Instructions to electrician about dedicated line

Should you install multiple dedicated a/c lines, be sure they are all "in phase" with each other. Your electrician will know this term. Be sure to use quality duplexs as well. They can really put the icing on the cake. Happy listening and good luck with your new home!
Dan
dedicated audio

I had the electrician install ten gauge wire and 30 amp breakers with 20 amp hospital grade receptacles. This is what I have done, but this was against the advice of my electrician, who suggested 20 amp breakers. Of course, I did a lot of searching on this discussion forum for more information that was helpful, but adding even heavier gauge wire to the formula is the only "twist" I can add to the extensive list of helpful tips listed on this site. Spend an afternoon searching.

Use up all the spare space on the panel. It seems you can never have enough outlets.

I also have added 2 category 5 wires and two rg-6 coaxial drops for every location you want to have stereo.

I agree that several dedicated 20 amp lines will give you versatility in the future. I recently had three 20 amp lines added for my audio/video equipement in our living room. Because the main panel from our house was over 25 feet from the equipment position and fairly full (no room for three circuits all in phase with one another) we installed a 60 amp subpanel in the basement under the living room, and ran the dedicated circuits directly to that (therefore much shorter run of wire to the subpanel than would have been necessary to the main panel). Use 10 gauge wire-- it'll sound better. And (for what it's worth) we had Cutler-Hammer whole house surge protectors installed on both main and subpanels. Avoids the need for point of installation surge protection (I use a Hydra, which does without) and adds peace of mind in thunderstorm season without (as far as I can tell) affecting the sound.

If you are starting from scratch, install a 100 amp sub-panel off of the main breaker box. You can then run as many 15 or 20 amp circuits as is necessary. I'd use 10 gauge for all the runs regardless of the amperage rating of the breaker. If possible, twisted pairs would offer additional noise cancelling and rfi protection. Stick with 15 amp breakers for line level components, digital components, etc... The only ones that would ever benefit from a 20 amp breaker would be a big amp that is being pushed hard. Using this approach, you could literally have four 15 amp lines and two 20 amp lines at your disposal. All of this on dedicated lines. Make sure that each outlet is wired with its' own hot and neutral with each sharing a common ground amongst them. Some electricians will run dedicated hots and share neutrals. Sean
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If you can afford it, use BX and make it 10 ga.

Run 220 vac if you can to iso transformers for step down.

OR, use a single large ISO tranny in the basement to provide
local power... isolate each line with an RFI/EMI filter.

Put a big ass GROUND wire on your main service, and use
a real copper ground rod, have the earth prepared properly too.

MORE is always better in AC power.