Power consumption

Mother Mooch

Ok, you never really know how loud your system is until you notice your lights in your room blinking with the beat...

Deticated circut for the room, 20 amp breaker and 118 volts... The only thing in the room running is my Amp, Cd player and one lonely little 60 watt light bulb...
Anybody know what can be done to cure this problem?
(more beer and no light)

I LOVE this hobby!


Steve

venomclan

Sounds like there is an electrical problem somewhere. Maybe a loose ground. Call an electrician to check it out. I have a non-dedicated 15 amp line I run all my gear off with no problems.
V

madmax

If it is a big enough amp that can be normal. What amp are you using and are you using a surge suppressor? Sometimes a surge suppressor with brown out protection will pull a lot more current from the line to keep the output voltage where it should be on large peaks.

Mother Mooch

madmax wrote:

If it is a big enough amp that can be normal. What amp are you using and are you using a surge suppressor? Sometimes a surge suppressor with brown out protection will pull a lot more current from the line to keep the output voltage where it should be on large peaks.

The funny part is, My amp is a Pioneer @ 150wpc... ??? could it be possible for this to draw that much juice? No surge protector either...

Venomclan... I did all the wiring myself (use to be an electrician) and know that things are sound (hopefully) lol... but, am majorly confused??

venomclan

Hi MM,
That is weird. Maybe there is a problem with the amp and it is pulling too much juice? You should have no problem with a dedicated 20 amp line with that amp. Does you area have a lot of brown outs? Sometimes you have to take a few steps backwards to see the problem.
V

madmax

I had an old Lafayette 180 watt receiver which would do that when loading down with 4 ohm speakers. Wasn't sure what else was on the circuit at the time though.
madmax

Schwingding

A 20 amp, 120 volt circuit should be able to handle 2400 watts of power. Unless you have a ton of lights, a really big amp (which you don't), you have some other sort of problem. I would suggest probably a poor connection somewhere in the hot wire somewhere along the path, but not a ground problem. Everywhere there is a break in the wire - every wire nut junction, is a possible problem spot. Trace the line yourself, verify every connection is a good one. I wouldn't suspect the breaker as it is not tripping. Breakers are off or on, not in between.

read-alot

The HSU can make my lights flicker along with shaking the windows out.

Maybe it's just the tungsten swaying to the beat.

Schwingding

I have 3 truly dedicated 20 amp circuits running my equipment, which has a MAX current draw of 5750 watts - or 47.91667 amps.

I know that it will never ever all get to max, but I like to be a little overprepared. This way when I have problems I never wonder if lack of power is causing the problem.

Get the hint?

Also, keep the lights and crap off of the circuits, they do nothing but contribute to the problem.

read-alot

After reading over your post again I belive it's the room pressure shaking the bulb enough to cause flicker. As I said before it's common in my cave and I just do as Billy Gibbons says "douse that light".

Schwingding

Hey you could be right!

Music Joe

Put in a flourescent bulb to remove a filament from the equation.
Replace the breaker next since thats cheap and easy.
Metal polish the prongs of your plugs.

Mother Mooch

read-alot wrote:

After reading over your post again I belive it's the room pressure shaking the bulb enough to cause flicker. As I said before it's common in my cave and I just do as Billy Gibbons says "douse that light".

Thanks guys... I think "read-a-lot" got it...
20 amp circut... nothing else on in the room but the stereo and one lamp (ceiling lamp) maybe it is the pressure!
Maybe this thing is louder than i thought...

Less ear wax and less beer! lol...

engtaz

Not less beer. Ha Ha

engtaz

bikezappa

Schwingding wrote:

A 20 amp, 120 volt circuit should be able to handle 2400 watts of power. Unless you have a ton of lights, a really big amp (which you don't), you have some other sort of problem. I would suggest probably a poor connection somewhere in the hot wire somewhere along the path, but not a ground problem. Everywhere there is a break in the wire - every wire nut junction, is a possible problem spot. Trace the line yourself, verify every connection is a good one. I wouldn't suspect the breaker as it is not tripping. Breakers are off or on, not in between.

I like it when some one can do the math.

You may have a bad or loose light bulb or a bad connection in the lamp cord or socket.

Mother Mooch

bikezappa wrote:

I like it when some one can do the math.

You may have a bad or loose light bulb or a bad connection in the lamp cord or socket.

Hmmm, Never though of a loose bulb too!

Mother Mooch

engtaz wrote:

Not less beer. Ha Ha

engtaz

Ok, Ok... you twisted my arm... lol... MORE beer! Ha