Eden Prairie, MN Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

City Code § 9.41 defines an air circulation device in Subdivision 1 as any mechanism used for the controlled flow of air in ventilation, cooling or conditioning, expressly including central and window air conditioning units. Subdivision 5 then bars anyone from permanently installing or placing such a device in an outdoor location if it does not comply with the noise level standards set out in Subdivision 4's Table I, the same day and night limits that apply to any other noise source: 65 dBA L10/60 dBA L50 by day for residential land, falling to 55/50 at night, versus 70/65 for Commercial, Office and Public land and 80/75 for Industrial land at all hours.

A window air conditioning unit is the single exception the ordinance carves out. Because the rule is written around installation location rather than a separate decibel table for HVAC equipment, a heat pump, central condenser or similar outdoor unit placed close to a property line, or in a location where its running noise pushes the receiving property over the applicable Table I number, violates Subdivision 5 even if the unit itself is not unusually loud. The City Manager or a designee administers and tests for compliance under Subdivision 7, may call on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for measurement, and enforcement proceeds the same way as any other noise complaint: written notice to the owner or occupant ordering correction within a stated time, with a missed deadline treated as a further violation and the Chapter 9 misdemeanor penalty in City Code § 9.99 applying unless the City instead seeks an injunction or abatement order under Subdivision 9.