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Help I think my AC is polluted

After months of trouble shooting, I've come to the conclusion that my AC is the culprit of a very annoying hum. The thing that's odd is it only occurs every couple weeks, and only for two or three days at a time. The other thing that's strange is it happens on the weekend and ends usually by Monday night.

Let me give a few details about my system.
- I recently installed two dedicated 20 amp lines. This did not change the intermittent hum.
- I've tried cheater plugs during the hum and they had no effect.
- I'm in the process of auditioning two power conditioners. The Equi=tech Son of Q Jr. and the Furutech e-PT609. Niether of them has had any effect on the hum when it's happening.

I've put my ear right next to each component during the hum and found the Equi=tech transformer humming. I turned off all other components and the Equi=tech continued to hum, even in standby. When the hum is gone, the Equi=tech is dead quite. The hum doesn't change whether the powercords are plugged into the wall or either power conditioner.

I'm going to give the power company a call but I don't expect much help from them. I may try putting in an isolated ground and see if that helps. According to Equi=tech, balanced power should take care of most all ground loop issues, so I don't think an isolated ground will help much with this problem.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? Any ideas on a solution?

mootsdude
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,685 posts
 
Can you put a system on battery when this occurs? The disconnection from AC would confirm that the problem is AC-borne and not induced.

Kal
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Does this phenomenon occur regardless of what source(s) you are listening to?

I'm wondering if this is a situation where an actual power regenerator (as opposed to a power conditioner) would be warranted. I'm thinking of the ExactPower EP-15A.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Do you get hum when it happens with the Equi=Tech plugged in but nothing running through it and not when it is not plugged in?

If you can, put a scope on the line both when you have the hum and not. I would expect what you see would be different and that your problem is outside your home.
stilljd
161 posts
 
I have had similar experiences that occur when line voltage is low. I have 2 Arcam amplifiers and came home one day after dark around Christmas when all the houses were lit up with Christmas lights. Both of the amplifiers transformers were humming loudly. Scared the heck out of me. Unplugged the equipment and hooked it back up the next day. No hum in the transformers, everything fine. Later in the day when all the Christmas lights started coming on, back came the transformer hum.

Talked to the local dealer who sold me the amps and they had experienced the low line voltage problem when they first opened. After some research they had isolated the low line voltage and were able to make the local power company adjust the transformer feeding their shop. In our area (Cincinnati) the power company has responsibility to maintain a minimum working line voltage.

In my neighborhood the power transformer that feeds our house blew up shortly after that, and I never got to confirm the low voltage with meter readings or to request the power company check the voltage. I haven't experienced the transformer hum problem again with the replacement by the power company.

Not sure it is the same issue you are having, but just something I had experience with.

Jim S.
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