Hey Electricians - Please help

Elizabeth adds a very good point regarding loose connections.

Many devices are equipped with screw and stab connections.

The stab in connections are notorious for becoming loose over time.

Loose connections arc and arcing creates noise.

The better connection is the wire bent into a Sheppard's hook and placed clockwise around the screw, then closed into an eye and tightened.

The saying in the trade is " Push Or Screw, It's All Up To You".

Unfortunately time is money and most will push.

If you do decide to change out the device, try to find a heavy duty switch.

It will be rated 120/277 volt and either 15 or 20 amp.

There may even be mechanical clamp terminations on the device and that's OK.

Snackeyp,
Please report back to us your results with the above suggestions. Would be an interesting learning experience for us all.
Thanks,

This is a common problem. All home light switches arc inside them. An inductive load causes a larger spark, in most cases. Some florescent lights are worse yet. I have to change some new Leviton Decora switches (20 amp switches with just lights) with a different brand. These arc so bad everyone is afraid of them, since you could see it (flash) along the edges of it. They probably could put a capacitor inside them to lesson it, but maybe the average person doesn't care, or know the difference.

It does cause some interference through the line (shares the same neutral and secondary in utility transformer), and RF through air. Also, a little spike depending on what it's switching. I think the first wireless radio transmissions were done with a arc or spark jumping across a gap. Even the small power supply for my laptop gives a good visible arc when unplugged, and causes interference on the TV, that's on a separate phase leg. Like Almarg mentioned above, you'll probably pick it up with an AM portable radio.

I guess it's something not worth the worry in most cases. Even less of a problem, on a separate circuit. Living close to a substation like the one in this video that switches the load would probable be more annoying, at least for myself. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG7PQOQEFmg&feature=related]

Based on the suggestions given I tried a couple of things and concluded that it is most prominent when my amp is set to the phono stage. The theory of the switch arcing seems to be correct because the phono cartridge acts like a mic and amplifies the click. When it is set to CD I do not hear the click.
I would still like to eliminate the click if I can but I won't worry about it now that I know what is causing it.

Thanks to all of you. I really appreciate it!

Peter

Get rid of the RG conditioner, it did more harm in my system than good.