Will dedicated power lines eliminate ground loops


I am in the process of lining up an electrician to install five dedicated circuits (with Wattgate outlets)for my audio system. Last week I added a BAT V75 SE amp to my system and as happens almost every time a new piece is introduced, I'm having to track down a ground loop or the source of a buzz. Will dedicated power lines help eliminate this problem once and for all? Thanks.
jcambron

Showing 1 response by gs5556

The short answer is: not necessarily. Try to minimize the number of dedicated circuits. Ground loop hum probability increases with each grounded power cord you plug into different outlets on different circuits. Sounds counter-intuitive, but one circuit for all your gear gives the greatest possibility of eliminating ground loops. That's because all of your grounded plugs terminate at the same point in the circuit - preventing ground planes from being created.

If you plug each component into its own dedicated circuit, you now have multiple circuits with different lengths (from the breaker, the wiring and the power cords)creating a ground plane - a "rectangle" of wires. These different lengths have different resistance and with that come voltage potentials created along the ground planes. This causes induced stray currents in the ground wiring (or conduit or BX) - the cause of ground loop hums.

IMO, add additional circuits only if absolutely necessary. I have three circuits: two for mono block amps (due to power draw) and one for the entire front end. No problems whatsoever with ground loops since all three circuits terminate in the same gangbox resulting in all outlets haven the same ground conductor length. I'm sure others will have differing opinions, but this is what works for me.