What are the best options for electrical solution for new home construction?
- Thread starter caesar
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I would recommend an over spec'd (min x2 anticipated max usage) isolation transformer of some sort with an integral wall panel system. eliminate any GFI's on these circuits. 10 gauge romex (or brand name in-wall) home runs to each Furutech NCF outlet, Furutech frame and cover. Furutech plugs. male and IEC on each PC.
ground rod according to local spec but depending on room location and soil possibly hot-rodded.
these are the basics.
If you're going the trafo route, which I think is not necessary if you have a unit like a SurgeX, I'd go with a Torus BPT. The thing is, they really don't help eliminate the kind of noise that plagues systems due to emi/rfi, but SurgeX's emi/rfi filter does. The real world benefits of trafos is overstated ime.
If you're doing new construction and are not particularly price sensitive:
A good sized combination UPS Regenerator (GE and Richard Gray both make very nice units). That provides an ultra-pure starting point.
Directly downstream from that a large scale transformer, like those in the large Torus, Equitech, or Richard Gray PowerHouse lines
Very high quality grounding and Romex wiring
A good sized combination UPS Regenerator (GE and Richard Gray both make very nice units). That provides an ultra-pure starting point.
Directly downstream from that a large scale transformer, like those in the large Torus, Equitech, or Richard Gray PowerHouse lines
Very high quality grounding and Romex wiring
I would use JPS in wall wiring; it's twisted which is a big bonus. I don't know enough about the SurgeX, but it may be a good solution for protection. It's power conditioning qualities in normal form are underwhelming; can't speak for any possible degradation since I haven't used the panel version or seen inside of it. I'm not a fan of isolation transformers either. I'm not a fan of regenerators.
*JPS Labs in-wall wiring
*Don't use GFCI breakers, good call.
*Furutech receptacles are great, as mentioned.
*Grounding rod location has no relation since it has to be bonded at the houses panel for code. However if you can treat the soil there are benefits; lowered noise induced by ground.
*JPS Labs in-wall wiring
*Don't use GFCI breakers, good call.
*Furutech receptacles are great, as mentioned.
*Grounding rod location has no relation since it has to be bonded at the houses panel for code. However if you can treat the soil there are benefits; lowered noise induced by ground.
..what do you think the benefit is to running 10 ga romex? Not convinced of the benefit but am sure of the PITA of working with it not to mention if it's even possible to terminate on a 20A duplex. Seems to be overkill IMO..
you are paying an electrical contractor to install the 10 gauge Romex. he/she can work with it fine and it gives proper headroom to any 20 amp circuit. not your problem it's a PITA. besides which it's going to be more solid and stiff than less robust wire and sound better mechanically.
every circuit I've ever had installed (over 20+ years) has been 10 gauge Romex and I've always been happy and never had any complaints either with the install (from the contractor) or when I upgraded duplex outlets (from my dealer).
in the context of high end systems any premium for 10 gauge Romex is trivial. OTOH JPS in-wall or other brands are significantly more spendy and that wire is very difficult to install into duplex outlets (ask Bruce Brown about that).
Yes, Mike, I'd recommend oversized boxes for the wall outlets if you have the wall depth. That way you have some more room to set it, and you can have the tail be a bit longer. Also if you're installing multiple duplex outlets in the same box you could skip using JPS in the tiny short distance of a few inches between them and just use TNNH wire. The benefits are over long runs.
For you cheap asses you can get 10 gauge that has been Cryo'd from VH Audio; Chris is a good guy to deal with, ask him for his opinion on it if you like.
Installing 10ga is fine unless the stud work is goofy. If there are some tight corners and studs too close to each other it can get awkward. Also you can terminate 8ga stranded wire into an outlet, 10ga (especially solid) is very easy.
For you cheap asses you can get 10 gauge that has been Cryo'd from VH Audio; Chris is a good guy to deal with, ask him for his opinion on it if you like.
