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What to do about ventilation duct noise???

My office at work is plagued by white noise from the building's ventilation system. The ductwork is exposed and runs along the ceiling and wall. There is a large vent just above my desk, which drones on throughout the day, all year long. Noise, both turbulant and mechanical, emanates not just from the vent, but also from the entire length of ductwork.
This is a pity, as I spend a lot of time here and thus listen to lots of music. As a matter of fact, my job is also affected by the noise. I am a psychiatrist and often have trouble being heard over the subtle roar (I have a soft voice, "soothing", in the words of my patients).

Cheap fixes, like taping cork panels over most of the vent, help a little, but they inevitably fall off after a while. Plus, it is not a terribly professional look. I have no control of the heating or cooling in the building, and would not be able to make substantial changes to the existing ductwork without being arrested or at least chastised savagely.
Any thoughts from all you audio savants?
quietcity
alexanderj
139 posts
 
Might want to look into some specialized sound control devices-I'm thinking stalactite shaped that could be used near the vent. Sort of an artwork-sculpture effect. You've got a difficult situation as you would need the owner of the building to approve ductwork modifications and they need to be done with expertise to avoid unbalancing the system. I'd be tempted to pay the pro's for advice on this one.
unsound
7,313 posts
 
Pbb, touche'.
quietcity OP
5 posts
 
Thanks all, for the input. I work in a hospital, and our department just had a big budget cut. As such, I am thinking that the powers that be would be less than enthusiastic about spending money on my ductwork. Rives, I like your suggestion, as it is a DIY kind of thing which would not alter the underlying ducts. Any idea of how effective it would be simply to affix acoustical tiles along the length of the ducts and part of the vent? I am not too worried about actual airflow, as I am willing to suffer for my music.
quietcity OP
5 posts
 
Clueless, I have glanced at the website you mentioned, and will plunge into it later this week. I will get ahold of you once I form an opinion, a skill that I am quite good at.
rives
953 posts
 
Not too effective. You need to create a place for the air to go and settle so to speak. An area that is considerably (2x) larger than the area that feeds it is recommended. Even larger is preferred. Then you want ducts going out from that--the more area the better. What you are trying to do is reduce the air speed coming out of the duct while at the same time shunting the internal noise of the duct. The acoustical tiles, if I understand you correctly, will likely leak air, increase airflow and actually increase the noise. I could have misunderstood what you were trying to do, but if I understand correctly, it's not advised for reducing noise.
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