Electrical wiring replacement question for my audio gear

I am not sure it it protects from Surges, yet I installed GFI breakers on all the outdoor circuits. Just an idea.
The Richard Gray box looks really nice $695-$2k for power temperament.

 

Yes, RGPC is a real possibility for me.

I just don't want a big ZAP to fry my McIntosh!!

 

SamS, This may get a little confusing. The ground rod itself offers electrical protection against lightening but not by itself ultimate protection. The only claim I have ever seen for protection against a direct lightning hit is the PS Audio Ultimate Outlet (http://www.psaudio.com/products/ultimate_outlet.asp). It is not the wall outlet that I told you about earlier but a unit that plugs into the wall and then you plug in your equipment to it. It is a Balun transformer inside and offers great protection. Their new power plants now come with them. I use a PSA UO to protect each of my monoblocks and a PSA PP300 for my front end power conditioning and protection. I really like the PS Audio stuff and it really works, we have had a lot of thunder storms this year and last week with my system on a lightening strike hit the neighbors yard (sounded like an A-bomb went off) when I had all my tubes on playing, everything was fine all I had to do was reset the preamp because the source position was switched do to the energy from the strike.

 

ALP, looks like the PS Audio device is just uses a MOV to control surges (not that is a bad thing).

The plot thickens.....

Looking more into a RGPC device, I came across this statement on their own website:

Well, that's what my concern is about anyways! Using something like this for my big amp and sub. All of my other gear runs through a nice Panamax 5300 device.

So what's the scoop here? Just plug into the wall? In fact, I think I've heard the same suggestion from the McIntosh folks myself.

 

SamS, I am not familiar with Richard Gray's stuff, but IMO the only way to get real Zap protection is to have something in line with the component. The only thing I use in parallel are the little Quite Lines from AudioPrism and they are just to help with rejection of noise on the lines due to household appliances

 

I guess what I'm getting at is that the tube amp should have it's own dedicated service.

 

So if my gear is on it's own line, it is still susceptible to noise from appliances like a blender, washing maching, etc.?

 

I would guess so since those have their own lines to the box anyway in most cases.

I imagine we are susceptible to the air conditioners washers at our neighbors houses too.

The one consistent thread is to separate the digital stuff from the non digital on separate lines if possible and get a Richard Gray unit for the TV.

I need new lines especially since I have way over 20 amps running at a time and it could be a fire hazard and I would like FULL power for my stuff and not compete with the other stuff on the line and the next bedroom on the same line.

I hope my satellite dish or HDTV antenna don't get hit with lightening since I have not grounded either one yet. (ground block in line in a drawer waiting to put it on and hope it does not deteriorate the picture quality)

PS: thank goodness for spell check - I still mis spell the same words over and over

 

SamS, Yes because all lines meet at your box. Worse since from your box to the outside all lines meet under some circumstances your neighbors hash can get on you lines. AudioPrism recommends that you place the quiet lines in the outlet with major appliances (refrigerator and other biggies) and also as close to the circuit box as possible. In my former house I had an outlet right off of the box in the basement and I put two Quiet Lines there. I am thinking about adding such an outlet and doing the same in this house.

 

Clay, Don't burn the place down, be careful.

 

You guys are teaching me a lot. Tell me more about a "Quiet Line".

 

I've also gotten recommendations to install a TVSS, which is apparently a whole house MOV that will protect spikes/surges.

 

I am learning a lot too.

What would be the easiest way to add up all the stuff I ma running on my circuit.

Could I use standard amps for things like:
PC
21" monitor, 17" monitor
34" HDTV, 27" tv
printer
8 pieces of audio gear, amps, DVDs receiver, st70, ST140,C20, tuner etc.

 

That is a potentially dangerous situation that, IIRC, could be against electrical codes. I learned about this when someone was trying to share an ethernet connection between two separate buildings...I forget what the solution was. It's a little different than grounding an antenna or satellite dish, since that is done to bleed off static discharge or lightning.

 

Clay, Simple arithmetic. 120V times 15 Amps equals 1800 Watts. You do not want to go all the way to the 1800 (a 20 Amp line will allow 2400 Watts, but do NOT stick a 20 breaker or fuse in a 15 Amp line, the wires will overheat if you draw that much current and you will burn the place down) Get the manuals (or go to the web page) of all of your equipment and simply add up the power rating of each. Remember the power rating you see is for the gear operating. Do you run all 4 TV's at the same time? So add up what you use when various combinations of the gear is on. That should stay below the 1800 Watts or you have do something to get more power carrying ability or move some of you gear to other circuits.

 

ALP: any thoughts on a TVSS device installed at my breaker box?

 

SamS, For Quiet Line go to AudioPrism's web page(http://www.audioprism.com/), they have beter documentation then I could write here. Direct me to where I can learn more about TVSS.

 

Good question! I was hoping you'd know more than me.

My sister is an engineer, and she says a TVSS is basically a giant MOV installed at the box. The are rated in KiloAmps. The more KA, the longer the life of the MOV protection.

EDIT: a quick google searchof TVSS led me here......

http://www.glseq.com/transients.htm

Scroll down to "What is a surge supressor" to read about TVSS.

 

SamS, Know I am learning from you (or your sister), had no idea you good but a TVSS at the box, sound like a great idea. I assume your sister is an EE.

 

Actually, she's an Industrial Engineer, but she knows just enough about voltage, etc., to make her very useful for answering my ignorant questions

 

If you equipment is not rated to place on a 20 amp circuit you would be better off running 12 ga conductors but use a 15 amp professional quality outlet and a 15 amp circuit breaker. This will give you better protection against circuit overload cause by a product failure. I know of no home consumer equipement that calls for 20 amp circuit protection.

Richard.

 

Richard, This is a little off topic, but 20 amp runs are now code in NY for all kitchen outlets because today people have the espresso machine, the toaster and blender all plugged in and running at the same time. I think 20 amp is also code if you have a garage door opener on a run.

 

I did not say to not put in a 20 amp run, just to avoid 20 amp outlets and circuit breakers. Professional 15 amp outlets cost just a hair more but have much better contacts with the conductors and better ground protection. Avoid the kind you just push the wire into. The 20 amp outlets sport those extra horizontal openings to accomodate 20 amp power equipment, a feature not used on home audio/video equiptment. Running a seperate circuite to the TV and to the audio Amp is a good idea if you have the room for the circuit run.

Richard.

 

I agree 100%.