New electrical wiring specifications

@llg98ljk: "All else aside, make sure it's all done to code."

 

@devinplombier:" "Honestly y'all oughta leave electricity to electricians"

@puptent: "If I was going to spend the money, I would seek out Electricians that specialize in audiophile installations, or high end computer installations, Micheal Fremmer has a You Tube on his rewire...".

 

All of these are true in my experience. Code is a minimum, I prefer working with commercial electricians who will do residential work because of their experience and you can pull in somebody like Rex, who consulted on Fremer's problems when he installed a Generac. I also work with the local Code inspector who has jurisdiction in advance. I'm usually going beyond Code, but that generator wiring scheme was developed in combination with all of these folks. 

@skyy92677 said:

I too just completed a new home build with a dedicated audio room.

New house.

I had a master electrician here 3 times now to no avail. We installed a second earth ground rod on the panel which he claimed should fix it, it did nothing.

Was it your idea to add an additional ground rod to the two that are already there? Adding the additional ground rod wouldn’t have solved your problem. It may have given you a lower soil resistance for the grounding electrode  system for the Earth connection of the electrical service. The main purpose for the connection to Earth is for lightning protection.

.

I also have a Siemens whole house surge protector but have the breaker turned off for it as when it’s on the the hum doubles in volume.

It’s so bad that when I turn the whole house surge on you can hear the toaster buzz!

What did the Master Electrician say about the two quotes above problem?

I can not visualize any way the Siemens Type 2 SPD could cause such an event as you have described. The electrical panel should be full of 120V single pole 15 and 20 amp AFCI, (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter), branch circuit outlet breakers.  An AFCI breaker has a built-in micro processor that senses a series or parallel arcing fault event.  I would think the Siemens SPD would drive the electronics in the AFCI breakers nuts, causing them to trip open on a false arc fault event. 

FWIW, my understanding, for one of the reasons for NEC requiring surge protection at the main electrical equipment panel, was to help protect the AFCI breaker’s internal electronics from high voltage transient surges. If you have the breaker turned off the electronics in the AFCI breakers are not protected.

You said the house was just recently built. I don’t know about your State but my State requires the builder to stand behind any defects, I believe for one year. I suggest you call the builder and tell him you have a serious electrical problem. Ask him if he will have the Electrical Contractor send out a troubleshooting  Service Electrician to look at and fix the problem. 

Before addressing the hum/buzzing issues with your audio system zero in on the Siemens SPD at the electrical panel and the toaster buzzing, (when being used), when the SPD  breaker is closed, (connecting the SPD to the electrical bus) of the panel. Then you can tell the electrician the problem with your audio system. 

Not that it should matter, I assume the toaster uses a 2 wire cord and plug. No safety equipment ground is used.

Just curious, does any of the Links provided below  sound like the buzzing sound you are hearing?

CAUTION, turn down the volume before listening to the examples. Especially the last example. 

This is a standard 60Hz ground loop hum. 

1) 60Hz hum

2) 60Hz audio buzz example

  Or maybe this.

3) 120Hz 

Or maybe this.

4) 120Hz buzz   (Make sure volume is turned down first)

.

120Hz could indicate a high level of harmonic distortion on the AC mains. You said you tuned off all the breakers in the panel at one point. Including the Siemens SPD breaker. Only having one breaker on that fed your audio system. Doing so didn’t make any difference. Hum was still present. But not as loud when the Siemens SPD breaker was turned on. I still am shaking my head on that one. Makes no sense what so ever... That’s the first thing the Service Electrician will want you to show him. I would want to see and hear that first hand using the toaster. 

 

How about any neighbors that are fed from the same Utility Power Transformer as your house.  Any solar panels on the roof(s)?   

Are any of the neighbors experiencing electrical problems like you are having?

.

To live a happy life, electricity has to be understood and treated with respect. Just like your wife.

 

EDIT to my above post.

For some reason #4 Web link no longer works

4) 120Hz buzz   (Make sure volume is turned down first)

Here is the Link. (Turn down your volume first.)

120 Hz Ground Hum SOUND

.

I found a spool of 125 feet of 8-gauge on C/L so rewired the house with a dedicated 20 amp breaker just for the entertainment center.

The plug in the entertainment center is a locking 20/30 amp piece that feeds an industrial surge protector.  Outside of the entertainment center there are two high grade, 20 amp hospital plugs for my tube amp and any other aux equipment I may want to use/try. 

The line runs continuous, first to the 30 amp plug, then the hospital plugs with NO SPLICES anywhere.  There is also a big ferrite bead where the wire comes out of the electrical panel.

I noted a difference on my Yamaha SACD in that it cleaned up some of the "grunge" whereas I didn’t really notice a difference on my Oppo-95, which has a better power supply.