Electric supply problem

[bigd1]

I am just getting back into recording using my Pc.
My electrics at home fluctuate, you can see it when you have lights on etc. This is I think the cause of a noise problem I'm having when using my studio software. I keep getting quite a loud pop & back ground sounds.
Can I fit something in line or inside my Pc to stop this problem. I already use an anti surge multi socket.

Ta very glad
Dale

[icastle]

Well a surge protector will help with surges (as the name suggests:)) but it's not going to help with dips.

Legally, your energy provider can supply as little as 216V - less than that then you can escalate it to them to resolve. This is 216V at the meter end of the ring and you really need an electrician to test and monitor that.

There's also the house wiring itself to consider.
Dimming lights might appear to be an indicator of low voltage, but they are (or should be) on a different ring main to your mains sockets and may not be a particularly accurate indicator.

It all rather depends on what an electrician finds.

Something you can try without the involvement of an electrician is running your PC off of a UPS - that'll keep pumping out 230V regardless of what voltage is being fed into it (it'll even work for a few minutes if the mains power completely dies).

I'm betting StingrayPete1977 will be along here shortly and give you some more advice.

[flyfisher]

A UPS should certainly solve any PC-related power problems but might not be a full solution if other devices in the audio chain are still connected directly to the mains (e.g. amps, pedals etc). The pops and other noises might be coming from those devices. Also, the PSUs in PCs are usually pretty resilient to mains fluctuations. Still, a UPS might be worth a try and I can't see how it could make things worse.

I guessing that your location has a lot to do with the supply problems. Do your neighbours have similar problems? Are the problems fairly regular e.g. could it be that your house is supplied by a single mains supply that also powers the milking parlour on the farm next door? (OK, not necessarily that precise scenario, but you get my drift).

[bremen]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1361181562' post='1982186']
A UPS should certainly solve any PC-related power problems but might not be a full solution if other devices in the audio chain are still connected directly to the mains (e.g. amps, pedals etc). The pops and other noises might be coming from those devices. Also, the PSUs in PCs are usually pretty resilient to mains fluctuations. Still, a UPS might be worth a try and I can't see how it could make things worse.

I guessing that your location has a lot to do with the supply problems. Do your neighbours have similar problems? Are the problems fairly regular e.g. could it be that your house is supplied by a single mains supply that also powers the milking parlour on the farm next door? (OK, not necessarily that precise scenario, but you get my drift).
[/quote]

My sister's house shared a very old cable with the neighbour, who used welders and other heavy sh*t in his workshop. The consequent dimming of the lights was very obvious and quite intrusive. She reported this to the supplier and they installed a recording voltmeter, and eventually upgraded the cables. End of problem.

[BOD2]

You could try speaking to these people -

[url="http://www.furmansound.com/page.php?div=03&id=WHY_PWR"]http://www.furmansound.com/page.php?div=03&id=WHY_PWR[/url]

But their equipment will cost around £200.

I've never used one of these devices so I can't say if this would cure your particular problem or not.

I would go around the house checking for any light dimmers, fluorescent lights, or low energy bulbs first. Try switching these off to see if that eliminates the noise - if you're lucky then it might just be one particular light fitting that is causing the problem. Fridges can also cause problems when the compressor switches on and off, but there's not a lot you can do about that !

[bigd1]

[quote name='BOD2' timestamp='1361267198' post='1983535']
You could try speaking to these people -

[url="http://www.furmansound.com/page.php?div=03&id=WHY_PWR"]http://www.furmansou...v=03&id=WHY_PWR[/url]

But their equipment will cost around £200.

I've never used one of these devices so I can't say if this would cure your particular problem or not.

I would go around the house checking for any light dimmers, fluorescent lights, or low energy bulbs first. Try switching these off to see if that eliminates the noise - if you're lucky then it might just be one particular light fitting that is causing the problem. Fridges can also cause problems when the compressor switches on and off, but there's not a lot you can do about that !
[/quote]

I'm going to retry the second part of this idea, just coz it's the cheapest. Then I'm not sure what to do next. I know it's not other gearcausing this as It's a problem when just using my PC ..........

Thanks for all ideas up to now

Edited February 19, 2013 by bigd1