Help! Power question

pcc67

On the main breaker 200amp you have 2 legs off that ...  If both the ac breaker and the breaker feeding the outlet you are having issues with are on the same leg, this may be the issue with the drop in power. You are drawing current off the same leg. Balancing would put both circuits on opposite legs ... I also have central ac ... No issues.

In the US, most central A/C units are 240VAC. That means it would be connected to both legs of the electric service.

pcc67

On the panel should be 2 legs. Put ac on one side and outlet on the opposite leg.

His problem is with a central A/C. That means it's almost certainly 240VAC (if in the US), which means it's attached to both legs of his electric service.

yogiboy

How many amps is your electric panel rated for? It should be at least 200 amps!

Irrelevant. There's no inherent correlation between the rating of a service panel and the utlity's ability to deliver current. Please see my previous post, which is three above this one.

ghosthouse

I’m wondering if power draw when the A/C kicks on is causing a temporary sag in overall house voltage/current.

That is certainly possible, and something the electric utility could remedy after a "beast of burden" test to establish current delivery. But that kind of test is usually made at the service entrance, so it won’t reveal problems elsewhere in the system. That’s why it’s a good idea to check that first.

Current delivery (ampacity) is something audiophiles often overlook. For example, it’s a common assumption that if you have a 200A service panel, then you have 200A of current to distribute. But that is mistaken. The 200A rating only means that the panel can safely distribute that much current; it is no assurance that the utility is able to deliver that much current. In practice, a utility will often fall far short of being able to deliver that much current on demand.

I think the best place to start is to examine the line your rig is on. Are all of the connections - in the service panel, in the receptacle - clean and tight? If it isn’t a dedicated line, have you checked all of the intermediate connections between the service panel and your receptacle? Ideally, you want these connections made with screw terminals - not the "push-through" connectors that many electricians like to use to save time - or with proper wire nut twist-on connectors.

Checking the connections made to your new a/c is also a good idea. Did you get a permit for that work? It would certainly be required where I live, and it never hurts to have an independent inspector examine the work done by a contractor.

You don’t give much information about your Furman unit. Some surge protectors provide only that, and do not "condition" the a/c power. But before trying a Band-Aid approach to your issue, I’d check all of the wiring and connections first. That’s a good thing to do in any event.