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In Reply to: RE: Replacing stock outlet with PS Audio Outlet (for dummies) posted by 28253 on May 19, 2014 at 13:21:04
how could you tell there were grounding issues?
thanks for everyone's feedback. i have a fuse box in my apartment, but nothing is labeled. the lamp trick is a good idea.
it sounds like some of you are strongly warning against doing this without previous experience. various youtube videos make it seem doable ... need to think about this one.
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If you are unsure, test the circuit for current (buy a cheap meter). Wear rubber gloves and make sure you are not conductive to ground (wear dry shoes).
You say "It seems like some of you are strongly warning...I need to think about this one."
Everyone has been very diplomatic. Let me say a little more bluntly that you clearly have no idea what you are doing and if you attempt this on your own you are fking nuts.
Ned, I'm from Brooklyn, so your post actually seems quite diplomatic to me.
Seriously, you have guys here telling you how to do things cursorily who assume you know how to handle various electrical metering devices, circuit boxes and wiring. Nothing you've written tells me that any of this trying-to-be-helpful advice is within your level of skill.
Don't tinker with electricity unless you really know what you're doing. Let someone skilled at least show you onsite or look at your apartment wiring.
Flying a small plane is "easy" to a person who's been trained. Will you be taking on any passengers on your flight today, captain?
If you really know what you're doing and the wiring is fine, it's not a particularly hard job, just potentially dangerous.
If you don't know what you're doing, this is NOT a DIY job for you! Too many things can go wrong that you won't recognize and/or won't know how to deal with. Look at the questions you're asking and ask yourself if you really know enough to take this risk.
Since you clearly don't know how to do this, I'd recommend strongly against your doing so on your own. Please, there's no issue of honor here if you have to get qualified help. There's a reason for that profession.
In fact, it is wisest to check with your landlord or building super to be sure you aren't going to really regret this later on.
From personal experience I can tell you that taming your electrical system is likely to do wonders for your sound. But it's unlikely that one outlet alone is a magic bullet; it takes a lot more than that cumulatively. As a confirmed cheapskate, I can assure you that you won't save a nickel if you have a disaster on your hands.
how could you tell there were grounding issues?
1) No safety equipment grounding conductor present.2) Poor safety equipment grounding conductor continuity/conductivity due to a loose connection/s or corrosion.
(Note, old BX pre early 1950s is not approved for use as a safety equipment grounding conductor.)
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thanks for everyone's feedback. i have a fuse box in my apartment, but nothing is labeled. the lamp trick is a good idea.
Fuse box? Or do you mean breaker panel box?Any idea how old the building is? How old is the wiring?
Are the existing receptacles the old 2 wire type without the safety equipment ground contact?If the wiring is pre middle 1950s there is a good chance the insulation on the copper wire is rubber with a cloth covering. Due to the passage of time the insulation will be very brittle and could/will fall off just by pulling out the old receptacle for a look.
Jim
Edits: 05/20/14
The radio will let you hear, while standing at the fuse box, whether or not you've found the right fuse. And the lamp will let you know that the radio station hasn't momentarily gone off the air.
The device linked below will let you know, not only if an outlet is "hot", but also whether or not it is wired correctly. You should be able to find one locally, at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.
Be careful!
The inexpensive receptacle tester is a must-have; an especially good tool for an AC outlet installation newbie and any other audiophile to test power line distributor receptacles and/or AC outlets installed at the wall, not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...
I always test, and on one occasion, a wall switch was hot when I thought I had hit the breaker. It was only once, but you only die once!
Dave
...how intense 120V AC feels when electrocuted. I've been zapped before, with such high-energy force that it vibrated my hand and lower-arm, but no lasting effect, no burned skin. I don't look forward to any "memory refreshing incident", anytime soon (knock on wood) ;-D
The inexpensive receptacle tester is a must-have; an especially good tool for an AC outlet installation newbie and any other audiophile to test power line distributor receptacles and/or AC outlets installed at the wall, not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...
Worth noting, the tester can be fooled by a bootleg equipment ground where the neutral conductor is intentionally connected to the ground terminal of the receptacle where a true equipment grounding conductor is not present.
The bootleg neutral/equipment ground can be very dangerous in the event the neutral conductor connection is broken between the receptacle and the neutral bar in the electrical panel. In this instance if a load is connected to the receptacle the metal case of a 3 wire cord and plug piece of connected equipment will be HOT with respect to any grounded object. A 120V potential will exist.
Jim
Edits: 05/21/14 05/25/14
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