Tempe, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

General Code Sec. 20-4 lists nine categories of exempt noise, and the very first is air-conditioning equipment: the exemption applies "when it is functioning in accord with manufacturer's specifications and is in proper operating condition." This sits in Chapter 20, Noise, the same chapter that otherwise bars unnecessary or excessive noise, runs the loudspeaker permit program, and sets construction hours. Lawn maintenance equipment gets a parallel exemption in Sec. 20-4(2), but only when its mufflers and noise-reducing equipment are in use and working. The practical effect for HVAC is that Tempe Code Enforcement and the Police Department cannot issue a noise citation over a compressor or condenser unit's operating hum, rain gutter fan noise, or compressor cycling, provided the equipment is not malfunctioning, damaged, or missing standard noise-reducing components such as an intact housing or mounting pad.

A broken, poorly maintained, or modified unit that runs louder than the manufacturer's specification loses the exemption and falls back under the general "unnecessary noise" nuisance standard in Sec. 20-11, which weighs volume, time of day, and proximity to residential sleeping areas. The city's old numeric decibel limits and measurement methodology, formerly Secs. 20-5 and 20-6, were repealed by Ordinance No. O2022.10 on March 3, 2022, leaving the exemption list and the general nuisance standard as the operative rules today.