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Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #70756]

Tue, 03 January 2012 08:44

AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Here are a couple of interesting data points for anybody who's considering the installation of a dedicated line for their system. In addition to the advantages of separating your system from noise producing household appliances, using 10ga romex instead of the usual 14ga found in 15 amp circuits, you will see far less voltage drop under heavy loads. 10ga solid conductor wire is the largest that 20 amp receptacles can accommodate.

Using a 1500 watt space heater as the load, I compared the voltage drop with it plugged into a standard 15 amp receptacle (14/2 romex with 15 amp breaker) versus one of my dedicated 20 amp receptacles (10/2 romex with a 20 amp breaker). Both lines are the same 120' distance from the breaker box. Here's the result:

15 amp line: 121.2 volts with no load, 108.5 volts with the 1,500 watt load (10.5% voltage drop).

Dedicated line: 122.0 volts with no load, 119.5 volts with the 1,500 watt load (2.0% voltage drop).

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Re: Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #70761 is a reply to message #70756]

Tue, 03 January 2012 10:00

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18793
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Good empirical data, Fred. Thanks for posting it. That's a pretty big drop, just for a space heater or hair dryer, isn't it? You can even see lamps dim when you turn one on.

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Re: Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #70776 is a reply to message #70761]

Tue, 03 January 2012 17:58

AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Forgot to mention the space heater sounds better plugged into the standard socket. The fan slows way down to a quiet whisper Laughing

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Re: Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #70797 is a reply to message #70776]

Wed, 04 January 2012 10:05

gofar99
Messages: 1955
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona

Illuminati (5th Degree)

Hi, Good info. This all was brought home to me about 3 weeks ago. My system is on an APC HL-10 power conditioner. One feature is that it will boost or cut the voltage to keep it at the level set. Also within the % you choose. I have it set for 120 with 5% as the limits. It started boosting one day just before Christmas. It was transparent to the stereo as it apparently has zero crossing switching, but the display indicated the boost. It turns out that the one outlet in another room that had my wife's laser printer on it was dropping the line enough to cause the triggering. In my former stereo room (now taken over by the wife as a media room Confused

) I had dedicated power and this never happened.

Good Listening
Bruce

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Re: Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #70841 is a reply to message #70797]

Thu, 05 January 2012 14:29

Shane
Messages: 1117
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (3rd Degree)

Good info, Fred.

With my Darling amp I had to put a bucking transformer into the mix to bring the line voltage down to withing specs on the power tranny (200 series Hammond). We typically see 125VAC + and it was making that PT get really, really hot. Now it sees about 112VAC and doesn't complain.

I like the APC units, Bruce. Should probably look into getting one.

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Re: Dedicated Line Voltage Drop [message #71045 is a reply to message #70756]

Thu, 19 January 2012 22:21

Bill Wassilak
Messages: 402
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Heck yea, that's a requirement for me when I have 6000 watts of Crown amps sitting on a 112-115vac 20amp line. I like switching power supply amps, so much power, little ac current draw. Very Happy

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