Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

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Potential Danger

Posted by Jon Risch (B) on August 5, 2014 at 21:08:19

In Reply to: Jon Risch twin trans. line conditioner. posted by Cleet Torres on August 4, 2014 at 06:07:47:

If I am understanding your description, basically you want to drive two back-end transformers off of the one at the front end.

Another way of putting it, would be one input transformer, and two separate output transformers hung across the input transformer.

The only thing here, is that the total load on the secondary of the front end or input transformer is loaded by the two back end or output transformers.

The total watts that can safely be drawn out of the front end/input transformer is still limited to what it can do, and no more.

With the wiring that you propose, parallel windings for the front end/input transformer, and series wiring for the two back end/output transformers, the front end/input transformer will reach it's load limit at the same time as when the two back end/output transformers do. Not a loading problem as such.

However, there IS a possibility that the two output transformer will interact electrically, and while the RC damping network will help reduce any tendency for electrical resonances, there still may be a deleterious one present, depending on the actual loading present on both transformers.

The worst case scenario is no load on one of the output transformers, and a light load on the other.

There will be very little isolation between the AC line output of the two back end/output transformers, and so, if one or both are dumping trash on the line, the other device will be exposed to it to a greater degree than if it were fully isolated with it's own pair of isolated transformers.

It could even be argued that just using two of the transformers, both the input and the output transformers wired in parallel windings, would be a better option.

Also note that since AC grounds are NOT usually a low impedance circuit, that trying to tie more than one balanced transformer output to the same ground will cause the grounding point to be less effective and the good results you have now with just one transformer being used in balanced mode may deteriorate once additional loads are connected to that same ground point.

Please also note that the polarity of the AC signal on the outlets/plugs MUST be consistent between any multiple balanced AC outputs, or you could create a very dangerous situation. Due to this kind of danger, I can not recommend the use of multiple balanced power transformers in any given system. If you lack the technical knowledge to be absolutely certain that you have all of the balanced power transformer outputs properly phased, then don't even try. You could end up with a full 120V potential riding between two of the component chassis in your system in the worst case situation, and if it does not fry your equipment, it could fry you.


Jon Risch

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