I Think The Neighbours Are Cutting My Heater Power Cord

Hey all.

So just over a month ago the wire to the heater which is exposed in my back yard (side of the house) was cut cleanly, it wasn't chewed or frayed. We got someone to come and fix it and they confirmed that it had been cut. Just today we have found that the same thing has occurred.

I suspect it is the neighbours which had previously complained about the heater, as it is located close by to their house, saying that it is too loud when we use it at night. They also aren't on good terms with my mum (previous disagreements) so they could be doing this to get back at us.

I am not sure if they are entering the property through our gate on the other side or jumping the fence to access it. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas of what to do. the obvious solution is to get cameras, so if anyone has any suggestions for products, and if anyone has ideas of how to approach the situation, I'm open to anything.

Feel free to ask any questions about the situation too.

Thanks guys

Comments

  • +85

    Install a camera to capture evidence.

    Dog(s).

    Bikies.

    • +2

      i would love a dog but im allergic :(
      also if someone is crazy enough to come into our property and do this, wouldnt they also be inclined to (profanity) with the dog?

      • +5

        hypoallergenic dogs exist

      • -2

        Get a nonshedding *oodle breed.

      • he said dogs and bikies. I assumed he's referring to Dog the Bounty Hunter

    • +2

      And specifically in that order.

    • +36

      Install 2 cameras. The one they notice and a hidden one.

      • +69

        Install the camera in the dog.

        • +46

          Get two dogs with cameras installed. The one they notice and a hidden one.

          • +2

            @Gnosh: Get a bunch of regular dogs and motion detection cameras wired up to release said dogs a minute or so after detecting an intruder, just so you have enough time to record them in the act first.

          • +2

            @Gnosh: OZ-B at its finest.

          • +1

            @Gnosh: Make sure you wait for another Rspca adoption deal!

        • +2

          Install camera in the wire they cut to get POV evidence.

          • +7

            @serpserpserp: Install a bomb with lots of wires on the wall, if they cut the wrong one it releases the dogs.

    • +2

      Also electric fence..

    • +40

      Or bees. Or dogs with bees when they bark they shoot bees at you

    • Bikies too for the neighbour that’s probably had enough of this guy’s loud noise and possible parties keeping them awake at night where they’ve resorted to cutting electrical chords.

  • +22

    Security camera is undeniable proof and good to have anyway. They usually have motion detection too. The tapo ones are pretty decent.

    • +1

      yeah sweet, thats what i was considering, any idea how the tapo's go at night? i mean i would think i would hear them entering the property at night but like just in case, to be sure that i can see them

      • +1

        My tapo C300 is inside and it detects movements outside through the glass (my previous Arlo wouldn't detect through the glass). So, if you have a window, you could keep the camera inside and activate the movement detector. Tapo gets plants moving outside and sometimes just lights from cars, depending on the adjustment.

        • +3

          thats great! a concern was powering this thing outside, and i have a window that is almost right next to it. only problem though is that there is like a plant there that it would be facing, so it might constantly catch that moving. might be cause to cut it down. cheers for the recommendation though!

          • +3

            @Sp3Rz: Just to quickly explain

            You've got a class of battery powered wifi cams that do motion detection based off PIR (passive infrared sensors), also has nightvision/spotlight options and these typically have a homebase/app/cloud recording. May set detection zones too.


            You've got (generally) usb-powered wificams that require a continuous source of power and motion detection is based on pixel detection (change/delta in the image). Records to microsd/cloud subscription etc depending on brand. May set detection zones too.

            These generally do have a nightvision option and come with infra-red LEDs. Infra-red LEDs will reflect off windows or close walls and wash out your image

            Putting it in a window is still a great option but turn off nightvision or alternatively turn off or tape off the infrared lighting. There may be a colour nightvision (so normal, but good in lowlight) option as well depending on the brand.


            If you can repurpose a car Dashcam temporarily e.g. a Viofo dashcam, these have a continuously recording function, also a motion detection mode (based on change in pixels/image too). The advantage of a car dashcam is the really high bitrate it records at along with whatever good image sensor it may come with, making the recorded video quality impressive.

          • +4

            @Sp3Rz: Whatever the answer is.
            Please do not let your neighbours see you install that camera
            That’ll just spoil the fun
            Please also post the footage when available.

