AudioCircle

Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Power Conditioning => Topic started by: FullRangeMan on 25 Jan 2022, 01:05 am

Title: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 25 Jan 2022, 01:05 am
At the beginning of this year the Voltage was not bad here at home, it was around 215V, but arrived a very unpleasant heat wave with temperatures of 40ºC and now we are at 210V to 215V all day long,

Some years ago the situation was worse around 201V-209V, but they made a new distribution center in the area and the voltage has improved a little. There is no way to turn on the system with such a low voltage.
So now 22h00 = 212V - 213V
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: dwmaggie on 25 Jan 2022, 01:57 am
111.1 volts is on the Monster filter display.  Normally it is rock steady at 120.  The power pole across the street has a transformer, my house is the only one hooked up to it.  I live on a dead-end street.  While writing this the voltage dropped to 110.5.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: dlaloum on 25 Jan 2022, 03:40 am
Officially here in Australia - we moved from a previous 240V standard, to our current 230V standard

Having said that, the utilities have been rorting the system and maintaining voltages at the upper end of the 10% allowance

My voltage here has been 245V for years, with occasional peaks up to 253V (!!).

Yes this increases power bills, it also decreases electronic components lifetime.

On the positive side, it may provide more grunt to power amps, depending on the power supply design...
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: toocool4 on 25 Jan 2022, 09:44 am
I used to have power fluctuations, then I put in a regenerator. I set the regenerator to put out a constant 240V, no matter what the input voltage is. Much better for the equipment to have a constant voltage.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: jtwrace on 25 Jan 2022, 03:52 pm
Yes this increases power bills
How is that possible though?  Increased voltage decreases the load.  Less load = less power consumption.   :scratch:
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 25 Jan 2022, 09:22 pm
It's rather cold and sunny today.
I read 120.8V, but we often have over 123V readings.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: dlaloum on 25 Jan 2022, 09:30 pm
How is that possible though?  Increased voltage decreases the load.  Less load = less power consumption.   :scratch:

Not sure - it is related to how the power meters measure...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-08/high-voltage-fuelling-increased-electricity-consumption/10460212#:~:text=%22Sustained%20high%20voltages%20at%20very,the%20country%2C%22%20he%20said.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Merryvale92 on 25 Jan 2022, 09:55 pm
My Furman ELITE 15I says 124, but I've seen it go up to 127. Florida has some filthy, erratic power, but at least the place I bought is reasonable.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: SET Man on 25 Jan 2022, 11:30 pm
Hey!

   I'm in Queens NYC. Right now on Tuesday January 25th at 6:30PM. According to my Fluke 179 multimeter the line is at 121V.

   As for line voltage here in my area is pretty good and steady. Usually around 120-123V. Although during hot summer days here I see sometime the voltage will drop down to 110V. Which is not good for anything.

   The Con Edison, the electric provider here would drop the line voltage down to 110V to prevent grid overload and burnout. Although, I'm using PS Audio P600 power regenerator, I usually don't turn my system on when I see the voltage drop to 110V.

Buddy
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 26 Jan 2022, 12:10 am
How is that possible though?  Increased voltage decreases the load.  Less load = less power consumption.   :scratch:
In my area they adjust the power transformer RTF phases to peak the T phase and use this phase at the power meter to read my electric consumption, this phase T increase the bill about 20-30%.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Tyson on 26 Jan 2022, 12:15 am
The voltage going to my audio system is exactly 120v, and it's been at exactly that same level ever since I got a PS Audio P5 :thumb:
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Wayner on 26 Jan 2022, 12:40 am
Here in my home town my meter is almost always at 120, but will drift downward occasionally. I give our local power company an A+

And yes, I have a voltage meter installed from the mains.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 26 Jan 2022, 12:58 am
   The Con Edison, the electric provider here would drop the line voltage down to 110V to prevent grid overload and burnout. Although, I'm using PS Audio P600 power regenerator, I usually don't turn my system on when I see the voltage drop to 110V.
I think they dont drop the nominal 120V voltage but the voltage decreases according the network consumption, since they cant sustain the demand at 120V the voltage drops, the 225KVA transformer in my condo can down til 201V, at 200V-201V it shuts down by it cannot sustain the demand, IMO the transformer that serve your home would down till 100-105V until it shuts off.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 27 Jan 2022, 04:59 pm
Modern [Switch Mode Power Supplies] SMPS, don't care what the line voltage is.
If the line voltage is low, then they draw more current for the same power. 
If the line voltage is high, then they draw less current for the same power.
They work the opposite of traditional linear power supplies.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Jeff_From_Michigan on 27 Jan 2022, 06:28 pm
Interesting thread.

Before Klaus built my Odyssey Audio amplification system, he was quite insistent on me testing and retesting the voltage coming out of the wall and he built the amps with that number in mind.

If I remember correctly, he was surprised that I was getting readings consistently in the 126-127V range. Just to be sure, I had my neighbor test mine and his, each with both my meter and his, and the numbers were consistent across the board. This was in the summer when demand was high.

The power company came out and tested the voltage from the meter outside, and he said that it was at 126V coming into the house.  He said that 126 number was right at the top of the range that they considered normal, so he couldn't do anything about it.

Anyway, Klaus is the only audio manufacturer that I've had experience with that even talks about the electricity coming into the unit (granted, my experience with buying custom-built amps is limited).
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 27 Jan 2022, 11:33 pm
Match point to Klaus, always first Class service.
Twenty years warranty at no extra cost  :thumb:
After the heat wave gone Iam getting 216-217V at the peak hour.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: SET Man on 30 Jan 2022, 02:14 am
I think they dont drop the nominal 120V voltage but the voltage decreases according the network consumption, since they cant sustain the demand at 120V the voltage drops, the 225KVA transformer in my condo can down til 201V, at 200V-201V it shuts down by it cannot sustain the demand, IMO the transformer that serve your home would down till 100-105V until it shuts off.