Installing 10ga is fine unless the stud work is goofy. If there are some tight corners and studs too close to each other it can get awkward. Also you can terminate 8ga stranded wire into an outlet, 10ga (especially solid) is very easy.
What i did re my hifi's power was this:
I use a high quality pure sine wave inverter run off a bank of 6 x 200 ah deep cycle batteries to provide juice
Regardless of whether mains power is on or off , all the power to my listening room goes via that system - ac - dc - to inverter -ac...super clean power incoming
I use a high quality pure sine wave inverter run off a bank of 6 x 200 ah deep cycle batteries to provide juice
Regardless of whether mains power is on or off , all the power to my listening room goes via that system - ac - dc - to inverter -ac...super clean power incoming
..not the contractor's problem...mine as I do all my own wiring (retired power EE) and IMO one would be hard pressed to actually hear a difference. But like so many aspects of this hobby regarding the minutiae, if it flaps your shutters, go for it..
fair enough.
but for the other 99% of us that should stay the hell away from anything electrical the problem is to have it done right when have the contractor there and the walls are open. later changing our mind and switching wire is not an option once the room is completed. so if 10 gauge Romex might/could be better then 10 gauge Romex (or better) it is.
again; in the context of many high end systems the cost of using the right materials on your power grid is so trivial. we see stand alone power conditioners running $5k+. a little more for the right wire is peanuts. best to only spend those labor dollars once. and it's hard to predict the long term usage and wattage requirement of each outlet. the 10 gauge gives you a higher limit (as my non-techie mind understands it).
Better than guessing, you can calculate the variation of voltage in your own case using different wire sizes in this site: http://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wire/voltage-drop-calculator.htm
Remember however that peak current can be much higher than the average maximum current calculated using maximum load. I have seen people admitting a factor of up to x5 for this purpose.
Remember however that peak current can be much higher than the average maximum current calculated using maximum load. I have seen people admitting a factor of up to x5 for this purpose.
Almost everything that you need to know about AC power and audio/video systems is in these three papers:
An Overview of Audio System Grounding and Interfacing
by Bill Whitlock, President Jensen Transformers, Inc.
http://centralindianaaes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdfhttp://centralindianaaes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdf
Power and Grounding For Audio and Audio/Video Systems -- A White Paper for the Real World
by Jim Brown
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf
Integrating Electronic Equipment and Power into Rack Enclosures
Optimized Power Distribution and Grounding for Audio, Video and Electronic Systems
by Middle Atlantic
http://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspxhttp://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspx
http://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspx
An Overview of Audio System Grounding and Interfacing
by Bill Whitlock, President Jensen Transformers, Inc.
http://centralindianaaes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdfhttp://centralindianaaes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdf
Power and Grounding For Audio and Audio/Video Systems -- A White Paper for the Real World
by Jim Brown
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf
Integrating Electronic Equipment and Power into Rack Enclosures
Optimized Power Distribution and Grounding for Audio, Video and Electronic Systems
by Middle Atlantic
http://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspxhttp://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspx
http://www.middleatlantic.com/resources/white-papers.aspx
IMHO you are forgetting one of the most importants for new home construction - the one about L-N twisted .
"Ground Loops: The Rest of the Story" Bill Whitlock, AES Fellow and Jamie Fox, P.E. xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/20963848/268252969/name/Whitlock-Fox+-+Ground+Loops+.pdf
BTW, I learned about this one in a post of your´s a few years ago! The mathematics and the agreement with the measurements are great .
That one's more complicated. Real Southwire Romex® has an advantage over the typical electrician conduit wiring job. But other no-name romex like non-metallic cables may not share that advantage. The cable needs to have a symmetrical conductor pattern. It's a similar situation to a good balanced interconnect cable. Many of the no-name cables either don't start symmetrical or lose what symmetry during instillation.
I'll get back to my news thoughts on metal conduit installs latter.
I'll get back to my news thoughts on metal conduit installs latter.
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