      • +5

        EUFY wireless are very good. One charge is good for 6 months, decent motion detection capabilities and a really good night vision mode. Also their app is easy to use.

        Got two Eufy 2c pro 2k cameras + home station for $400 on sale.

  • +30

    Report it to the police now so you have an evidence trail. Then get cameras.

    Is it actually loud and annoying though?

    • +6

      yeah good idea, i did have the thought of going to the police but ive heard that vic police dont usually do shit about this without undeniable evidence. thats why im kinda hoping that they jump the fence, then its obvious that its them.

      in terms of the heater, i honestly dont think its that bad, my bed is pretty much opposite the heater and it doesn't bother me at all, even when sleeping, like i cant even really hear the unit, just the air coming from the vent. im not sure if theyre being petty but the catcher is that since complaining (years ago) they have installed their own unit, possibly on our side on purpose and its definitely louder than ours. And like we dont intentionally put it on late at night, like theres no point if youre in bed, imo thats a waste of energy, but they certainly have in on til late hours in winter. Maybe im reading into it too much

      • +29

        it's 100% them. Who else would randomly go into your property twice to cut a cable to a device they've complained about? 100% them. you know it. They know you know it.

        • yeah its gotta be, unless its someone who loves whodunnits and has carefully orchestrated this whole elaborate plan. i just need to catch them though

          • +2

            @Sp3Rz: if you can identify the offender - e.g. is it a share house of unrelated tenants? - then a very large scaring looking guy knocking on their front door to speak to them to say - 'I hear there's been problems with someone cutting a wire next door - we don't want this to happen again, do we [leaning over, leering into their eyes] !'

            expected result - {shudder} 'no sir'

            problem solved.

  • +8

    motion activated lights.

    • +3

      definitely crossed my mind, paired with a camera, but like i kinda dont want to make it obvious that were doing something in case they dont try to cut it again, i want to catch them in the act you know? just to make them pay

      • +24

        If they don't do it again then you've solved the issue

        • +6

          very true, but it would be nice to have some evidence to at least pass on the costs of getting it fixed you know? but like at this point i guess if it stops taht that works haha

          • +2

            @Sp3Rz: If they don't cut it there are no costs?

            If you're taking about prior costs, evidence of one cut doesn't prove the previous cuts.

      • +4

        Eufy cam 2c, black tape, set it somewhere discreet, you can hear the shutter go off tho when it switches to night vision and you can see the infrared red lights

        Or trailcams etc

        Could do a car dashcam set to a motion activation (pixel detection) and hooked up to a powerbank, but if its pitchblack ought to use continuous recording, dashcam bitrate is real good but not sure how good it would be at capturing a lot of detal at night

        If you get a wificam e.g. tplink tapo etc, dont forget a microsd card make sure it has infrared nightvision, duct tape it black hook it to a powerbank put it somewhere discreet out of the elements

        • cheers for the suggestion, especially product recommendations. Its so hard to determine whats good, worthwhile etc so i appreciate it, ill have a look into it

      • +1

        If you catch them in the act the critical thing is ensuring you present the evidence to the police and demand they are charged with trespass and malicious damage.

        • +1

          Not going to happen.

        • It's a common misconception that anytime someone enters private property they are trespassing, but they can only be charged with trespass when they've been asked to leave and refuse (or re-enter after being instructed to leave).

          "The law of trespass is available to anyone who is an ‘occupier’ – not just to the owner of the property. Under the law of trespass, if someone enters the property without permission you can ask them to leave. If they refuse to go when asked, they are trespassing and you can use reasonable force to remove them." -> https://legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/neighbours-and-law/entry-….

          Unless the occupier has it in writing asking them not to enter the property prior to them doing it, they won't be charged with trespass.

          Can probably get them on the damage though

          • @Oneguyinmelb: You're right, I stand corrected. They would need to be charged with unlawful entry. No you don't need to ask them to leave before it is an offense, as long as it is enclosed land and they have no lawful reason to be there.

          • +1

            @Oneguyinmelb: Put up a sign saying private property no unauthorized visitors allowed?

