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

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This is exactly my message - No need to overkill it !

Posted by cheap-Jack (M) on January 9, 2008 at 11:50:34

In Reply to: RE: Information I can't find on AA about Dedicated AC lines posted by Coffeecupman on January 9, 2008 at 02:31:50:

Hi.

Some minor details..

(1) grounding:-

No, don't touch the existing house grounding system. Just have it inspected by a licensed electrician if you want to, & fixed if the grounding contact is not in good shape due to corrosion.

This happened to the 100A fuse panel grounding for my house (only 15-year young when I moved in) which is enchored at the incoming water mains pipe in my house basement where humidity so commonly causes rusting on the contacts. I cleaned up the grounding contact & make way for the grounding of my dedicated power lines. Only ONE point grounding to the same panel grounding point at the water main. Yes, isolated ground wire is of the same gauge size of the powerline conductor is needed for each dedicated powerline, but all are grounded at the same central grounding point. Nowhere else !!

All grounding wirs MUST be insulated. If BX or AC90 type aluminum armoured building wires are used (commonly used for industrial & commercial premises), make sure the bare ground wire inside the cable bundle does NOT touch the metal armour conduit.

(2) powerlne wires:-

Any licensed electrician will insist on using MND90 or RW90 & the like lousy building wires which they lay day in/day out. But FYI, most, if not all, those wires are rolled out of recycled copper, smelted from surpluses or demolished buildging scraps. For powering cook ranges & HVAC, no problem.

But for audio, I am not impressed. I used oxygen free HC copper wires, 600V UL/CSA rated instead of those recycled copper wires, DIY installed along the wall skirting OUTside the wall structure.

Tuning different makes of copper wires can be a fun. I can definitely hear the difference.

(3) panel power rating:-

Most domestic houses get a 100A fuse/breaker panal which should be enough for household electrical load. If it can operate an oven/range up to 12KW (40A), so why you worry about not OK for your audio, considering you don't cook & have music at the same time so often.

Make things simpler the better. If your audio gears are not so far away from the main breaker panel, you don't need a sub-panel at all. I don't as my audio den is in the basement, same level as the main fuse panel.

c-J

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