Cryongenically treated in-wall AC power wire


I have a high end sound system and am building a new house.  I would like to have a dedicated electrical line installed for my system, to run from the electrical outlets in my music room to the breaker box.  The builder asked me how long I wanted the wire to be, which runs from the outlets to the breaker box.  I have no idea.  I could place it as close as several feet or much longer.  The wire is $20/foot.  So, here are my questions:

1.  If you want to install a dedicated electrical line for your sound system how close should the electrical outlets be to the breaker box, or does it make a difference?  In other words, is there a minimum length of cryogenically treated wire that I will want in the wall stretching from the outlets to the fuse box?

2.  I assume that using cryogenically treated wire and electrical outlets will reduce noise.  Does anyone have any experience with cryogenically treated wire?

gapperis123

Showing 4 responses by cleeds


vtech2000

A separate electrical meter and utility line feeding it from the street, running to its own breaker box and the dedicated wiring fed from there. Full isolation from the electrical system powering the rest of the house.

Local zoning will often prohibit such an arrangement, because it could allow a multi-family home (or home with a separate business) in what might be a neighborhood limited by zoning to single-family homes. In any event - even where it would be permitted - the grounding system would almost certainly need to be common between the two systems in order to comply with NEC.

Again, the solution to the perceived problem of "noisy grounds" on an audio system is not to pursue multiple grounds, but to ensure that all the grounds are clean. And the neutrals. And the hot connections. Noise can be introduced anywhere in an electric system, not just the ground.

The link that almarg previously provided is an authoritative resource that slays many grounding myths. Here’s one of them:

" Its connection to earth is not what makes ’safety ground’ safe ... its the connection to neutral. "

That’s worth pondering as you consider that NEC requires neutral and ground to be bonded together at the service panel.






vtech2000
Please explain how to fix a noisy ground.
You could write a book on this! The reference almarg provided is an excellent and authoritative treatise.

The first steps include checking the existing grounds and neutrals. Are connections clean and tight? Is the grounding scheme sufficient? Often, adding additional ground rods to an existing system can improve results. This is often required by code when other electric upgrades are made.

It's also important to have all grounds at the same potential. There are devices that can help with that, such as the one from Synergistic Research. Dedicated lines offer potential benefit here, too.

vtech2000
Just passing on what according to the web apparently many a high end'er undertake as a DIY project,
It's definitely an NEC violation and potential hazard to not have all grounds bonded together in the service panel. You wouldn't even be able to get a permit to install "separate dedicated copper grounding rods for your high end system."

... akin to one installing cheater plugs to eliminate connecting one's sensitive gear to those noisy grounds for better sound
That's not a good idea either, and also potentially hazardous. The remedy to a noisy ground is to fix the ground, not bypass it.
vtech2000
 Consider having your electrician install one or more separate dedicated copper grounding rods for your high end system.  Again, separate grounds dedicated just for your digital gear.
This is in violation of the NEC and potentially hazardous. All grounds must be bonded together at the service panel.