          • @Oneguyinmelb: VICTORIA CRIMES ACT 1958 - SECT 76
            Burglary

            (1)     A person is guilty of burglary if he enters any building or part of a building as a trespasser with intent—
                (a)     to steal anything in the building or part in question; or
                (b)     to commit an offence—
                      (i)     involving an assault to a person in the building or part in question; or
                      (ii)    involving any damage to the building or to property in the building or part in question—
            which is punishable with imprisonment for a term of five years or more. 
            

            In this context, being a trespasser means that they did not have permission to be there. If you find someone in your house without permission with your TV under their arm, they are a trespasser. No need to ask them to leave first for the offence of burglary to apply. The "trespass-only" offence applies to someone unwelcome just "being there" with no intent to commit a crime. In that case, you tell him to get out and if they don't, THEN they are trespassing.

            You can't "burgle" an open space like a yard. The appropriate offence would be something like unlawfully on the premises. Having said that, is the wire under an awning or verandah or similar? You could argue that is part of a building then.

            What sort of idiot cuts a cable that is potentially energised and could kill someone, especially him? The police would take something like this quite seriously, just from a safety point of view of electrocuting someone or starting a fire. If it were me I'd just leave it on 24/7 and turn it right down if you don't need the heat, that way you could be sure of it being energised :).

            From the sound of it, it appears to be a dodgy DIY installation. Done properly, the cable would be running through some conduit, securely fixed to the wall. I believe a metal alternative is also available as a conduit, pipe, or protective cover. Deal with the wiring the same way if it is a low voltage circuit to a control unit. It wouldn't be too hard to tap into the low voltage circuit and when the wire is disconnected drive a "screamer" siren which is up high, out of reach of the offender and pointed at your neighbour's house. It will help notify you when it occurred, and you can get around to turning it off at your leisure when it gets annoying to you. It will make him think, which is the lesser of two evils?

            A CCTV camera is a good idea too. They do come in waterproof varieties, and generally run from 5 Volts or 12 Volts. Pretty safe to run that power supply wire out of the window and leave it in the weather, although I'd make an effort to hide it and its cabling.

            Good luck.

  • +12

    Why is it exposed in the back yard? Why not have it in the house or inside the wall?

    • +8

      At least in some conduit

    • i honestly couldnt tell you man, not too good at these types of things. i could take a pic of it if that helps? i couldn't even tell you whats the point of these gadgets haha, all i know is that there is this large heating unit thing outside, and theres a cable that connects to this device with an on and off switch on it, and since this wire has been cut, theres no power to the little controller thing inside our house. honestly, im not sure where this wire connects to on that little device, i need to have a proper look tomorrow when the light is out. the first time, i was out at work when the guy came in to fix it, and my mum was here, but she is completely clueless when it comes to anything techwse so i take anything she says about the situation with a grain of salt. i need to be more vigilant now and deffs work from home when we get it fixed again

      • +5

        This is OzBargain. MS Paint diagram preferred. ;-) ;-) ;-)

        But seriously, good luck resolving this issue. No one needs neighbours who behave like this.

    • +4

      This is common for gas ducted heaters. The unit comes like any appliance with a power cord, they install a gpo outside and plug it in

  • +4

    The noise may not bother you, but they might find it very distressing. One option might be to investigate whether your heater (I am guessing you mean hot water heat pump?) could be run at more acceptable hours? We negotiated this with neighbours who changed the start / shut time on their unit, so we were able to sleep.

    • +51

      If the neighbours are willing to destroy OP's mother's property rather than have a conversation like adults, I don't feel like they deserve any consideration

      • +3

        Except they had the conversation and it didn’t go anywhere

        • +3

          Missed that bit - true.

          The next step should probably have been complain to the council though. If the neighbour has a barking dog the next step after talking to them isn't to kill the dog

          • +3

            @Quantumcat: i know from personal experience that can be a dead end, and can take years

            Not saying it's acceptable, but i can understand the frustration of the neighbour

    • It should be the heater, its ducted through the underside of the house, ill have a sus and confirm it, its a bit hard now coz its not working though haha but ill check for signage and make sure its our heating but like i always thought we run the heater at acceptable times coz i dont like to run it when im in bed, i dont see a point to it

  • +7

    bikies

    • lol when we say bikies, what does that mean?

