Putting in a dedicated power line. 2 receptacles ok?

Putting in a dedicated power line. Is it ok to put in 2 power receptacles at the end of it, or stick with one? Meaning 4 outlets. Im putting in Audioquest NRG Edison outlets.
deanshias

@ deanshias


Yes you can. The branch circuit is dedicated to feed your audio equipment.
Two duplex receptacles or even three is not a problem. (As long as they are grouped on the same wall.

FYI, I would not install both duplex receptacles in the same box though. When they are installed in the same box and a wall wart(s) are used the wall wart as a rule will cover part of the receptacle next to it. I would recommend a separate one gang box for each duplex receptacle.
You will want to do that anyway using the "Audioquest NRG Edison outlets".  As far as I know it only comes with a single duplex cover plate.


I would not use the duplex terminal connections to feed from one duplex to the next though. You want to pigtail out from the branch circuit wiring to feed the duplex outlet. Use a quality electrical live spring twist on connector. The spring will always keep the connection tight unlike a screw terminal type. Especially when using solid wire.
Example:
https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/twister-341.html

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lowrider574,399 posts

07-20-2021
3:03pm

in your breaker box you have two sides or rows of breakers. By having them on opposite sides the ground is then not interacting with each other which reduces noise. I had a master electrician do the install and it was his recommendation, it made sense to me that each circuit is independent of the other. I realize that only 3 wires come into the house and there is only one ground, but somehow he felt it was best.

But the ground and the neutral is common. Not independent.

@jea48
Your thoughts on this comment?

Wiring 2 dedicated lines on separate legs is not recommended if the loads are to be shared, correct?

@ lowrider57

I have no idea what the guy is saying in your quoted message.

But the ground and the neutral is common. Not independent.

Correct. At the same potential at the main electrical service equipment panel.

(Main disconnecting means, main breaker, mounted in the service equipment panel).
The service neutral conductor/neutral bar is connected to earth as well is bonded, connected, to the panel’s metal enclosure by what is called the "Main Bonding Jumper". The main bonding jumper can be the green color screw that is supplied with the panel, or a bonding strap that is supplied with the panel, or a wire jumper that is sized
per 2020 NEC Table 250.102 (C) (1). The grounded neutral conductor becomes the "Grounded Conductor" and shall not be bonded, connected, to ground at any point there after. (NEC).

Branch circuit neutral conductors terminate on the grounded neutral bar. EGC(s) (Equipment Grounding Conductor)(s), can also terminate on the same grounded neutral bar. A separate EGB, (Equipment Ground Bar), can be bolted directly to the metal enclosure for EGCs to connect to. NEC allows the metal inclosure to be used as an EGC conductor. No copper or aluminum jumper wire is required from the neutral bar to the ground bar. The EGB can not be used as a neutral bar though.

As it is plain to see there is one ground.
And the Grounded Conductor is the conductor that carries any ground fault current, that is placed on it by the panel’s metal enclosure or any EGC, back to the source, the Utility Power Transformer.

Even in a sub panel the insulated neutral bar and panel enclosure bonded EGB are at the same potential. Both the feeder neutral conductor and feeder EGC are connected together at the main electrical panel. There are factors, conditions, that can cause a small difference of potential between the two at the sub panel though. Voltage Drop on the feeder neutral is the cause.

Wiring 2 dedicated lines on separate legs is not recommended if the loads are to be shared, correct?

Correct if by shared loads you mean,
when audio equipment’s signal grounds are connected together by wire unbalanced interconnects.

Here is an old quote from a White Paper by Exact Power.
(For some reason the Link is no longer any good. The last time I clicked on the Link was in May of 2013)

Quote:
"Less than 300 microamps of ground loop current can cause hum as it flows in an unbalanced audio interconnect cable. However, harmonics of 60Hz that are generated from lighting dimmers or switch-mode power supplies sound like Buzzz mixed with a bit of Hummm and are more easily coupled by even smaller currents. Harmonics can add together when equipment is powered from different phases, so clearly there is an advantage to specifying same-phase electrical service to power the electronics systems in most cases....

Any leakage currents on the safety ground wires of split single phase load circuits fed by different phase legs will add together due to the 240V potential difference....

Power conditioners do not solve any of these common problems: Cross phase coupling (doubles hums & buzzes) .... What actually does solve them: Same phase power..

Split Single Phase electrical service is most commonly found in residences and smaller commercial buildings, and is commonly used to feed AV equipment. One key advantage that single phase has over three phase is that while harmonic currents are still present, it is not possible for the �triplen� components to add in the neutral. In addition, use of split single phase can result in at least a 6dB reduction in noise floor as compared to three phase if the capacitances of the connected equipment are relatively well balanced. However, any leakage currents on the safety ground wires of split single phase load circuits fed by different phase legs will add together due to the 240V potential difference."
http://www.exactpower.com/elite/assets/pdfs/theTRUTH.pdf

(Disregard the part about 3 phase power. Our homes are fed by single phase power.) 


The first paragraph pretty much tells us why a dedicated branch circuit is better to feed our audio equipment from rather than a standard convenience outlet branch with who knows what all is connected to the branch circuit.

Jim

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@theo

Both Line 1 (L1) and Line 2 (L2) alternate down each side of the panel. That’s how 240V load(s) can be fed from a 2 pole breaker.
Example:

Left side... Right Side
L1 .................. L1
L2 .................. L2
L1 .................. L1
L2 .................. L2


With that said the electrician may very well have fed the two 120V branch circuits from both Line 1 and Line 2. Easy way to check is with a multimeter. If both the circuits are fed from opposite Lines, legs, measuring from the hot contact (smaller slot) of a receptacle connected to one of the branch circuits to the hot contact of a receptacle connected to the other branch circuit you will measure 240V nominal. If both circuits are fed from the same Line,leg, you will measure 0 nominal volts.

You say an electrician installed the two circuits a number of years ago. Do you remember if the electrician installed Romex? Did he install two Romex cables or maybe only one?

IF only one Romex cable he installed a 120/240V 3 wire multiwire branch circuit. If that is the case you have two separate 120V circuits that share a common neutral conductor. The Romex cable will have 3 insulated conductors + a bare equipment grounding conductor.

If it is a multiwire branch circuit both hot separate circuit conductors must be fed from breakers fed from L1 and L2.

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