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Don't try to fix these electrical prolbems with a conditioner!

Over the years of hanging out here I’ve seen a lot of audiophiles with significant electrical problems try to fix them with a power conditioner.  Lordy.   Look I’m a big fan of power conditioners and as you all know recommend Furman often... but they can’t fix what they can’t fix, and may mask serious problems. 

Ignoring an electrical problem in your home is to ignore a property and life safety issue.  

Lights flickering?  Feel a tingle when you touch your equipment (or washer or range)?  

We are used to seeing famous authors recommend weird/bespoke AC panel solutions, or isolated circuits, which of course are not free.  My two recommendations here will set you back $20 or less. 

A tool every audiophile, no, every homeowner should have is an AC outlet tester.  You can get them at any hardware store but I like the cheap-o Kawaits style from Amazon because they include AC voltage AND, critically, Neutral to Earth voltages.    All you have to do is plug it in and watch the AC.  Is your AC stable while playing music?  Does the N-E ever rise above 2 Volts?  Do the red lights on the top light up as they should?  Then you are good.  (PS, a nice voltage meter is better and more reliable, but this is an excellent and safe alternative for those who don’t have a soldering gun in their desk at all times. ) .  Don’t stop at your audio rack, check your other outlets too, especially if you’ve moved into an old home. 

The other recommendation is to at least inspect your outlet.  If it’s just old anyway replace it with an outlet that is rated for commercial AND residential.  About $5-$7.  Make sure your outlets are using screw down terminals and not back-stabbed (i.e. push in) terminals.   I wrote more about this here.  Again, I know there are many here who are going to recommend bespoke extremely expensive jewel like outlets.  My feelings about all that are in the blog. My point in this post is to suggest super cheap tests and improvements any audiophile can afford.  

Be safe.  If you see signs of electrical problems don’t patch over them with a conditioner.  

erik_squires
erik_squires OP
16,771 posts
 

I have a 35 years old trac house that is fairly nice build , but I did find exceptions. Decent Supply panel and appropriate gauge copper wire and decent grounding  including multiple earth ground rods. However  the inside was finished with subpar duplex outlets.

 

We don’t think of breakers as wearing out but they do.  40 years is a very good run for breakers, especially if outdoors.  I replaced most of mine at 15 years and added a whole house surge suppressor.  Hopefully this means I don’t have to think about this for 30 more years. 

Standards have changed though.  While not required to come up to modern code I did, replacing indoor circuits with CAFCI and GFCI where required.  

This house was a rental, though rented to adults and service members.  After 15 years of use, and several rounds of painters doing goodness knows what to the switches and covers I decided to do a whole-sale replacement of every wall switch, GFCI and almost every outlet in the house.  Glad I did, I found a number of issues, and signs of prior arcing and resolved some "haunted" lights. 

You don’t have to go that OCD on your home, but this stuff is why I think that the bare minimum you should do is get a 3 light AC outlet tester and make sure things are wired as they should be. 

In addition to prior improper maintenance, light switches and outlets DO wear out as well. 

palasr
532 posts
 

@atmasphere

I'm curious if you think the reason the "commercial AC power conditioner market had the bottom drop out of it a long time ago- back in the 1980s" was due to the fact that we moved from primarily linear power supplies to SMPSs right around that time?  Or is there another reason in particular for your postulation?

oldelectricalinspector
19 posts
 

Once again Erik has nailed it!   Well said

rich

oldelectricalinspector
19 posts
 

Big twin, if you come across loose electrical connections, it’s important not to just tighten them.  The conductor should be cut back,stripped,they properly torqued.  You might find the torque specs on the device, or the manufacture’s website.  It’s a pain but as they say the electrical code is written in blood….

rich

goodlistening64
146 posts
 

@bigtwin 

Have you finished your basement project? 

Can you share what it is that you did with reference to running lines for your rig?I could just buy what you installed... 

 If you ran more than one, did you distance them from one another and is it OK to simply have them sit side by side within a couple feet of your equipment rack?

 

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