      • +28

        @sharkyoz means to go down to local popular cafe on a Saturday morning and get the groups of people clad in Lycra with road bikes and pay them $$$$ to rough up your neighbours/ offer you bodyguard and or protection services.

        • +1

          is that a thing people really do? also dont have definitive proof that its them so might be a bit of a stretch doing that right now haha and wouldn't that be just aggravating the situation? it it something that actually works for people?

      • +20

        A couple of kids from down the street were causing me grief. I called the cops. The kids just gave me more grief for calling the cops on them. So I did a favour for another neighbor who wasn't actually a bikie, but he was big, had a lot of tattoos, and had a criminal record for violent offences. In return he went and talked to the kids. He assured me he just told them I was a nice guy who didn't deserve being hassled, and he wouldn't like to hear of any more trouble, or he'd have to speak to them again. I didn't have any more from them.

        • +4

          If you can't find a big, tatted bloke… I guess a sex offender will also work in a pinch.

        • Curious to know, what was the favour you did for the neighbour with the criminal record for violent offences ? I'm guessing you buried a body for him.

      • @shakyoz means to go down to local popular cafe on a Saturday morning and get the groups of people eating bickies and pay them $$$$ for the bickies to give to your neighbours/ offer to cook some as a peace treaty service.

  • +8

    There is generally a sound limit for appliances such as air con units especially at night.

    If your appliance is below the limits imo it’s fair game for one… so maybe 1st step is to assess the sound levels during operation. If it exceeds it, do the right thing and have it addressed.

    When they complained - what did you do about it? Tell them to get f’ed? Or?

    Sounds like a camera might be the go, I have been pretty impressed with the Imou LOOC outdoor camera. U being able to locate it outside to power might be another issue.

    Alternatively put a lock box over the power point so they can’t turn it off then cut it.

    • +1

      they complained to mum, so cant really confirm what happened, she usually exaggerates things to make her sound like shes in control and stuff but i reckon she would have been like "yeah alright cool whatever" like that sort of thing, but like we did limit our use of it, especially at night, its hard to say

      • +4

        I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt but usuallyyyyyy if you want to have a good experience with neighbours, you should at least attempt to address the issue if reasonable.

        I’m hanging out for the next episode where your neighbour hops on here and explains how they’ve were at their wits end having to deal with noise exceeding allowable levels and request to address falling on deaf ears.

        Maybe you could go talk to your neighbours instead and get the story first hand before this gets the police or courts involved.

        • yeah i get ya,i would have thought they would maybe try to have another talk to us before deciding to tresspass and commit property damage right?

          • @Sp3Rz: Well by your post above it doesn’t sound like they got much result by talking the first few times…

            • @Jimothy Wongingtons: i was considering going over and having a word with them. any suggestions on how i would approach it though?

              • +2

                @Sp3Rz: U: I just want to have a quick chat and see if you have any grievances with our place/my mum - I noticed our power cable was cut twice in X period and have been made aware of previous complaints to my mother regarding the heater unit and Id just like to review what’s been said and what’s occurred, and ideally an intended solution where we both walk away happy and in one piece.

                Something like that I guess.

                • +1

                  @Jimothy Wongingtons: wow i thought internet people would be more inclined to suggest a more aggressive option. im happy to sort things out but im just thinking about the damage theyve caused, like do i let that slide?

              • +7

                @Sp3Rz: If they are trespassing and damaging property I would not go and talk to them. People who would do something like that may be inclined to be aggressive.

                Fix any noise issues and make a police report + install surveillance.

        • I was going to say similar. Rather than attempting to catch them, you could email and explain that your heater has been illegally tampered with, ask if they've seen anyone, mention that you've reported it to the police, and that you're going to install some cameras in case of future action.

          If they don't admit to doing it, you've at least got a clear communication in writing and they're unlikely to do it again

      • 'they complained to mum'

        oh - that wasn't in the OP

        so now it looks more like - they've made a reasonable complaint about sleep disturbance from a noisy machine near their bedroom window, you've done nothing to mitigate the problem, so they've taken action

        maybe you could have started by not installing a heater next to their bedroom window

        usual $#itty description - what the hell is a heater installed outside - more likely a HWS - and if it's noisy, more likely a heat pump running a compressor on regular heating cycle ?

        otherwise - a window-mounted box reverse-cycle air-con ?

        some kinda WTF fan heater ? doesn't make sense - I've never seen such …

        prease exprain ?

