2. misc-audio
  3. 1036479371

Out of the mouth of babes

Last week I posted a question regarding the type of wiring, outlets, ground connections, ect. Well my brother (a non-audiophile) is in the process of building a house, and just asked me how many AC lines to run for his "stereo". After a short discussion of what I had learned, he came up with a really interesting question: If the audio equipment is no longer under the manufacturers warranty, and the plan is to leave it in one place for an extended period of time, why not run the copper AC wires from the wall, without an outlet, directly to the equipment? In this way, one would avoid the problems associated with choosing which outlets to use, plug quality, and power cord quality/problems. My first impression is that it's definately not to code (God forbid there is a fire anywhere near it), but it really has me thinking! What do you guys think about it?
kgproperties
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
I'd add that I'd want to be able to unplug it in the event
of an electrical storm. Lightning does not respect circuit breakers .... it only respects an unplugged component.
fatparrot
1,314 posts
 
Since we are talking about codes, does the fact that most after market power cords HAVE NO U.L. CERTIFICATION affect warranty coverage of the component, or homeowner's insurance coverage in the event of a fire? Of course, most cords exceed U.L. standards, but have not been submitted for certification.
gs5556
1,237 posts
 
For the brave of heart, the way of doing this is to 1) fix your equipment in place (bolt them to the floor or wall) so they are no longer portable appliances. 2) Install a fuse disconnect switch at the wall withing 5 feet of the unit 3) hardwire from the fused switch to the unit. If anyone asks, I know nuthin' and I'll deny this asinine, albeit legal, suggestion.
gregm
3,409 posts
 
I did that using a/market cable all the way. Pls note, the above apply, so:

A) done by a certified electrician (we have those in Europe, surely in the US too), preferably with experience in high voltage INDUSTRIAL applications. b) You STILL have breakers, PER piece of equip -- or the electrician won't do it. c) the cable used MUST be certified or otherwise cmply to standards (mine is "triple" insulation single-core). d) the insurers know about this (they think you're nuts, anyway).

BTW, I'm happy with the sound!
Good luck to your bro...
mrderrick
292 posts
 
I feel that posts regarding ac power and grounding do not belong here. No offence intended, please don't take it personally. There's way too much questionable info that needs to be sorted through by inexperienced individuals.
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