[HAL]

If the OP is in the MD/DC/VA area, I might be able to help with the Fluke 43B to see what the problem is.  I have done that for a few friends in the area that were having power issues.  It even convinced the local power company to investigate and actually find and fix the issues in multiple cases.

Just a thought.

[Soundminded]

The issue is that all my audio equipment runs on single phase power, or runs on batteries to get off the grid.   Since the distortion level is high in the three phase unit, it is not a good solution.

The PS Audio Power Plant Premier regenerates AC power making this a non-issue for my setup.  Batteries take care of the rest of the AC power issues.

Have fun with converting all the gear to three phase!

If you knew as little about audio equipment as you do about electrical power you wouldn't know how to turn your stereo system on. 3 phase 120/208 volts used in nearly ALL (over 99.9%) commercial and industrial buildings in the United States will opearte all single phase loads at 120 volts in exactly the same way as residential single phase power does. Howerver, if Piller doesn't offer a single phase version, Liebert and Eaton certainly do and probably Mitsubishi does as well. Threre are others such as APC.

[HAL]

I understand three phase power and you can run 120V loads off of a Y style system.   

To take full advantage of the three phase power the input transformer should run all three phases.   

The issue is still the specs for the unit show high distortion levels when at load. 

After being an electrical engineer for 31 years, I know what a power switch looks like!   

Have fun!

[Quiet Earth]

If the OP is in the MD/DC/VA area, I might be able to help with the Fluke 43B to see what the problem is.  I have done that for a few friends in the area that were having power issues.  It even convinced the local power company to investigate and actually find and fix the issues in multiple cases.

Just a thought.

Have you ever made measurements during the bad sounding times of the day and found nothing wrong? This would be useful information too.  I always wondered if those special late night sessions were partly due to the airwaves being a little quieter too.

Soundminded,
You should list all of your gear so we can get a better understanding of where you're coming from. What is the ac power solution in your house?

[roscoeiii]

Soundminded,

One of the things that I and others here at AC really enjoy about this forum is the tone of the conversation between members in these threads (something that was even metioned recently in a column by Steve Stone).

It is one thing to engage in a spirited debate about audio, but qite another to insult other members. I think others will agree with me that your insult of HAL above has no place here.

[jtwrace]

Soundminded,
 I think others will agree with me that your insult of HAL above has no place here.

Yes, that's correct and they will be deleted.  Please, no insults.  Debates are fine  though as long as it's done properly.

[HAL]

Quiet Earth,
When I made AC measurements at my house, the times where the system did not sound good correlated with the times of high distortion measurements.  Usually at night the distortion levels were low (~2%THD).  Also no mechanical hum/buzz from the toroidal power transformers at the low distortion times.  I did not see the opposite situation when I did the measurements.

After the power company cleaned the contacts in my power meter, the noise problem stopped.   I had my electrician also come in and make sure all the contacts in the breaker panel were all in good shape as part of the inspection process when this was happening.

One thing that has been discussed over time is using single phase power (220VAC/60Hz balanced) available in the US to drive systems.  That is probably an interesting Lab discussion.   

[rw@cn]

The power company's monitor will only measure minimum and maximum voltages.  You need a meter like the ones above to measure quality (harmonic distortion).

Dominion will do that if you ask. I can't speak to other power companies.

[rw@cn]

I have seen a good number of commercial/professional products recommended in a number of threads. My recommendation is to treat these products with a good deal of caution. They are not made for home use and may be hazardous to use without proper installation and care.

[Quiet Earth]

Thanks for the info HAL. 

[schw06]

If the OP is in the MD/DC/VA area, I might be able to help with the Fluke 43B to see what the problem is.  I have done that for a few friends in the area that were having power issues.  It even convinced the local power company to investigate and actually find and fix the issues in multiple cases.

Just a thought.

Hal,
   That's an extremely generous offer and I greatly appreciate it. I live in Atlanta though. Thanks again,
David

[schw06]

So I've been constantly measuring the voltage from my outlet over the past 2 days and it seems to hover around 125v almost all the time. What is considered overvoltage? Does 125v do damage to my equipment? Do I need to address this? If so, how?
David

[HAL]

David,
When I asked my power company about that, they quoted 120VAC, +/-5% as the range.  That is from 114VAC to 126VAC.

[mav52]

I had my power company along with my electrician come out and (1) check and measure the ground,( they had to re do my group at the meter)  (2) check the incoming signal for noise ( fixing the ground fixed this)(3) review my breakers for load issues ( 3  breakers lugs not tight and my mine breaker to my equipment was weak (4) install a external line surge protection at the source (power company) . Cost in total $450 for the power company and $210 for the electrician.   I then installed a Environmental Potentials EP-2450 Home Theater Power Supply.  Fix you problem at the source first then work your way inside the house