Receiver sound cuts out when fridge kicks on

SpartanStang14

Hey,

My system is set up in the basement, where we also have a slightly-larger-than-mini fridge. Sometimes it's running, and sometimes it's not (senses temperature and turns off when everything is cooled to conserve energy). Whenever it stops running or kicks back on, the sound coming from the receiver drops for a second or less. The receiver flashes the signal that it's decoding (DTS-HD, Dolby Digital, etc.) as if the signal dropped for a second. The video, run through the receiver via HDMI, does not cut out (at least not for long enough that it is visible). Could this be hurting my receiver, speakers, or any other components? Any suggestions as to the cause? If it's not damaging anything, then I don't really mind, but if it is, I want to try to figure out the problem.

Tour2ma

Cold beer or warm tunes... quite the dilema...

Seems obvious that they're on the same house circuit. The fridge cycling on/off probably creates a transient AC voltage dip/ spike that's enough to disrupt your AVR's brain... I wouldn't think any harm will come of it (although I am wondering why your AVR is sensitive).

Moving either the frdge ot the AVR to another circuit should fix, but if you'd rather not do that you could try flipping their circuit's breaker off an on a few times. Sometimes corosion in the breaker's contacts builds up. Breakers are somewhat self-cleaning when tripped and reset.

Just turn off/ unplug all on the circuit before you start the breaker flippin'...

EDIT: If the fridge is physically close to your AVR, maybe it's generating a magnetic field that's the cause of the disruption....

mrbigbluelight

SpartanStang14 wrote: »

My system is set up in the basement, where we also have a slightly-larger-than-mini fridge. Sometimes it's running, and sometimes it's not (senses temperature and turns off when everything is cooled to conserve energy).

Yes, when the cold control (aka Thermostat) is satisfied, it shuts off the compressor. Mini-fridge, full-size fridge, home ac, that's what they do.

SpartanStang14 wrote:

Whenever it stops running or kicks back on, the sound coming from the receiver drops for a second or less.

Hmmm. If you had just said, "When it kicks back on", I'd venture that you're experiencing a major voltage dip, enough to affect your AVR.

The cause of this could be several things:

1. Although your AVR may not be plugged into the same exact outlet as your mini-fridge, the outlets in your room are more than likely piggybacked. So your mini-fridge receptacle may have faulty wiring (loose connection, etc.).
Unplug your mini-fridge and take the cover plate off that receptacle. See if you can see anything that looks funky, smell if you can smell anything funky.
2. Assuming the outlet is okay: Your mini-fridge compressor or compressor start circuit is starting to head south.
When starting, like all electrical machines, there is an inrush of current. If the compressor is getting funky (start or run windings going bad) or the start components (CSCR capacitor, current relay, etc), then there's an even bigger inrush of current for a longer time to get the pig up to speed. Normal start inrush will cause a minor voltage dip, excessive inrush current causes a much larger voltage dip.
Unplug your AVR, and plug in a lamp in the same outlet as the mini-fridge.
Get the mini-fridge to kick on (open the door, lowered the cold control, etc) and see if you see a substantial dip in the light output. If so, it's a mini-fridge problem.

If you have a meter with an amp clamp, clamp one leg of the line going to the mini-fridge.
Start current will vary, but ballpark start will be something like 5 or 6 amps, than drop down to about 1.5 amps within 5 seconds or so.
You're probably experiencing like 10 amps for 8 or 9 seconds, I'd wager.
(ballpark figures for a min-fridge).

If you're also experiencing the same when the unit shuts off (?), then it has to be a problem in the compressor start circuit (something hanging and arcing), IMO.

SpartanStang14 wrote:

Could this be hurting my receiver, speakers, or any other components?

Yes. Your AVR doesn't like voltage dips like this.

B Run

I have a mini fridge in my HT and it used to do that every time it kicked on too. I added a power conditioner and it hasn't done it since.