AC Power & Protection

Jim Smith

Jim Smith

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Messages
844
Location
Atlanta, GA
When a bad storm comes up, I always run over to my office/soundroom building to disconnect everything, no matter what time it may be, or how bad the weather is as I run to the other building.

I always disconnect everything that is connected to my audio system.

Also, when I will be away for a day or more, prior to leaving, I always disconnect everything that is connected to my audio system.

So here is my dilemma:

I also have to disconnect my computer and everything that is connected to it. This equipment is not audio system connected - it is on a separate circuit to my ac panel in the building.

I have been afraid of failure with APC & Panamax protective devices. Of course, I would never attach any component from my audio system to these devices.

So my question is would using TWO protection devices in series still work as well, or could it be even more secure (which is my greatest desire in this instance).

The first protection device would be there only to provide power for the second, where all of my computer related devices would be powered up.

This office/soundroom building seems to be subject to being affected by dangerous storms more than the house building - they actually have different power transformers from the power company.

Again, could running the AC surge-protective devices in series provide a greater level of safety for my computer-related devices?
 
I use a whole house surge protector. It does most if not all the work. In addition, I use SurgeX on my TV and Furmans on everything else - computers, recliners, bed side tables, etc. On stereo I use Shunayta. So, far I haven’t had any issues. And it’s been put to the test here in FL.

Of course if it’s a direct strike nothing will work ....

I don’t think running a series of surge protectors would be that useful. The whole house surge is the way to go IMO - installed less than $300

47935E70-DA0B-4505-885C-C9D100D119AA.jpeg
 
As 'Cavlin' just wrote, a whole house surge protector,, should always be the first step. a SurgeX is an excellent but very pricey option for a circuit.

This office/soundroom building seems to be subject to being affected by dangerous storms more than the house building - they actually have different power transformers from the power company.

Now that's unusual to say the least! Running any signal or data wires between the two, can be problematic.

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If I unplugged things for every nearby thunderstorm (it's thundering right this minute) the receptacles would be worn-out.
 
I have a Square D whole house surge suppressor. In addition i have a APC unit with battery back-up that I connect my router, wireless router, swtich and SGC i5 to so that I have some extra protection and I don't have to reboot until my automatic back-up generator kicks in.
 
I have whole house surge protection as well. I have 300 amp electrical service with two 150 amp legs coming into the house and I have a surge device on each one. I also have local surge protection in various systems. I have a generator panel going outside with a gasoline generator but other than starting it up and testing it, I have never used it. With one hurricane a couple of years back, the power went out just before 10:30PM and I just went to sleep and was about to start up the generator and power came back on.
 
Thanks for the great input!

As I type this reply, in the past couple of hours, we've had a series of thunderstorms, including one right now. If it got much worse, I'd have to power everything in my computer system down. But I'm already over here, so I can act quickly.

The audio system has already been powered down and disconnected from the AC for several hours.

Are you running your audio systems through the whole-house surge protection?

I have never heard a whole-house surge protection system that didn't diminish the musical engagement & impact from a system when it is properly set up. IIRC, I haven't critically compared & listened to one in at least 10 years, so who knows???

However, buying whole house surge protection for one circuit in my office (again, it's away from the house in a separate bldg. with its own AC feed from the power company) is a bit more than I was hoping to undertake...
 
1] a 'whole-house surge protection system' is installed at or near the building service entrance/main breaker panel/meter.
2] while it's possible for a 'point of use' surge protector to add noise, this is not true for a whole-house surge protection system.
 
We had a whole-house protector installed at the panel a couple of years ago. In all honesty, I don't recall hearing a difference, and I certainly don't think I lack for dynamics, engagement, PRAT, etc now that it's there. If you live in thunderstorm country, I consider it the price of admission for having peace of mind. Otherwise I'd be unplugging my entire system every time I go to work or the gym or whatever. That doesn't seem healthy for the equipment or outlets either. Do I have "belt and suspenders" protection at the audio rack? Yep. But it's all gear that's focused on being able to deliver instantaneous current with minimal filtering, and does not use MOVs in its protection hardware.

And in the end, none of it will protect from a catastrophic direct lightning hit on/near the house, even if gear is unplugged. I've had more than one friend have unplugged electronics fried when that happened. That situation is what your homeowner's policy is for...
 
So is there a favorite device, that's not too crazy expensive?

Many years ago, I used an Equi-tech balanced power conditioner.

I have heard that they make some of the better sounding whole house units, but I've not seen one, let alone heard one.
 
Jim - I have two EP 2050s installed for my home post renovation and love them. Of course, it’s difficult to isolate because of the six new dedicated lines running into the room, but i swear i have awfully black backgrounds that I never had before (and I swear that to my wife when she asks how much those glowing things on the circuit breaker cost and what they exactly do).

I can show them to you when you come over later this month.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Jim Smith said:
So is there a favorite device, that's not too crazy expensive?
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a recommendation for the panel-mounted whole house protection device? We have a SurgeAssure unit, but it's old enough that I'm not sure they're still around. It's a "Type 2" device mounted just below the main panel, connected to each phase by a beefy breaker. If I were doing it again, I'd go for something from the "major" electrical companies (Eaton, Square D, Leviton, etc).

if you're asking about an enclosure mounted torroid like an Equitech or Torus, that's a different discussion. I've read about the Environmental Potentials device, but still prefer the commercial/industrial style units over something aimed at an audiophile market when we're talking about the main service panel.
 
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