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AC Power

I have a relatively nice system, but have done nothing with my AC power, with the exception of upgraded PC’s and a cheap iFi plug in power conditioner. My question is multi fold… do I need to do something, and if so what? Dedicated line (15A or 20?)? Quality power conditioner? Both? Which one first? How do you tell?

My system is a combination of HT & 2 channel & I tend to use both simultaneously as I like to watch sports while listening to music.
My amp is (I think) a relatively low draw… Moon 330A, Rythmik sub, BHK pre, Aurender, Qutest w/Sbooster, R11’s. No high power amps are in my future & never listen above 75db. I do currently plug my amp directly into the wall. All my wall warts are gone. For my HT, add a 75” Sony TV, Marantz 7015 AVR & a Klipsch sub (although at zero volume the AVR & sub should not come into play).

I am considering buying the Furman IT-Reference 15i or 20i first as they are well reviewed & are priced very well on Amazon ($1,400 / $1,900). Before I pull the trigger, should I go dedicated power & at what amperage (my nephew, an EE & audiophile thinks I am drawing no more than 5 amps) as that will dictate the Furman model?

Interesting, my nephew thinks neither are worth the investment. His statement: “Do you have appliances on the circuit now? What kind of interference can they inject?...voltage drops would come from current draws...which trip breakers.
Not steady 60hz a good power supply handles. So it all comes back to was the power supply engineer dropped on his head as a child.”

”Personally I think it’s something audio people do when they have run out of gear to buy.”

Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

signaforce
jea48
4,787 posts
 

I had a dedicated line installed. Better sound, less noise. Very happy.

Good to hear.smiley

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erik_squires
16,892 posts
 

@jea48

i’m sorry, we’re going to disagree.

The 30ft minimum distance requirement has to do with the fault current rating of the Type 3 SPD . Any idea what the Furman is rated at?

It may help you to understand that the MOV’s in an SPD’s for the most part deliberately CAUSE shorts (series mode an exception) which is why they must be a certain distance from the panel. This ensures the AIR of the breakers isn’t exceeded when they do short.

These are called parallel mode because the protection devices are in parallel with the load.  There are hopefully additional features to help control just how much energy is dissipated in the SPD, such as thermal fuses, etc. but the internet is littered with images of where these failed or caused a fire as they melted the plastic enclosures.

The Furman with SMP won’t cause a short under most surge conditions so no AIR needed. Zerosurge/Brickwall do the same.

signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
340 posts
 

define gathered. I would not coil the the remaining 7ft in a neat tight small diameter coil. Imo, a small coil would act as an inductor.

@jea48 I pulled just enough out to plug it in. The coil is crammed between the 2400 & the LPS for my DAC. Not sure what an inductor does, but if I can’t cut it, not sure of a solution. My other PC’s were custom made to length to reduce clutter & interference. It is very populated back there with speaker wires for 9 speakers, interconnects, the other power cords & a LPS. I am actually shocked I am not hearing negative effects from this. Will not spreading it out risk effecting one or more of these? Would I not be hearing negative effects if is an inductor? My system has never sounded better… at least on the digital side… it sounds so good I haven’t been listening to vinyl.

jea48
4,787 posts
 

Correction:

The minimum AIR interrupting rating for a residential dwelling circuit breaker is 10KA. You will see it on the front of the breaker.

My bad.

That should read:

The minimum AIC interrupting rating for a residential dwelling circuit breaker is 10KA. You will see it on the front of the breaker.

AIC, (Ampere Interrupting Capacity) rating.

What the AIC of a 10KA circuit breaker means? The breaker contacts will open up to 10KA, 10,000 amps. (Don’t bet your life on it though.)

/ / / /

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@erik_squires Said:

It may help you to understand that the MOV’s in an SPD’s for the most part deliberately CAUSE shorts (series mode an exception) which is why they must be a certain distance from the panel. This ensures the AIC of the breakers isn’t exceeded when they do short.

AIC corrected..

I know how MOVs work.

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which is why they must be a certain distance from the panel. This ensures the AIC of the breakers isn’t exceeded when they do short.

BS. I told you the reason in my previous post.

Think about... A Bolted Line to Line, or Line to EGC fault 1ft from a circuit breaker will trip open the breaker on short circuit protection. Sure in the heck don’t need 30ft. (Where’s your protection of the breaker) Think about it... Bolted... A heck of a lot more flow of amps than any MOV could possibly return to the source.
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The Furman with SMP won’t cause a short under most surge conditions so no AIC needed. Zerosurge/Brickwall do the same.

AIC corrected.

I never said a Type 3 SPD had a AIC, Ampere Interrupting Capacity rating.

jea48 said:

The 30ft minimum distance requirement has to do with the fault current rating of the Type 3 SPD . Any idea what the Furman is rated at?

fault current rating, is not the same as, AIC, Ampere Interrupting Capacity rating.

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but the internet is littered with images of where these failed or caused a fire as they melted the plastic enclosures.

I seen the video. A $10.00 Type 3 SPD plug strip was used for the demonstration.

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2020 NEC 242.16 Type 3 SPDs

Type 3 SPDs shall be permitted to be installed on the load side of branch circuit overcurrent protection up to the equipment served. If included in the manufacturer’s instructions, the Type 3 SPD connection shall be a minimum 10 m (30 ft) of conductor distance from the service or separately derived system disconnect.

No mention of MOVs;

No Exception, for Furman, Zerosurge, or Brickwall.

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jea48
4,787 posts
 

 

AI Overview
 
The 30-foot (10-meter) minimum conductor distance requirement for Type 3 Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) from the service or separately derived system disconnect is a safety measure to ensure that the SPD is located beyond the area potentially affected by a surge, which is typically considered to be within 30 feet of the main panel.
 
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
  • Purpose of the 30-foot Distance:
    The 30-foot distance requirement is based on the idea that a surge, such as a lightning strike, will have the most significant impact on equipment within that immediate vicinity of the main electrical panel.
     
  • Type 3 SPD Location:

    Type 3 SPDs are designed to protect equipment at the point of utilization, meaning they are installed on the load side of branch-circuit overcurrent protection, but only if the connection is a minimum of 30 feet away from the service or separately derived system disconnect.

     

  • Protection Beyond the Main Panel: By placing the Type 3 SPD beyond the 30-foot zone, it’s less likely to be directly affected by the surge, allowing it to function more effectively.
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