Hello-
Our neighbors have installed a heat pump recently much to our dismay. It’s located on the side of there house which is only about 5 feet from our living room wall. Needless to say, the sound is coming straight into our living room. It’s a constant buzzing noise. Any ideas how we can quiet it down some?

The official method will be to contact the local municipal code office, check into allowable noise levels, and if the installation is code compliant.

The neighborly method would be to offer to help check the unit for a few things, remove any packing materials, bolts, braces, etc.; check all unit bolts for tightness, looking for any loose parts.

Could be the unit does not have enough Freon ,since being new, not uncommon for leaks to sjow soon.

Make sure any path of air from a fan is not blocked.

What kind of residential area is set up so that a machine can be placed outside your living room?

Hi,
There are many residential areas in VA, in the mountains, where homes are only about 20 ft apart. Installing a heat pump by the side of a home would only leave about 10 to 15 ft from the other home, depending on the location of the heat pump unit.
I would talk with the neighbors, ask them to have to checked out by a reputable AC person, or ask them to call those who installed it, to come back out and check it. There really shouldn't be a loud "buzzing" noise coming from it. Most have the "fan sound"; that's all.
I can hear two heat pumps running; one next door, the other about 200 ft away in front, but can't hear them in the house. All I hear are the fans running, pushing and pulling the air. These heat pumps only make "buzzing" sounds when the "defroster" turns on in the winter time, to melt ice off the heat pump vanes. That only lasts a few seconds.
I do wish you the best, and good luck.

Xx