Adsibob said: So you are suggesting i line the cavity with furry carpet and invite a 1960s Jane Fonda lookalike round to make me tea? Surely you couldn't refuse that idea? You'd probably just forget there was any noise at all ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 16 minutes ago, Adsibob said: So you are suggesting i line the cavity with furry carpet and invite a 1960s Jane Fonda lookalike round to make me tea? You can dream ... ? . And Barbarella is popular for cosplayers. But there are options for the lining of the alcove that would absorb or break up the noise - even something as simple as a flock wallpaper or hessian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 On 20/10/2021 at 22:59, markc said: Barbarella 84 now. May rattle and wheeze like a fridge. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 51 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: 84 now. May rattle and wheeze like a fridge. That’s just dashed a dream … and put me off my lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 1 hour ago, markc said: That’s just dashed a dream … and put me off my lunch. Put me off my partner. Was hot 35 years ago, when Jane was almost 50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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