Wiring 2 outlets to 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits with a single 10/3 electrical wire.

@emergingsoul said:

My question focused on noise which is the issue. And if there’s no noise coming from the neutral, and the ground, assuming these are connected correctly at the panel, and the panel secures the ground via a stake in the dirt, what is the problem??

I have answered your question(s) several times throughout this thread. In about every variation I can think of that gives the same answer to your question(s).

You keep talking about noise on the neutral and the ground conductor. I don’t know where you are getting that from... The problem with audio equipment fed from a MWBC, (Multi Wire Branch Circuit), is not caused from the shared neutral or EGC, (Equipment Grounding Conductor). It caused by the Balanced L1 120V loads being connected in series with the L2 120V loads. You couldn’t find a better way to couple the 120V power supplies of your audio equipment together than using a MWBC to feed them.

JMHO, you would probably be better off just using one of the circuits, (turn the other one off at the panel), and power all your audio equipment just off the one. Pick up a good quality power strip for more outlets if needed.

As I have said several times in this thread the 120V L1 and 120V L2 Balanced loads (current) are in series with one another. The Noise you speak of comes from the power supplies of digital equipment, as well as any cheap made SMPS. There is your noise... The use of a MWBC dumps it right onto the primary winding(s) of the power supplies of the analog equipment. (Preamp, Power Amp, ect)

Maybe you don’t have any digital equipment or equipment with SMPS. Then there is a good chance a MWBC works fine for you. Or if you do have digital front equipment and SMPS maybe the designers/manufacturer spent the extra money to add filtering to prevent digital hash from going back out onto the mains. And maybe the designer/manufacturer of SMPS(s) spent the extra money on the build quality of the SMPS(s) and filtering to prevent bad harmonics from going back out on the mains.

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FWIW, If your audio system sounds good to you that’s all that maters.

FWIW, you could have a new dedicated circuit installed, (10/2 Romex), and then have the electrician change the MWBC to just a two wire Hot & neurtral + grd dedicated branch circuit. Make sure the electrician feeds the two dedicated branch circuits from the same Line, Leg. Both from L1 or both from L2...

Any Electrician worth his salt can rework the panel circuits to free up two breakers that are both on the same Line, Leg.

I strongly suggest you don’t use the last electrician the installed the MWBC...

I get the conversation for intellectual reasons, just not practical ones.....but thank you for the education!

My electrician does work for two audio installers, and has plenty of experience with 2 channel and home theater wiring. He charged me $300 plus parts to install 1 dedicated circuit, and $100 plus parts for the second dedicated line.....and highly recommended pulling 2 completely separate lines. The extra $150 made it a simple decision.

At long last I think I understand what’s being said here and it concerns me that the work is already done and that I may have to take a full loss on the work that was done even though I haven’t paid for it yet.

Basically I have two circuit breaker’s where the related hot wires from each breaker are connected to the two outlets and there is a neutral that bridges these two outlets and then the two hot wires are wired back to the panel to a double pole breaker. And because I’m on alternate phases the voltage flow is circular. And because of the push pull action of the circuit because it’s on alternate phases the neutral wire has no current. So the flow goes from the first breaker to the first outlet to the second outlet and then back to the second breaker. Each breaker is 20 AMps.

So this means the first outlet is used and contaminates the second outlet there by introducing noise to the second outlet. Basically, the configuration is crap and the second outlet is of no value since it’s not dedicated. I don’t understand the 120+120 involvement between the two outlets, in terms of is this a 240 V quad panel? It was hard for me to appreciate that the second hotwire has a directional flow back to the panel from the outlet. But since it’s on different phases I guess this makes sense.

If this all makes sense and it’s correct then it seems I have to fix the crap work that was done. I asked for two dedicated circuits and I thought it involved two Romex wires as I was told it would and then I got this one wire crap. To say the least I am super super pissed. And now I’ve got a quad panel on my wall and wonder if I can do 2 dedicated circuits to be wired into that one 2 outlet plastic box inserted into my wall. Or do I need to create a new hole in the wall for the new dedicated outlet and convert quad panel to one circuit. What a mess.

What a mess? Did you actually read the part where jea48 explained how your new work could easily be converted to one dedicated circuit in about 10 minutes? Then add a second one, and you're finished. You're out some additional money due to the first electrician not doing exactly what you asked. Stuff happens.

And now I’ve got a quad panel on my wall and wonder if I can do 2 dedicated circuits to be wired into that one 2 outlet plastic box inserted into my wall. Or do I need to create a new hole in the wall for the new dedicated outlet and convert quad panel to one circuit.

From a previous thread Jea was on, I would suspect the a quad is closer together than he would like the outlets to be?

But cutting a new hole in the wall isn’t that big a deal.  Or you could try using just one circuit for your gear and see what you think of that.