HELP.. power problems

Update: I just checked and the offending "devices" are on different breakers.

This may or may not help, but when I moved into my current home five years ago I had the same problem. An electrician from work came over and told me that I needed to replace all of my recepticles and light switches.

He told me that the cheap contractor grade pieces are just that, cheap. He showed me how to do it and I went out and bought the best industrial pieces the home improvement store had. I switched them all out and don't have the problem anymore.

They're not that expensive and much more heavy duty.

Chuck

I think Ericjcabrera is on the right track. A poor contact connection can cause arcing and arcing will cause RFI/EMI on the mains as well as airborne.

Problem could be poor contact pressure of cheap residential grade receptacles as Ericjcabrera said.

The problem could also be in side the electrical panel....

For that you will need to hire an electrician.

*First have him listen for the pops from your speakers.

*He should then check all terminations inside the electrical panel for tightness including the incoming service hot conductors as well as the service neutral conductor. If the service conductors are aluminum he will also check for aluminum oxidation.

*He should also make sure the breakers are seated tightly on the branch circuit connecting bus ties.
If the panel has aluminum bus bars and aluminum branch circuit breaker bus ties I suggest he pull each breaker and check the breaker and bus ties for contact pressure as well for signs of arcing due to aluminum oxidation on the bus ties.

*Also why the electrician is there have him clean and tighten all connections of the grounding electrode system. He will know what that is.....

*Before the electrician leaves check your audio system again for pops.

Do not attempt to do any service work inside the electrical panel yourself.
Jim

Just to add two cents. I think it is a misconception that because things are on different breakers that they are some how isolated power wise. The only way that would be true is if the breaker were tripped or open (off). When the breaker is closed everything goes to a central electrical panel comes from the same feed and back plane so there is no isolation really.

Of course this is not quite the case when you have done as Krell Man suggested and use a dedicated and seperate incoming line. Though at some point all the power is coming from a central residential transformer.

Have an electrician check your service. It sounds like your electrical is arcing. There could be loose connections in the panel or at outlets.
If you have any appliances that are 120V they should be on the opposite line from your stereo or HT equipment, if 230V try putting the breaker for the appliance before your equipment to minimize the electrical draw effect when the devise starts and stops.
You may also need a larger service to stop the issue.
But do get an electrician to check it out and make changes if need be.

Well.. after reading all of this.. a few comments.. one, my refrigerator does it.. so its not switches only.. I seriously doubt the outlet on the frig is the problem but will still consider replacing it.. the outlets I installed for my "system" are higher quality.. not builders grade.. I did a simple polarity and ground test and it passed.

I agree with the statement about "dedicated" breakers.. all you are doing is putting physical wire distance from other "stuff".. My dishwasher is very very close to my system (dont ask).. but its on a separate breaker... it creates such loud popping when it flips its internal switches I simply cannot use it with the amplifier on as Im afraid I'll lose a speaker.

All of these items are of course in the USA 120v.

I have no clue how to solve this other than either a large capacitor like a "power capacitor" or an isolation transformer which could be pretty darn expensive and be a waste of energy. Not that my class A amplifier isnt already making environmentalists wake up in a cold sweat everywhere..

I however, must solve this at some point because my equipment is too expensive to allow it to continue.

My thought is this though.. the wire I am using may be physically too close to another wire for a long distance.. which could be causing some sort of EM noise on the line.. I will run an extension cord to the system from another outlet on another breaker and see what gives...

I however, must solve this at some point because my equipment is too expensive to allow it to continue.
12-06-11: Jprinz

Hire a good commercial/industrial service electrician to check out the problem. Show him my check list, previous post.
.

Will do I think because Im at a loss now.. I tried an extension cord to the back of the house and same problem.. What weird is even low voltage lights when turned on and sometimes off cause a pop... something is amiss.