    • +9

      "do the right thing and have it addressed" - This option expired the moment they've (been highly suspected of) trespassing and cutting mains power to an external appliance.

      That is not a reasonable thing to do for OP to then go out of his way to make things right.
      That's just backing down to people who can't be adults and talk to you about the issue, I say cameras, get proof and go to the police and have them charged, if you've got the invoices for repair work, go small claims and have them compensate for those expenses. Lessons need to be learned by OP neighbours about how not to behave.

      I'm wondering if its a gas central heating heater, OP mentions it runs under the house, those things do make a bit of noise when firing up and running, however given the way councils keep approving houses to be built within inches of each other this isn't a new problem for many and little OP could do without changing the heater setup, which unless the neighbors want to kick in half for probably isn't the answer.

    • There is generally a sound limit for appliances such as air con units especially at night.

      Frankly it is ridiculous.

      https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/environmental-infor…

      For heaters it says between not before 7am or after 10pm Mon-Fri and not before 9am or after 11pm on Weekends… like seriously? It is getting pretty cold at night now, I have mine set to come on if it dips below a certain temp at night which is different to the temp I set it to during the day etc, so it might come on once or twice during the night for 5 minutes and then I have it come on and bring the house up to temp at 5am when I get up.

      Similar with air con, have evaporative cooling and in summer there are times I let it run overnight. Mind you I don't think either device is particularly noisy, if anything quite quiet and definitely not as noisy as say the neighbors 4wd which will sit idling for 10 minutes before going to work at 6am.

      Technically that seems to be against the rules, does anyone follow this?

      Seems stupid if you ask me.

    • We live in a society.

      Even if the OP did tell them to get f'ed, OP's neighbors decided not to follow due process, and use violence instead. This is unacceptable.

      Due process: https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/noise-pollution

  • +4

    Silly question. What type of heater? Hot water?
    Heaters are usually inside if used for heating. Try using jumpers tracksuits etc to save on power and the environment.
    If you can afford to use a heater, at this time of the year, you can afford cameras.

    • +4

      An electrical water heater shouldn't make any sound.

      It sounds like an in-wall AC with dodgy power cord wiring.

      • +1

        You’re wrong - heat pump hot water heaters definitely should make noise

        • Instant electric hot water heaters are expensive to run.

          Isn't it more common to use natural gas heaters in Australia?

    • +1

      mate not a silly question at all ahaha its all me and my description/knowledge of the situation. my dad got it installed ages ago (since passed away, usually he would handle this shit) but i believe its our ducted heating unit if that makes sense? ill have a sus tomorrow when there's light to confirm though. weird thing is that we have barely used our heater, im sure it'll become more regular coming into winter but mum reckons we have used it twice since we got it fixed, only briefly to warm the house so its really strange i reckon to target that at this time of the year and witht he weather we have had

      • Sorry to hear that.
        I guess it's cold in Melbourne's
        This time of year.
        Maybe it needs a service but start word a camera System.
        Warm clothes optional.

        • +1

          yeah look if it was just me in the house it would barely ever come on. just coz my mum is older, she needs it. i reckon its just (profanity) up to do this to her. shes really upset about it

        • -1

          I was wondering where OP was too, i'm in Sydney and i'm still only sleeping with a top sheet. No doona or blanket whatsoever.

  • +1

    Which was there first, the heater or the neighbours?

    • +3

      funny story, so obviously the neighbour, a lady, middle-to older aged, single, didnt have a problem with her. its ever since shes found a new boyfriend(?), hes very vocal about how he feels and anything that pisses him off etc. couldnt tell you if the heater or him came first though. i would think the heater though haha

      • +4

        Maybe he has premature ej…

        .

      • +5

        Maybe the answer is to sabotage the relationship so the boyfriend moves out. If he’s psycho enough to cut a cord on someone else’s property he can’t be good for her anyway. I also can’t imagine he’ll stop at that. If the heater issues resolves he’ll find another problem.

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