[Tfug] [OT] Voltage Spikes and Drops

[Bexley Hall]

--- On Sat, 5/16/09, Tyler Nienhouse <flakeparadigm at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ever since I moved into my current
> house, I have had one big problem. I'm not completely
> sure what it is, but my guess is that it has to do with
> voltage spikes and drops.

You haven't said how *old* your house is?  Many older homes
only have 60A services, are wired with 14AWG wire, have
lighting and outlets on the same circuit, etc.  Are your
utilities above or below grade?
 
> In the living room of this house, the electronics have a
> tough life. Almost every time there is a change in
> electrical usage in the house (for example, dish washer
> cycles changing), something messes up in the living room. At

Note that, aside from the kitchen, the living room tends
to be the biggest demand.  (well, bathroom circuits -- usually
a single circuit shared between all bathrooms *and* outdoor
*and* garage uses ... in older homes).  You might also have
other rooms on that same circuit.   Have you mapped out
what is where?

> the moment, the only thing that messes up often is the
> Comcast digital cable receiver, but other things like
> monitors and even the wireless router get messed up.
> 
> The monitor is no longer affected, because it has been
> replaced, and old router was replaced after it's
> wireless signal went out almost every 10 minutes (but the
> new one is having some occasional glitches too). They are
> now running perfectly in another room of the house.

Are you sure the wireless isn't experiencing interference
with things like microwave oven, cordless phones (2.4GHz),
neighbors' equipment?
 
> Does anyone have any ideas on what is going on? (All of the
> electronics mentioned were plugged into various surge
> protectors.)

Surge protectors are just about as useful as tits on boars.
They probably do more to keep RFI/EMI generated *in* the
equipment from getting out onto the mains than they do
at keeping "surges" from damaging the equipment.