Hey!

       No, really it is for real. Yes, I know the voltage sagged with heavy uses in the area. But my electric company here, the Con Edison also drop the voltage and they even announced it on the news and asks people to conserve the power during the heatwave here in NYC.

Buddy
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 30 Jan 2022, 02:32 am
Hey!

       No, really it is for real. Yes, I know the voltage sagged with heavy uses in the area. But my electric company here, the Con Edison also drop the voltage and they even announced it on the news and asks people to conserve the power during the heatwave here in NYC.

Buddy
Since the Voltage naturally drops by itself when we move away from the transformer that serves us, this is a amazing procedure.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 1 Feb 2022, 02:24 pm
It's rather cold and sunny today.
I read 120.8V, but we often have over 123V readings.
A few afternoons later it was 118.2V.
This morning it's 122.0V.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 17 Feb 2022, 02:12 am
With heat wave return voltage has dropped to 210/215V all the day.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: crad on 24 Feb 2022, 08:37 pm
In my area and living at the end of a dead end street and run. When spot checking, mine regularly measures between 117V to 119.3V
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Samac on 24 Feb 2022, 08:59 pm
125v

Cheers,

Scott
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: mgalusha on 24 Feb 2022, 09:53 pm
About 1000 if I turn on the 211 amps. ;)
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Wayner on 24 Feb 2022, 11:40 pm
120.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: dlaloum on 25 Mar 2022, 02:21 am
So we have been running at between 242V and 252V for years... (Australian standard voltage is supposed to be 230V +/-10%)

Yesterday we had an all day scheduled maintenance power outage....

After power came back on, the Voltage was down at 236V - lower than I have seen it in 10 years of keeping an eye on it (ever since I got a glorified multi-plug unit combo surge-protector with a readout of the voltage! - Belkin Pure-AV PF60) - today, on a bright sunny day (on the cusp of autumn) - the Voltage is up to 242.5V.... but 2 days ago under similar conditions (peak solar panel output time) - it would have been between 248V and 252V.

Very happy to see the voltage at a more reasonable level - would like it to actually approach the standard of 230V - but I guess that won't happen until/unless I make my home grid independent.   
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 25 Mar 2022, 02:00 pm
Incredible. Its all out of reasonable limits.
Here with the summer end voltage up to 219/223V this morning.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 1 Apr 2022, 06:39 pm
2PM, clear sky and cool.
119.3V
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: GeorgeAb on 1 Apr 2022, 06:56 pm
Quite consistant at 124V.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: JakeJ on 1 Apr 2022, 08:32 pm
Mine can range from 119 to 123VAC but typically it's 121.  I live in an area surrounded by power generation with a dozen dams within a 200 mile radius and a nuclear power plant just 30 miles from my home.  Pretty solid and consistent.  Haven't had a power outage in probably 3 or 4 years.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: crad on 1 Apr 2022, 08:43 pm
Been monitoring mine (LA, CA) pretty consistently for the last four months out of curiosity. I can say that the range is: 117.8V - 121.2V, this doesn't include quick spikes but more of seen avg.'s. Haven't really had any bad spikes or brown outs either except during a really bad wind & rain storm.

So I guess I say it's all good on the western front.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Wayner on 1 Apr 2022, 10:28 pm
Mine is spot on......120v.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Woodsage on 1 Apr 2022, 11:04 pm
5 volts DC.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=239122)


My listening room:


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=239123)

Happy weekend to all!

Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 1 Apr 2022, 11:24 pm
Yesterday afternoon there were 7 cars and 1 van from the power company on my street, I went talk to the doorkeeper, they know everything that happens, resulted that the new third-party owner of the city electrical concession is changing all analog meters to digital.

This is a lot of money and work, wonder what benefit they will have ?  :scratch:
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Delta77 on 1 Apr 2022, 11:36 pm
Just gave it a shot..
4:30 pm 
   (118.2 volts)
I saw a dip go down to 116.8 and a peak of 119.3..
But stayed around 118 most of the 60 seconds I tested it..
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: vinnysj on 15 Apr 2022, 12:09 am
5:09 PM cloudy.
122.1V
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 16 Jun 2022, 04:32 pm
Yesterday June 15, was the hottest day in about 2 years.  Officially about 95°F, but the neighborhood weather station and my house were over 100°F.
Normally line voltage is about 120V. Mid afternoon yesterday it was down to 113.7V.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 17 Jun 2022, 05:56 pm
So the heat wave has passed (for the moment). The afternoon temperature is 82°F and the line voltage is 122.1V.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: tull skull on 17 Jun 2022, 08:24 pm
Yesterday afternoon there were 7 cars and 1 van from the power company on my street, I went talk to the doorkeeper, they know everything that happens, resulted that the new third-party owner of the city electrical concession is changing all analog meters to digital.

This is a lot of money and work, wonder what benefit they will have ?  :scratch:
 

Well not only can they do more sophisticated monitoring but now they can charge you more accurately. Almost always to their financial advantage.
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: FullRangeMan on 17 Jun 2022, 10:56 pm
How it is?  :scratch:
They can make the meter run faster ?
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=149544)
Title: Re: What is the Voltage in Your System Today?
Post by: Speedskater on 18 Jun 2022, 01:23 am
Probably by estimating every other month. They may keep the estimates a little bit low. (It looks better)